The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-05-24
The State institution for Their
Benefit at Bloomington.
How it Has Been Mismanaged, and
the Children Maltreated,
GLAZING ABUSES IN THE WAY
OF ExrRAvAaANcE, NEG
LECr AND CRUELTY.
A Reform Expected at the Hands of the
New Board of Trustees,


munity has waited with considerable anX-
iety. during the past few weeks, for the
appointment of the Board of Trustees for
the Soldiers Orphans Home, which ap-
pointment was made and announced few /
days ago. .s-
This anxiety has grown, in part, out OF
the personal interest felt by some in the |
different candidates from Bloomington, but |
chiefly out Of the interest felt In the vel |
fare of the institution itself.
The feeling of the majority Of our citi- |
zens, for some time past, has been that
CHANGE WAS DESIRABLE,
and we are glad to see that Gov. Cullom |
held the same opinion. | say this fully |
cognizant of Gen. McNulta's personal
merit. In his private character and rela-
tons he is above reproach or criticism, and |
has many warm friends in Bloomington; |
but. as a public officer, we feel that he, |
with his colleagues, deserves the rebuke Of
the public in sustaining an administration
in the Soldiers Orphans Home that falls
so far short Of the expectations and de-
sires Of its supporters and friends.
1t has long been known, by those who
have taken the pains to note the affairs OF
the institution from its beginning, that
INEQUALITIES AND IRREGULARITIES
Of various kinds have existed, which have
either been concealed from the board, or
have been overlooked and smothered by
them, until citizens who would like to make
this institution, of all others in the state,
their pride for its integrity and purity, are
compelled to rise up and ceDsure its man
agement, The Legislature has, from time
TO time, made generous appropriations for
its support, with wish to provide not only
the necessaries, but the comforts of life for
the soldiers orphans. This generosity has
been perverted and abused by the extrava
gance and high living of the officers.
We are glad that a reduction was made
in the last appropriation; it will be 500, 900
less Of the public money and hard earned
taxes to be
soUANDERED IN MIsAPPLIED LUXURIEs
and elegant furnishings The children
will never feel its loss. Their table. fare
could not be palmer than it is; their cloth
ing could not be cheaper nor more scanty,
nor their comforts fewer, than they now
are. 1t is very pleasant to be ushered into
spacious carpeted hall and handsomely
furnished parlol; to be shown into the
bright sunny chapel. the cheerful reading
room, through well-ventilated corridors
and dormitories. 1t makes ones heart
rise in thankfulness that patriotism and
gratitude for the public service of our sol
diers still live to find such beautiful and
practical expression to their offspring; but
1t gives one
VERY DIFFERENT SENSATION
to pass into the dismal BASEMENT halls, and
learn that the children are confined to
them all the time they are out of school.
None of that upper warmth and brightness
is for their enjoyment. | have made re-
peated visits to the institution, and each
time have noticed children sitting upon the
floors of these halls, and the steps, -their
quarters graced with not so much as q
wooden chair.
1t is a pleasant thing to sit at the mat
ron's table in her private dining room
where every day the most expensive deli
cacies of the market are served; but no
so pleasant to be one Of the soldiers
orphans, and subsist daily on what is
NO BETTER THAN PRISON FARE.
have lately received the last report O
the trustees, and call attention TO the lis
Of supplies there published. What priyat
citizen or taxpayer can afford such living
for his own family? Is it well that tw,
carriages and drivers should be almos
constantly employed to convey the matroi
and her daughters about the city, and t,
and from SCHOOL, Is it well to have
woman at the head of such an enterprise
whose mind is given to frivolity and dress
o,.with her family, is oftener seen a
places OF amusement than at church, 1
it well that the balls of the Home SHOULD
resound at the midnight hour, with tn,
music and mirth of dancing and feasting
in which the inmates have no share, ant
for which
THEIR SUBSTANCE is CONSUMED?
No wonder that so many Of the poor, hard
working mothers have struggled long be
fore putting tleir children in the Home
and complain of the harshness aud injus
tlce with which they are treated.
For trivial and childish offenses, they arr
often compelled to stand for many conse
cutive hours-even far into the night
without food or drink; they have beer
locked in cold, empty rooms, IN wintry
weather, for fifteen hours, with nothing t
eat but bread and waters and the rod i
often laid upon their tender flesh, until i
brings the red blood to lhe surface, or
LEAVES ITS MARKS
for days to follow. A large number of til,
children are obliged, on account of
physical disability, to sleep on straw beds
which should be frequently cleansed ant
renovated to render them ar all fit for use
These beds, learn, have, within the las
few months, been allowed to remain un
cared for until the straw rotted and wal
filed with living maggots,-the children
occupying them at the same tune. car,
not, however, to enumerate all the abuses
l only desire their correction.
Our public institutions are created b,
the people, for the benefit of an unfortun
ate and helpless class and not for thu
benefit Of few
GREEDY AND DISHONEST INDIVIDUALS
They are not Of sectarian, political, o
local interest Every county in the stat,
has, or may have, a representation amonJ
their inmates; hence every citizen and tax
payer has an interest and a responsible,
in the expenditure of the public none.
and the conduct of public officers,
give but little heed to rumor and gos
sip, and hope that the graver charges O
immortality, that mar the official record o
the institution, are without foundation, or
at most, not wholly true, But wha
should give rise to these dark hints O
wrong doing2 Why should
PERSONS OF DOUBTFUL CHARACTER
be allowed to poison the atmosphere Of a
institution that is educating aud moldin
The future career of SO many young girls
IS 1t because of influences surroundin
them nj the very susceptible age whe
m "a - Al IL