The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-09-05

the management of large hearted men
in whom, as arule, the utmost confidence
was repoaed. Gen. Tom. Ewing, a sold
Ter, gentleman and Democrat, shared
the counsel of such men as Gems. Force
and Buckland The correspondent
ought to know that l was member OF
the Board of Trustees with Gen. Buck
land, Force Refer, Barnett and Jones
when the Home was first organized un-
der authority of the State, and every
building now on the grounds, except the
old frame, barn shaped school house,
and the new school house, now building,
was planned, built and finished under
the direction of the Board of which |
was a member, along with the Trustees
above named, between whom and my
self the most cordial, personal friendship
always existed, and so far as | know, yet
exist. 1t is said that expressed myself
satisfied with Mr. Shaw. Suppose | did,
what of il? Does it follow that IN all the
State of Ohio there is no Democrat quail
ified to discharge the duties OF Superln-
tendent? Was not Prof. Kerr a most
competent and efficient Superintendent
All admit he was, and yet he had to
Weld to Mr.. Shaw for no other reason
than being Democrat.
1t is claimed for Mr. Shaw he made
improvements on the grounds and about
the buildings. 1t is an admitted fact
that in this he only carried out the plans
of Mr.. Kerr, already projected, and was
prevented from executing by his reno
val.
Much has been said through the Re-
publican newspapers and in speeches,
charging the Democratic Trustees with
having turned out of the Home many
children who have been inmates. de-
sire to say once for all, that not a single
child has been turned out, nor will there
be. The Home has capacity to accom-.
modate 600 children, and at the close of
the last year it was full-Qess one)-of
which number about forty had arrived
at the age of sixteen, when by law they
must leave. There were between 900
and 900 applications for admission Of
which only forty could be accommodated,
and Mr.. Shaw himself selected out list
of thirty-four which he said could be ad-
mitted under the present law.
It is not my intention in this article to
defend or condemn the law. That it is
defective in some particulars and some.
what difficult to understand is admitted,
but have no doubt that by fair and
liberal construction of its provisions, the
institution can and will be successfully
maintained, until by subsequent legisla'
ton, these defects can and will be reme'
died.
The Democratic party has as much in
terest in the welfare of the Home as the
Republican party. They have borne
their full share of its cost of Construc.
ton, and are paying their full share of
necessary taxes to sustain it, and the or.
phans provided for in the Home num-
ber as many children of Democrats as
Republicans.
In the "head lines" as published in
your paper, among other things you say
this, "The Home of Soldiers 0rphane is
resort for Democratic lrampS," just what
is intended by those words is difficult to
understand. / am not aware of any
tramp" of any party, now in the Home,
4
know of any intention or desire of any
body to put such a character there. The
Trustees have made no appointment,
whatever, except that of Superintend-
ent, nor has Mr.. Keefer made any reno
walls, (so far as l know OF belieYe) except
that of physician, clerk and superintend-
ent of schools, and even these appoint
ments, il made, have not been acted upon
by the Board, and will not be before the
23d inst, when the regular meeting Of
the Trustees takes place. 1t seems
strange that Mr.. shaw should desire to
be party to enforce such an infamous
law as he and his friends claim the pres.
ent law to be, or that he would accept
an office from Democrats who are cor
rupt enough to violate their oath of Of
fee, but such seems to be the fact, as his
conduct both before and since he left the
Home clearly shows. On the 4th day of
last July one of the Trustees said: II
have been informed during the last few
days, that Notwithstanding the assuran-
ces which l have received from Major
Shaw, there is move on foot to sacri-
fee me and several others, that the head
of the Home may be retained" The
conduct of Mr.. Shaw on July 10Th clear
ly developed the riCkery of the man. He
had, in order to secure his appointment,
made promises mot to me, for never
asked him for any which, after he sup.
posed he had secured the appointment,
he seemed unwilling to fulfill. Some Of
the more sensible Republican papers, do
not Join in this "hue and cry" which is
made by the partisan press, as the fol-
lowing extracts will show. The Colum.
bus Herald of the 4th inst, publishes ex-
tracts, one from the Cleveland Herald,
one from the Xenia T0rchltgh which,
with the comments of the Columbus
Herald, are as follows:
"The Cleveland Herald in the course
of a long letter from Xenia, intended to
be highly eulogistic of Major Shaw, late
Superintendent of the Soldiers Orphans
Home, has the following:
~ am informed on good authority that at an
election since he has held the Office Of Mayor
Shaw called those under his employ together and
presenting them with tickets, said Now here
are both Republican and Democratic tickets
Take your choice But the man who is Demo-
Crat and votes the Republican ticke. in the hope
of retaining his position here, shall be immedi'
ate discharged
"Now, if Shaw really made fool OF
himself in any such way as that, he de-
served to be turned out of the institution
whether it were controlled by Democrats
or Republicans"
"The staid and reliable old Xenia
TorchligM whose editors have been Re.
publican party, and which is published
within a mile of the Soldiers Orphans
Home says:
Gas to the change in the management of the
Home-why should the Republican party com.
plain Of the Democratic party doing that which
the Republican party did three years ago ON q
simiar occasion? Did not Major Shaw succeed
to Mr.. Kerr and DR.. Brundage to Dr. Jones, both
Of them excellent otiicers2 II the Home is TO be
run on party principles that which is wholesome
for the goose cannot he said to be deleterious to
the digestive organs of the Gander,"
"This language contrasts favorably
with the mass of insinCere demagogism