The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-11-17
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join with me now in this appeal to the
justice and humanity of the now victorious
party, which has ever been first in glorious
deeds, and insist that honest worth and true
competency shall alone decide the appoint
ments to be made under their control.
A PLEA FOR SoN-PARTIsAS ADAiISIsTRA-
TION. Fr-ft-r. IL
Suffering and wrong must be unavoidable
until some influence, moral or legal, is
brought to bear by which this matter can be
taken out of the hands of designing politi-
clans and so arranged that removals can only
be made for just cause, and some wise
supervision be made for securing correct
knowledge of the internal affairs of such
institutions, SO that abuses may not grow
to such an extent as to necessitate these
abrupt changes. This is subject upon
which l ask your best thought, and whether
it Is better to give every effort towards
securing the appointments of competent
and incorruptible officers, and by upholding
them seek to promote confidence between
officers and people, and so carry
out the intention of the present
law, or to sttempt to rearrange and put in
force other laws on this subject, is a matter
of such great importance that it would be
unfaithful to the duty imposed upon me by
this opportunity if did not urge your imme-
diate attention thereto. Already the gloom
of the coming cloud is affecting the atmos
phere of the Hospital for the Insane. Per-
haps nowhere else is there as much at stake
Every uneasy or anxious thought os physi-
clans or attendants will be reflected on the
sensitive minds of the helpless patients.
Already selfish, hungry eyes, are looking
toward comfortable position here, and
stealthy subtle influences are at work laying
coil after coil. Some day when you are
resting In your comfortable homes the coils
will be frightened. W.
Gentlemen, upon you, because of your
added privileges, rests heavily this, and like
responsibilities. f.l CO.
Yet, too, like you, am an instrument,
however weak, in Gods hands.
Can / look, without fincbing, into the
trustful, beseecbing faces of those upon
whose innocent heads the weight of this dis
sster must fall. if l did not thus publicly 81
peal to you? No. after the whirlwind of the
exc ltement of the past few months, in the
stiffness which follows the late storm of re-
joicing, there comes to me the ''still small
voice" like memory of the Christian train
ing of years gone by, but which ] know
comes directly from my Father and yours:
"Open thy mouth for the dumb, in the cause
of all such as are appointed unto destruc-
ton" Ny heart echoes the command.
With Superintendent who did not seek
the place, but accepted it because of his in
terest -~in nervous diseases, gentleman
whose character is above reproach, and
whose every move has been toward improve
ment, we have nothing to fear but that
blind political influence may resolve again
into chaos the hard work of the past eIgh-
teen months. And if my full sense of the
importance of the situation affecting as it
does all public institutioDs), shall have so
permeated my words as to encourage you,
each one, not only to consider but to DO the
thing nearest him in this matter, i shall go
back with renewed strength to that retired,
yet to me exalted position, wherein l have
the power to look into the souls of these
God-stricken ones, and so learning their
needs, am able to minister unto them of that
portion from the Masters table which is
mine TO bestow.