The Portland daily press., 1882-09-06
Bangor Whigl
Plalsted'S Latest Grievance.

AS we naturally supposed, Plaisted lied
Reform School, as plainly shown by the letter
of the Superintendent, elsewhere printed. We
have other information confirming what Mr..
Harrington says, and stamping the petty COM
plaint of the Governor and his detailed whim-
perings as false and fraudulent from beginning
to end. Let US examine briefly Plaisted's
yarns in the light of facts and see how mean is
the outcome of his hypocritical indignation.
Plaisted's visit to the Reform School was
made on the 18th of last February. He was in
vited to go through the establishment without
ceremony He talked with the boys, and sug-
gested complaints of ill-treatment by the form
of his inquiries, as is his nature. The boys
subsequently laughed about his conversation,
and boasted that they had "fooled the Gov"
and ''stuffed him with stories. Anybody who
knows the superintendent and is familiar with
the management of the School knows how far
fetched any charge of cruelty or want of Care
must be, and everybody who knows Plaisted
knows how naturally the hoys were led into
supposing they had caught suitable subject
for a ouy,--and this without knowing as peo-
Pile outside the School 40, that Plaisted's chief
occupation is the chase after grievances.
AS to one point in Plaisted's complaint we
have letter which already establishes his
character for recklessness. He said that he vls-
tied the hospital and there found very sick
boy ''entirely unattended, in fact, neglected
and left to die; that was the inference he
meant to convey The fact was the nurse had
but that moment left the room to carry some
things. The rest of tue Governors yarns and
the denials contained in our correspon-
dents letter, which we quote, as follows:
The boy was not sin the delirium of fever;'' was
not sick of fever at ALL but had consumption and
died four weeks after the Governors visit, OF tu-
bercular meningitis; he WAS noJ "parched and suf-
fering;'' the scorching rays OF the sun were not
shining directly him.; the air OF the room was
not shot and fetid;'' the is not small-it is
1922 feet feet high in the clear; it is not in the
'rOof of the building but the same floor as the
the Superintendent occupies; it is lighted by
large window on the west side is ventilated by
opening into the large dormitory, and large vent-
lating sperture into a chimney 80 feet high. The
boy an Irish Catholic He was visited fire.
queutly by the resident trustee, Mr. Donahue, also
an Irishman and Cath 1lic Catholic priest and by
the mo her of the boy. They would come unannounc-
ed and unexpectedly. Had there been thing wrong
they would sure yhave known it. By the way Mr..
Donahue was at the School a1ith Cor. Pdisted. Had
there been the abuses existence thn that Plais-
ted saw would he not have spoken OF it?
If anything could be more pitiable than the
ordinary stump speaker going about the coun-
try retailing such ia schools as these Plaisted
is guilty of, it would be the attitude of a Cover
nor using as political weapons alleged abuses
which, if established, he ought to have tried to
ted's attitude, what is it? Now look at the
mans record on this transaction. He
visited the Reform School in his official
capacity. He investigated the institution
for the supposed purpose of recommending
changes in the methods of treatment or man
agement. This was more than six months
ago Not one word of recommendation has he
uttered in all this time, not one change OF
system suggested, not one complaint made, un-
til it was found necessary in the exigencies OF
very desperate campaign, to invent some
new roorback to give him aud his strikers ex-
cuse for longer preying upon the taxpayers OF
Maine. Never before was a free State SO hu-
inflated and put to shame by The reckless con-
duct of its Chief Magistrate; never before was
the patience of people SO sorely tried by the
malicious Misrepresentation and the babyish
tricks which characterize our pitifully little
so-called ruler. Most men had learned to dis
trust Plaisted before this canvass began he is
now inviting all men to despise him.