The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-04-18
SOLDIERS ORPHANS HOME.
Another Batch of Lies Put to Rest-Some
Interesting Information.
fSalem DemCcrafl

Interesting Information.
lSalem Democrat
A few days ago the secret organization
known as the Grand Army of the Rspuo-
lic' met az Indianapolis, and while in ses-
sion some petty, cheap John Republican
politician, who il disgrace to the order, pro-
cured the adoption OF resolution condemn
ing the action of the Democrats in the last
Legislature for passing an act "aboiishing
the Soldiers Orphans Home" The facts,
the whole facts. and the precise facts as they
exist are as follows: The resolution passed
by the Grand Army of The Republic" is
based on false,-absOlutely fa.se-assump-
ton. The man that drew the resolution
either knew that no such act was passed by
the Legislature, and purposely lied, or was
too ignorant and stupid to understand his
mother tongue when written down before
him. The Soldiers Orphans Home was
first established about 1868, in June, prob
ably. The Legislature appropriated money
from time to time TO keep the Institution
in running order. In 1870 the building was
accidentally burned down. The Legislature
appropriated money, and new building was
erected. In 1877 the latter building was
burned, and it being heavily insured, the
money was taken and the present building
was erected.
Now, up to 1879 there had been no public
institution in Indiana for the better care
and education of the feeble minded childrt n
of the State During the session of the
Legislature in 1879 Mr.. Hubbard. of Henry
County, Che Institution is situated in
Henry County, introduced q bill in the
Legislature during that session which pro-
vided that the feeble-minded children of the
State should be taken care of and educated
at the Soldiers Orphans Home at Knights
town. And the said bill of Mr.. Hubbard
who was an ardent Republican, provided
that the office of Trustee of
Soldiers Orphans Home should be
abolished. and that three Trustees be
selec ed for the Predetermined institution
aud lnasmuch as the Soldiers Orphans
Home was on the same ground, and in a
part of the same building, that the Trustees
of the Predetermined Institution should
look after and manage the Soldiers Orphans
Home. That Legislature of 1879 was Re-
publican LeglslatuTe-don's you forget it
and Mr.. Hubbsrd's bill passed, and became
a law.
1t remained in statu quo, as above
stssed, the feeble-minded children in
tbs south wing OF the building, and the sol
diers' orphans in the north wing Of the
building, until the Legislature OF 1883 met,
and no change has been made in the above
mentioned law by the Legislature of 1888
whatever The practical condition of the
two Institutions remains precisely the same
as formerly. The only act of the recent
Legislature on that subject. or relating
thereto. was as follows, and nothing else
whatever:
That the General Assembly should and
did elect the Trustees instead of allowing
Governor Porter to appoint them.
Likewise, the salary of the Trustees was
fixed at 5000; and the Republican Trustee
who was "legislated out" himself, in his
last report recommended the salary to be
so increased. We do not expect a single
Republican paper in the State to copy this
article, because 1t Is the truth: and il seems
Republican papers, since the adjournment
of the Legislature, have uniformly refrained
from as mucn truth as possible. when refor-
ring to any act passed by the recent Legisla-
ture.
The Soldiers Orphans Home stands una.
bolished. No Democrat ever thought OF
abolishing the Institution for soldiers
orphans. 1t stands just as Republican
Legislature, in 1879, fixed it. The soldiers
orphans occupy, at all times. a separate and
distinct part OF the building from the feeble
minded children. They play separate
they go to school separate; they sleep sepa-
rate; they eat separate; they have separate
teachers, and they do not have anything in
common with the feeble-minded children.
The soldiers orphans are as much separate
and apart from the feeble-minded children
as if they belonged to q different race OF
people. save and except the sole fact that
the two Institutions are upon the same piece
of ground near Knightstown, Indiana.