The National tribune., 1883-10-11
The National Military Homes.

The management of the National Military
Homes ought to be above suspicion. Con-
gress provides literally for their support
and the boards of managers are composed OF
such reputable gentlemen that one would
suppose ii impossible that any abuses of
authority should be tolerated, yet, as a mat
ter of fact, the conduct of neither the Day
ton nor Milwaukee appears to give satisfac-
ti0n, and the Governors have evidently lost
the confidence and respect of the old soldiers
under their charge. Governor Patrick is
looked upon as a tyrant, and Governor
Sharpe, by reason of his physical disabilities,
is regarded as the helpless tool of incompe-
tent and heartless subordinates. We do
not pretend to know how far the charges
that have been brought against the manage
ment Of these institutions are founded on
fact In this weeks issue we print, first,
(see page fiye,) an account of the investiga-
ton made by Dr. Woods into the condition
of affairs at the Dayton Home, and, second,
tsee page seyen,) a letter from an in
mate of that Home the one to the eff
feet that the hardships complained of are
chiefly imaginary, and the other to the effect
that while some of the charges are unwar-
ranted, there are many that are of moment,
concerning which the inmates, lest it should
work them personal injury, are afraid to
give information. So, too, at the Milwaukee
Home, while the officials boldly deny the truth
of the accusations brought against them by
the Milwaukee SentineE-which published a
vigorous expose in its issue of September
23d-the inmates insist that they are badly
treated, and one of them, in letter to THE
TRIBUNE, fully indorses all that the Sentinel
has said about Governor Sharpe's physical
incapacity and the high hand with which
his subordinates carry things.
How shall we get at the truth? Official
visits are valueless for that purpose, for they
are always anticipated by the management
and, atsuch times, it would require the ability
to see through closed and bolted doors to
penetrate the mystery. No one who has
ever been present at these formal inspec-
tions viii deny that they are almost inya-
riably superficial, and, indeed, they could
not well be otherwise when so hurriedly
made. 1t is manifest, then, that neither the
statements of mere visitors nor the inmates
indiscriminately can be accepted as abso-
lutely true, and the truth must doubtless be
sought in the evidence of those who, by
reason of the position they occupy, are free
from prejudice on either side, yet have a
personal knowledge of how these institu-
tons are managed. For that reason we
think it the duty of the Grand Army to
make a thorough and rigid investigation
on its own account There may be
good deal of truth In the state
ment that the inmates of these homes are
naturally disposed to be discontented, for
the monotony of their lives is in itself calcu-
lated to breed dissatisfaction, but if they are
unhappy the more S the pity, and it is well
worth finding out whether anything can be
done to cheer and brighten their dull and
aimless existence. That is matter as to
which no true comrade of the Grand Army
should be willing to take the chances