The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-02-19
THE ASYLUM BILLS LAWS.
ALL OF THEM PASSED OVER THE We
TOES OF GOVERNOR CAMERON.
Remarks or Senators Meredith anu
Mccormick Fayoring Rtorgnni-
xation OF the Asylums ON .
Nou.ParfIsnn BASIS.

yetoes being under consideration, Mr'
Powell, OF Spotsylyania. accused the penn.
ocrats OF parts anry, and MIR. Mereditn' o,
Prince William, In answering him. saio
that the Senator admitted that he ala tnt
same thing two years ago that ne u
startled at now as done by the Demo
Gratis. He, said Mr.. Meredith, voted TO turn
out the officers and boards at the public IN
stitutions, but claims that that was an Is.
sue in the previous canvass. Now, sir,
desire to say that what we propose TO &c
was made an issue IN the last canvass-thai
these people put in office for partisan pur-
poses, and for no other reason, shouid steI
down and out; that was decided ny the
voice of the people on the 9th OIL last NO
vember.
Bnt /, said Mr.. Meredith, deny that our
party has been controlled by the reasons
and sentiments charged by the gentleman
from Spotsylvania (Mr. PowelO. l desire
TO call his attention to the fact that Gov
ernor Holiday was appealed to TO change
q board of management (Which had on
IL member highly partisan and OF the op-
posite party, and he refused to do SO,
But there are reasons why changes should
be made now. 1t has been acknowledged
by the Senator (Mr. PowelD that these
boards have been constituted for partisan
purposes. Men known to be partisans
were placed in power in these institutions.
There are reasons why these people should
90. The people OF Virginia were, soon
after that partisan board went in at the
Western Asylum at Staunton. Mortified at
an awful tragedy where the helpless
inmates were poisoned. IL is not mat
ter to weigh with us whether this thing
was done by design or negligence. In all
the history OF Virginia such an accident
never occurred before. do not desire to
be understood that these people at the asy-
lum permitted the patients to be killed
knowingly, but 1t was through negligence,
a negligence Of such kind as to make II
criminal-such negligence rs to arouse the
people and n ake them cast in mass vote
that meant these officials must go.
In reply to question OF Mr.. Mcdonald
Mr.. Meredith said that the appointees were
partisans; that the calamity had fallen
upon the poor, innocent victims during
their administration; that better safe
guards ought TO have been thrown around
these defenceless people, and that the voice
Of Virginia pronounced Judgment upon
the officials.
Mr.. Meredith, continuing. said: / do
not deem it necessary to answer the Sem
ator from Spotsylvania's allusion to "the
shotgun policy" / presume, sir
Mr.. Powell. BY my reference to such q
policy / didn't mean to say that It had been
adopted, but that it might be.
Mr.. Meredith: understood the Senator
rs rejecting upon the party / have the
honor to belong to. / want to declare here
and for all time, and in this presence, that
whenever the insinuation Is cast that the
Democratic party Is responsible for the
"shot-gun policy" l hurl 1t back in the
teeth OF those who utter 1t. Such policy
has no foundation in fact nor any existence
in our late election. II / might indulge
myself in the methods OF the Senator (Mr'
PowelD | could call his attention TO city
elections carried by the employees OF the
Federal Government, and how that Gov
ernment has been prostituted to base uses
in Virginia. This is known OF all men.
Mr.. President. il has been confessed that
these institutions for the last two years have
been hot-bed OF partisans. This bill Is
intended to put these public charities IN
the hands OF non-partisans. We are going
to conduct them in that spirit. The best
men will be selected, irrespective OF politi'
cal affiliation.
Mr.. Mcdonald (Coalitionist addressed
the Senate in vindication OF the Stauntor
management. He read good deal from
the evidence taken there to show that the
management ought not TO be held respon'
sible for the six men who perished at the
asylum by aconitine poisoning on Febru'
airy "a, 1883.
REMARKS OF Mr.. MCCORMICK.
Mr.. Mccormick, OF Clarke. in replying
to MIR. Powell, said that the speech OF
the gentleman, as well as the message OF
the Governor, would have been most ap'
propriate two years ago, when the Ma
hone Legislature, lashed to action by the
order of the master, were engaged in the
barbarous work OF turning the asylums
OF the State over to the control OF an in.
competent, unskilled, and partisan set oi
managers; but instead OF either speech OF
veto then, the one was in the humiliating
position Of having voted for the measures,
and the other in the still worse and more
unenviable position OF having approved
then what he now yetoes. II the action
now proposed is wrong and revolution
ary. why was not the same true two years
ago? II the Executive could give his
official approval TO acts that at one fell
swoop removed not only the Boards OF
Visitors OF these institutions, but all OF the
subordinate appointments, why can he not
now find it consistent with his official con-
science to do the same, particularly when
the bills expressly provide that all appoint
ments shall be entirely non-partisan,
and shall be conferred only upon
competent persons. no matter what
may be their politics? He iustifies his
action now upon the ground that the
appointments will be purely parti.
san, notwithstanding the Legislative decla-
ration in the act that they shall not be.
What right has the Governor or anybody
else to say that the board upon whom the
power Of appointment is conferred will not
discharge the duties imposed upon it by
the act in purely non-partisan spirit.
What right has he, in advance, to declare
that these officers will violate their plain
official duty? Let us see how he
discharged the duty imposed upon him
by the acts of 1882. Acting, doubtless,
on the defiant declaration OF the Wig, the
organ and Bible OF the Coalition party,
that the offices must be abolished II men
from the ranks Of the Boss could not be
found to fill them, he conferred in every
single instance, without exception, these
appointments upon the true and tried fol-
lowers OF William Malone, the sole test
being their political sentiments.
There Is not Democrat to-day upon
either or any OF the asylum boards.
Could not Democrat in this Common
wealth be found who was fit for the place 7
Did not the Commonwealth have Demo-
cratic son who was sufficiently honest, COM
petent, and skilled TO hold the places In
the eye of our non-partisan Governor there
was not one. With what sort OF con-
sistency can the Governor veto these
bills when two years ago he approved
far worse ones. These institutions were