Omaha daily bee., 1885-02-17
WHAT ABOUT THE H0MB9
\ Pertinent query Answered Frankly
10y The Bee.

80 -N
To the Editor Of the BEE.
In your paper you have pitched into the
Home Of the Frierdless pretty sharply. Then
a committee which investigated made a re.
port that the home was all right. Some OF
your readers have been expecting you TO say
something in return. Why is The BEE SO
quiet about It? Is it because you were salts.
he'd that the charges were not true? II So,
why do you not say so? TRUTH SEEKER.
THE BEE would p,y no ait nMon 10
the above communication were it not for
the fact that the same query in substance
has been asked by others, verbally. The
reason why Tue Bee has kept quiet
simply Publishing the report of
the committee without comment,
is thtt it seemed as IL the
public had been given both sides pretty
fully. The BE has presented the charges
which those familiar with the home have
made, and has published the report of
the investigating committee, and thought
that would suffice. The BEE has no per.
sonal fight to make, but has simply
given The reEs concerning the matter,
leaving the readers to Judge for them.
selves,
The BEE has no hesitancy, however, in
commenting upon the report, and ex-
pressing opinions concerning it, which
are held by others as well.
1t is conceded that the committee who
investigated the matters, were all select
ed Ivy thu manager himself, ana they ex-
amined no witnesses In support of the
charges. The committee and investiga-
tion were wholly ex-psrte.
The secrscy of their gathering and of
their so.cslled investigation, do not indi-
cate a very strong dssire fer a fair and
full getting at of facts.
Several of the most important charges
were ignored. 1t was charged for in
stance that while there was nominally an
association yet practically there was none
The committee report that nominally
there was an association and there drop
the matter.
The charge was made that the institu-
ticn was prac .ically owned and control
ed by Rev. j. G. Lemen. The commit.
tee report that the tile of thu original
home property, the lot aud cottage, Is SO
arrange that as Icing as Mr.. Lelmen usgs
1t for an "Orphan's Home he can not be
interfersd with In the management q
this proparty. How then, can another
manager ever be electedto tske his place
But the report Gays that all other prop.
erty, raal and personal, belongs to the
association absolutely.
What Is thi, property2 The commit.
tee says 1t consists of a $1,400 piece q
property. on which only 1926 has been
paid, and a printing o&ce on which Their
is a debt of 5000. In other words, Mr..
Lemen owns and controls all the proper.
ty that has been paid for, and the ''asso,
citation" owns all which is not paid for.
The report makes no statement OF the
total assets and liabilities.
1t contains no statement as to receipts
and expenditures.
1t does not inform the public as to the
truth of the statement that the man.
ayers, instructors, matrons and Their
families being supported by the contribu'
lions to the institution outnumbered the
little group of really homeless, depend
ant children being cared for.
IL does not give the number of orphanf
In the home, CT how much a week 1t COTS
to keep them.
The report does not deny that mems
names have been published as approving
the insnc'al reports of the mar agel
without their consent or knowledge.
The committee say no hirg about tbs
insurance company, which formed ona
part of the matter involved. In fact,
even the expert committee, with its ex.
pert investigation, has not touched upon
many important matter about which the
public would like TO he informed.
In these and other respects the report
is not satisfactory, but The BEE, having
given it's renders all sides of the affair
freely and frankly, they can decide 70,
Themselves as well as to have The BEE
decide for them