The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-07-01
THE INSANE ASYLUM.
Defense Of the Management by the President
of the Board.
Written in Answer to Prominent >landerous
Statements of the indianapolis Jour
nal and Published in an Obscure
Corner of That Paper.
I.c Ne Ealicr oil the Indianapoli. JonrnaI:

To The Editor OF the indianapolis Journal:
have never answered any of the SANDER
Gus statements made in your paper concern
ing the management OF the Insane Hospital.
but it would be unjust to the officers and
board should pass unnOticcd your last sat
ur,iays issue. Nou start out by saying that
the board has permitted interested parties To
remain in the room while bids were being
considered such a statement is positively
untrue and all the members OF all the boards
which meet in the same room at the same
time viii testify: but not more 80 than
where yOu say THAT the burned buildings are
moi rei,aiced. and that the chanel and boiler
house Are going To ruin. They we c rooted
as soon a. possible and were put in state of
preservation long before the Legislature adj
jonrned.
Nou criticise the management for not sup
plying the Institution with Il sufficient quai'-
tity of water, when only sixty days have
elapsed since an inadequate sum was appro-
Priatesi for thit purpose. 1t i fact that
more than Sl0.osD have been wasted by for
Iner manasement> for that purpose. and still
there i no water II j. much easier for q
newspaper 10 say what has not been done,
than Tor the responsible parties to determine
what i bet To do hut will state here that
unless = plan can be adopted that insurcS
Success the money will remain in the treas
uTy. IL shall not be wasted in experiments
or used in undue haste. Thirty-tive years
have elapsed since the Institution was found
ed. during which time reckless expenditures
have been made i'm search OF water and all
has failed. and now YOU criticiSe us for not
securing II within sixty days with an INSULT
Client Srm OF money.
The board employed few extra mechan-
icS to work on the burned buildings and
finish the new store house. which not
completed Tor the want of money, aud when
them ia the absence of the Superintendent,
keeping only a regular force They kept the
better mechanics and discharged the Others.
Who Is competent 10 Judge how many are
needed; who they shall be. or what their
wages the Board OF Trustees or the Indianap-
oils Journal?
You say that some time ago a potato con
tract was let To a man at Lebanon, Dr. Harri-
sons town. but the name of the individual
was not disclosed 10 the public. These I.eba-
non POt;it0eS We're not very good, buta thrifty
S,rice VIZ, paid for them" This assertion is
unqGliliedly false. No potato contract was
ever ''iet Ia a man i'm Lebanon" or to a man
in Bocne County by this board. Ii the super
tendent purchased any potatoes that came
from that county the name of the party al
whom they were purchased j. Il part of the
records OF that institution.
Arthur Jordan bid ten cents pound on
country butter. for the spresent month. and
a
contracted al higher price. The journal
would join an indignant public and Justly
-, III cOHdemning the act of giving To the
patients OF hospital teE-cent butter. Every
one knows that country butter at this season
could not be secured in large quantities and
set to Indianapolis and then pass through
the hands Of Arthur JOrdOn, or any other
dealer. and he fit for anything else but the
slOp-tUb, much less for delicate patients. who
are diseased in both mind and body. Ii i a
fact That We do not always get the best article
when We contract for il, but we are sure 10
get poor article when we buy il. All kinds
Of country butter can be found i'm a large
shipment. the inferior will spoil the better
grade before it can get to the hospital. We
preferred choice creamery, which has been
satisfactory
The board has not advertised for stock hogs.
and ii they did. and took the lowest bidder.
they would always have diseased ones. There
Is no time that diseased hogs can not be found
ln the state, and by advertising for them we
would get good supply AT remarkably low
rates The commission merchants at the
mock Yards could constantly keep US in sup
ply with dying p0rkerS No member has
purchased amy young hogs except when ne
was appointed by quorum 10 20 do. and
then from the country on the farms The
hogs purchased OF Mr. Ianders bv Mr.. Gapen.
referred to, are all healthy and doing nicely.
The State viii, no doubt, realize at least
loo for the Stops fed TO that lot
You say that ''one member OF the board
haS come to the board meetings with the bid
OF a friend in his pocket" How comical that
must seem in the eyes of your very virtuous
paper 1 have taken sealed proposals on the
streets and in the hotels to the meetings of
the board where they were opened in the
presence OF the members. and considered
with other bids, and ! fail to comprehend
wherein It was improper or in evidence OF
fraud.
Nov, Mr.. Editor, il you desire to publish
truth and not falSehoOd | invite YOU To the
hospital. where you will find the books. pa-
peFs, contracts and bids for each month OF
thus and the two preceding years They are
always open for public inspection and i'm
evidence OF our conduct. They are public
records and the public is always entitled to
knowledge of their contents.
You say ia the heading that this is an ex-
trayagant board, when the reports and records
show that the Ter capita" expense is less
under this than during any former manage
lnent In the whole history of the hospital.
There Is none who knows that fact better
than the indianapolis Journal. III your paper
viii investigate the management of the hos
pital and not take the wild stories told by
disappointed contractors or discharged EN-
Pioyes you will probably get the truth. How
ever, no publication will intimidate the
board or Superintendent from discharging
incompetent and unworthy employees. al
though it j. "A fact that employees often
threaten To- GO To the newspapers il they are
discharged. and they are generally accom-
inodatei by both the discharge and the pa-
per. Thomas II. HARRISON.
President Of tlie Board.