The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-22
THE sTATE-BoUsE PLUMBING,

the State-house plumbing is easily understood
by any one who does not willfully and ma
liciously desire to misrepresent it. The Jour-
nal is not an expert plumber; it has never
presumed to sit in judgment in that capacity.
But the new Capitol building is public affair;
every taxpayer is interested in its proper con-
struction. The building belongs to the peo-
pie of the State, land the Commissioners, were
they twice as able and honorable as they are,
are yet simply the trustees of the people in
seeing this important work properly con-
structed. When apparently wel-founded
criticisms of the plumbing were made, we
believed it to be the duty of the board
to investigate them impartially, and when
they failed to do that, but treated all criticism
as an impertinence. we thought it our duty
to give the charges publicity. This we did,
at the same time treating the Commissioners
with perfect fairness, never having failed to
Print every line they offered in explanation or
defense. The attempt to evade the issue, and
make it appear that the whole matter is a
quarrel between the union and non union
plumbers, and that both the Journal and the
State Board of Health have lent themselves to
the union plumbers is as false as it is cow
ardly and contemplate. DR.. Metcalf shows,
in an interview, how the criticisms first began.
Allusions to the plumbing were found in the
Sanitary Engineer, and DR.. Hibberd, of
Richmond, called the attention Of the
State Board of Health to the matter,
suggesting an inquiry. We presume DR..
Hibberd never saw member Of the
plumbers union, and the Journal never saw
plumber of any sort, nor exchanged word
with one, in reference to the matter. This
proves the disingenuousness Of the Commits
sioners, as it has been frequently displayed
during the progress of the discussion. DR..
Metcalf shows that the statement by the Com
missioners, that no change in the plans and
specifications has been made, is absolutely
false. In the presence of the members of the
Board of Health one of the Commissioners, in
his own handwriting, marked several changes
that had been made and indicated where an
other one would be made The superintend-
ent also stated that several changes had been
matter with this exposure of the duplicity and
falsehood of the board. They are very ready
to impugn the motives Of others, and to call
those who have the temerity to criticise
them liars. They may feel the significance
of the just adage, 'false in one thing false in
ALL"
Epithets will not settle this question to the
satisfaction of taxpayers, and they have little
interest in personal quarrels, if there be any.
But they have great interest in knowing the
facts and in seeing that boards of State-house
commissioners and of health do the duties
well and faithfully for which they are paid.
The State Board of Health is in the line of its
duty, and the people will stand by it in its
efforts to get at the truth despite the i'll timed
sneers of the men whose work is to be over
hauled. 1t will be satisfaction to everybody
to know that the plumbing in question is i,
and the Journal will be glad to know that
fact on the authority of expert and disinter-
ested testimony. But the opportunity to
learn this has been steadily refused
by the Commissioners, who declined
peremptorily to allow the appointment of an
expert to make the necessary examination.
The controversy never can be settled until
such an examination is made and, until there
is such an one, the majority of the people, in
GLIDING the Journal. will prefer to accept the
unbiased and critical Judgment of the State
Board of Health, rather than the assertions
of the Commissioners, whose knowledge of
sanitary matters is necessarily unprofessional,
or of any one they may retain in their interest,
at the expense of the State, to make case for
them.
So far as the impertinent inuendo of the
News is concerned, which imputes unfair mo-
tive to the Journal. we do not care to make
reply. 1t lays itself justly liable to the re-
tort that the relationship existing between
one of the Commissioners and the gentleman
who varies his business of running the uni
verse by occasional impetuous diversions in
defense of the board, is quite as liable to warp
its oracular Judgment is the apocryphal
relation with the plumbers union to bias the
Journal
THE sad affection that has come to Hon.
Rufns Manee our ninistar To Sxadan will