The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1889-03-29
sCORCHER. BUT TRUE,


Ors harrison ON the Star Cham
4 Der "InvesttgattOn!"
, Al Unjust Committee shown Up In Prsps
!, Light To the People.
DIR. I. II. Harrison, President OF IN
State Board Of Benevolent institution
and who In common honesty, and ever
} attribute which betokens true nanliness
i far-sbove his trsducers and maligner
OF the recent legislative sinvestigatin,
committee OF the Insane Asylum" or o
: those whose mslignity and cunning in
duced the recent report to the Legisls
ture, shows up that committee and IL
star chamber actions aud avsriciousnes
in the following excellent article in IN,
Michigan City Dispatch. Lay it on DR..
you cant hit them lick amiss. He says
Perhaps there never hss..been in IL,
state more complete "star chamber
proceedings than the late investigate
Of the insane hospital. 1t was made N
defiance Of all rules Of evidence, right
equity aud law. They excluded the de.
fence from the stigation, forbid them
attorneys. refused 10 place single Wit.
ness on the stand in defense OF the man
sgement. and finally made their report
according TO prec0nceived plan, and
departed. They occupied two weeks
taking evidence, but sending
for old discharged employees in order 10
waste the tune, thus preventing the de.
fense from any testimony. except the
board Of trustees. who testified. but we're
not allowed to state anything that did
not suit the purpose Of the committee.
They would not permit any contrsdic-
ton of testimony whatever. After
wasting the time which was ample to
make full and complete investigation,
on the last Friday afternoon, they sus-
pended listening to the gossip OF those
having q grievance, and went into the
house and senate and asked that the in
vestigation be continued for thirty days
81 cost Of one hundred aud fifty doIIars
per day. This was the key that unlock.
ed the mystery Of their proceedings. II
Was clear TO oil that It had been . stud.
led effort 10 waste the time, and then
obtain continuation Of their six dollars
: day. They put II on the ground that
The defense had not been heard, aud tnat
great Injustice would be done IL they did
not get . show. The board OF trustees
only wanted few hours time to refute
all the testimony. but il was denied them
10 order TO use Il ss pretext to expend
several thousand dollars IN . contiuua-
tion OF the inquiry. Upon these grounds
the ssenate Grushed II throught but the
house viewed II with suspiciOu aud vo,-
ed Il down 81 three successive efforts
The committee was sorely disappointed.
and so angry we're they that they wrote
. malicious report. Commuters OF this
kind are Usually made up OF men who
are worthless 10 the house Is legislators.
snd surely this was not IN exception
The chairman. Senator Burke, from JET
iersonviiie, is = coarse, brutal kind OF n
man. Ne is OF low instincts, with no
ability except . low. vicious cunning
de wss rarely In his seat in the senate
and WAS not with the commit
zee two houI In the entire two weeks in
The Chairman Of the SUBJ
committee wss brass horn manufac.
iurer Of EIkhsrt, by the name OF Conn
tie wss 90 unscquainted with business
Of this kind that he could not adminis-
ter IN oath. The chief ingredient OF the
qualifications Of this ''too thorn" was
bis maiiciousness. aud he believes every
one 20 be thief until proven otherwis
They charged collusion between dealers
and the board Of trustees, and at the
same time had formed . conspiracy tol
the investigation 1t sn unneces-
,sry expense Of several thousand dollars.
They seemed anxious to guard with yea
ous care the contents OF the treasury. i
Except when II would rebound 70 their
,wn personal advantage, and then
mounts are not considered. The facts
collusion were that John 4. |
sullivan had received most Of the con-
racts for produce, and that the quantity
II such goods had increased during the
after months Of 1888, as they always dol
q the fall and winter. II was before
hat committee that several other dealers
n other lines had been awarded con.
racts - often. and 0ftener than thel !
bvve named. Ii was also in evidenced
hat the quantity Of produce aud otherl
oods received during the month oil
was % large as any other, andl
nis was after the defauIter sullivan hadIs
lken HE departure, and the goods vere| "
srnished BY man Of uDQuestiOued In.
gritty. II is In evidence that the perl !
lpits expense was less during the 3D.
than during any other pc J,
od 10 the whole history Of the hospital, =
ID also, that the per cent. Of cures was Z
eater aud the death rate lower than
lring any former period, all Of which
as OF no account. They visited the
'spitsl and found II clean to exactness Les
icy saw the patients eat bountifullC Y
ppIy, and expressed complete satisfac- z
n q the inspection, but Il did not 6nd r.
way into the report. The experts oil II
eir own choosing complimented the u
okkeeping in the highest u terms, buss d
} compliment Vas suppressed 10 the -
port. II seems strange that they could Inc
d nothing 20 commend and everything IN
criticize. They evidently felt their III
ssi0n vas TO hunt for evil and not %
Cd, and by taking testimony Of the
smies and refusing the friends Of thel vi
they could manage 70 keeplco
their line Of inquiry. The republi- ss'
members were anxious TO verify su
CHARGES made BY their party organ, sp
H. -