St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-09-30
THE ASYLUM INVESTIGATION.

The report of the committee APP
pointed by the governor to investigate
the Rochester asylum management
bears on its face the evidence of the pa
tient, thorough and conscientious per
Torrance of the delicate duties imposed
on the~members of the committee, and
there will be no disposition on the part
of the public to question the justice of
its findings, or to disregard the wise
recommendations made by the commit
tee relative to the future management
of the asylum. The report is directly
in line with the statements and sug-
geStiOnS that were made by the Clio BE
some time ago, after having given the
matter all impartial Investigation; and
from the fact that the GLOBE was the
only metropolitan newspaper that did
not join in the senseleSS claInOr against
the asylum management and the good
people of Rochester, We natura lily
experience feeling of qualification that
the official investigation has confirmed
the correctness of our position. After
aScertaining the facts relating to the
unfortunate COMBS incident, we gave
the opinion that while il was an error
of Judgment in DR.. BOWERS not to have
made the matter public, we still be
lieYed that it was mistake of judg-
ment, and that the asylum superintend-
ent was more Sinned against than sim
ming. The report of the committee
bears out this theory and fully exoner-
of 10 MT o.
wrong-doing and certifieS to his eminent
capability as an asylum manager In
that spirit CT franknesS which is ever
the characteristic of an honest man and
a true gentlemen, DR.. BOWERS admits
and deplores his error in his letter tend
ering his resignation to the board. 1t
is matter for sincere regret that the
state is to lose the services of one SO
eminent in his profession, and whose
long experience has qualified him for
the position of asylum superintendent.
The recommendations made by the
committee are of the utmost Importance
to the public, not only as they relate to
the Rochester asylum. but as they have
a bearing upon the management of all
similar institutions. Unless the state
makes some change in the policy of
managing these institutions, the same
misfortune which befell DR.. BOWERS is
liable to Oyertake his successor or the
superintendent of any other asylum. 1t
is not the fault of the management that
these OutrageS occur so much as it is the
lack of facilities whereby the officials in
charge may be able to secure a good
management. The state has been too
parsimoniOus in making appropriations
for the maintenance of these inStitu-
tons. The extravaganza that has pre-
vailed in other directions and the par
simOny that has been practiced in this
direction indicate that the state has
been pursuing a financial policy of the
''stOp the spigOt and open the bung-
hole" order. We want to reverse this
system and adopt the policy of being
liberal when liberality is essential, and
ecOnOmiZing when economy will not
in the system of asylum manage
ment in this state is the lack of prop
er and sufficient medical corps. More
physicians are needed; in fact, there
should be an assistant physician in
charge of each wa I'd. The next fault is
in the lack of trained nurses. Ana
third fault is the habit of imposing on
the superintendent duties enough to
weigh three men down. Because of the
Stinted appropriations made by the leg
iSiature the board of managers are IN
able to remedy these faults and are
forced to run these institutions on the
"Cheap John" plan. An additional ap-
preparation of from $4,000 to $4,000 a
year would enable the board to remove
all these difficulties and to equip our in
sane asy lums with a staff of officials
such as the requirements of institutions
of this character absolutely demand.
If DR.. BOWERS had been supplied with
the assistance that he ought to have had,
he would have had no trouble in the
management of the Rochester institu-
ton; and considering all the difficulties
and embaIrasSmentS under which he la
bored, the wonder is that he did not en-
counter more troubles. So we say the
fault is not in the management so much
as it is in the system which the state en-
forces. and we hope that in his next an
nual message the governor will impress
upon the legislature the necessity for
adopting more liberal policy with re-
gard to these Institutions.