The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1891-04-29

DISCHARGED Empioyess--The Charge OF
Neglect of Duty by the Regents Denied
The Officers to Answer Separately.
COLUMBIA, 5. c., April 23.-Below
we give the letter Of the Board OF
Asylum Regents TO Governor Tlllman
in reply to the charges made against
them by the legislative investigating
committee. The letter speaks for itself:
10 HIS E:cce7lency, Goo. Is. Il. 1all-
man:
"rhe committee appointed by the
Legislature in December last to ex-
annie into and report upon the condl-
tion and management of the Lnnauc
Asylum, has completed its work, ana
made its report to the Cniel Executive
of the State. Inasn uch as this report
brings several charges directly agalnst
the Board OF Regents, we deem 1t prop
er in the outset to state TIE TACT that
the inQuisition was made by The COM
mittee without notice to Us, without
any intimation to us that We were to De
put on trial, and consequently with no
opportunity given US, or any OF the OF
fceis in charge Of the institution, Tor
cross. examination or rebuttal. 1t was
entirely an ca; parte proceeding, Where
Witnesses were examined in private.
THAT report with the charges therein
contained, has gone in semi-otllcIa
form, before the people OF the o'ale'
through the newspaper OF the Gay.
After an examination OF such por-
tions of the testimony taken by the
legislative committee as has now JUST
been submitted to Us by the Governor,
we ind that in large NUMBER Oh cases
the witnesses giving the most uaIaVot,
able testimony were either discharged
attendants or employees having some
fanc;ed grievance to avenge. Inc TWO
principal charges against the Boaro
proper are: First, a failure to meet as
often as their rules require; and secono,
a lax performance Of their duty wnen
such meetings are held.
THE first charge we positively assert
to be without foundation IN TACT. Inc
rules of the Board require monthly
meetings and our records Will sno"
that since the passage OF the law ten
wears ago there has been no single IN
stance Of our failure to meet as re-
ouired. But few instances have oc-
CURED in which every member was not
present, and N every such case the ao-
Sentee Was prevented from attending
by sickness or other unayoldaole cause.
True, every ward is not visited at every
meeting, the largely increased SIZE OF
the asylum rendering this "olh OF
TOO much magnitude for one Gay per
iormance, the rule of our Board oe!ns
that at the conclusion OF the routine
business the President Of the Board ap-
points committees of two to inspect the
different portions of the entire lnStltu-
tion. and our records show N the re-
ports of said committees that large
oortion of the building is regularly IN
spected by US, and the testimony OF the
witnesses before the legislative COM
mittee goes to show that those portions
unyisited were always IN proper con-
dition. the purpose, therefore, OF the
inspection having been as fully accom-
pliShe6 by the known uncertainty as
though the examination had been
made. Only a very few instances have
occurred in which the examination was
entirely postponed or omitted, and tneSe
omissions were caused by the press OF
more important matters.
"Resides al! this the executive regent
for the current month, resident ID Co
lumbia. has invariably IN the discharge
of his duty visited and Inspected, once
or twice each month, the entire oul!c-
ings and grounds as is clearly shown oy
his reports in our minutes.
in a prudential point of view 1t IS
manifestly improper for strangers 10
intrude often in those wards where the
more violent patients are confined, the
very presence of strangers tending 10
cause undue excitement and thus to IN
terfere with the proper treatment ana
to retard the cure.
"As to the matter Of improper food
the simple fact is that our contract 1of
beef. which is furnished on alternate
6ays. is made with bonded contractor
who stipulates to furnish good ner-
chantable beet and ~e know the TACT
that the authorities in immediate
charge do reject it when it falls below
the proper standard.
1.-The preponderance of the testimony,
together with our own knowledge, fully
establishes the fact that the food pro-
vided has been good, palatable and
sufficient. TO show the truth OF this
statement We refer to the bills OF artl-
cles purchased OF file in the office OF cur
steward. Wehave frequently examined
the food in the kitchen and on the tables
and have invariably found it good,
well prepared and served, and the
dining rooms particularly neat ana
clean.
"Pay patients do receive better ac-
commodations and greater variety OF
food than is furnished to the non-pay
inmates and we apprehend that no one
will deny that this is just and proper.
"a difference also is made in the cases
of the sick or delicate and those II pos
session OF health and full physical
strength. That the non-pay patients,
however, are well cared for. we appeal
to the testimony of your Excellepcy,
who. after a personal examination OF
the institution in November last, stated
somewhat, as it appeared, with an ar
of complaint, that the 'pauper lunatlcs
Jared better than the poor, tolilng tar
ner who was taxed for their support.
The severest criticism against the
Board is as to the management OF the
farm. The legislative committee bases
their charges on the testimony OF only
two witnesses. oI.e former employ ee
who was discharged for cause several
years ago, the other witness beng the
present superintendent OF the farm
who was elected by Us ID October last
and who has been IN charge OF The tarni
ever since, with Instructions from Us
to do all IN his power to improve the
efficiency Of the same.
las long ago as November last the
superintendent OF the farm Was IN
H.. ynv