The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-03-18
WEDNESDAY. MARCH IS, 1891.
TWELVE PAGES.
The Responsibility Located.

1t should be distinctly understood that
the delay in recognizing the Eastern
hospital for the insane is due wholly to
the arbitrary action of Governor HovEY in
refusing to issue commissions to the
trustees and his declaration that he will
demand reconsideration of the matter of
appointment from the supreme court.
The desirability Of change of manage
ment is universally conceded. The legis-
lature did all it could to secure this result
by forcing the designations OF the old board
of trustees and electing new ones. The
new trustees have taken possession, but
OF course it will be difficult to induce
first-class man to take the position of
superintendent so long as their authority
to employ him is in question. The entire
responsibility for this situation lies with
the governor, and there Is no possible
justification for his course in creating it.
When the question was raised two
years ago it was considered at great length
by the supreme court. which then de-
cided that the legislature had the legal
right to elect trustees for the benevolent
institutions. (Hovey vs.. Riley, 1l9 Ind.
3s6; Hovey VS.. Carson, 119 Ind.
$685. Under those decisions Governor
HovEY issued commissions to the
trustees elected by the legislature. He
now returns to his original position and
proposes to resubmit the question to the
court Whether he has had an intimation
of change OF faith in that body, or
merely hopes that the new member may
be more complaisant than the one whom
he replaced, we are unable to say. In either
event his position is not complimentary to
the court, and his object is not creditable
TO himself. If the court is what it should
be he has no reason to expect any change
in its decision. If he has no reason to ex-
pect change he cannot take his present
position from any good motive. If he is
10 be credited with any intelligence
at all, he could not expect any
benefit to result, either to the public or to
himself, from temporarily embarrassing the
administration of the benevolent institu-
tons, expecting meanwhile a decision
against him.
1t may be observed in this connection
that the last legislature was very ge9er-
Gus to the governor in the matter of pat
ronage. 1t gave him the appointment of
two tax commissioners, five appellate
judges and twenty-six worlds fair COM
missioners. Here are thirty-three good
appointments, in addition to what he al
ready held, and yet he is willing to hin
der the work of the benevolent institu-
tons in an endeavor to secure more. What
Is worse, there is some reason for suppos-
ing that his motive is even lower than
ordinary partizanship. There is a con-
stantly growing suspicion that he is using
his patronage not for the purpose OF
strengthening his party, but to strengthen
himself in his party-that he seeks a
nomination for the vice-presidency. Since
he secured the complimentary nomina-
ton for senator by telegram trickery,
the members of his party have begun to
realize that NAPOLEON is not banished un-
ill after Waterloo.
The inordinate vanity and arrogant as
sumption of the man would provoke only
ridicule If it were not that his position
gives him opportunity to be dangerous to
the welfare of the state. The utmost that
is claimed for him even by his friends is
that 'he has the courage of his convic-
tions." What are his convictions? He
recognizes no party control, as was illus
trated by his veto of the fee and salary
bill. He recognizes no control of reason
or justice, as was illustrated by his APP
proval OF the supreme court reporter bill
RI
troll of the constitution or the supreme
court, as is illustrated by his present &C
ton. If he has any convictions beyond
81 am HoyEY, and propose to do what
ever is for my personal interests" we
would like to know what they are.