The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1891-04-28
TIE REGENTS REPLY.
TO THE CHARGES OF THE LEelsLA-
TIVE COMMITTEE.

Discharged Empioyces--Tho Change of
Neglect of Duty by tho Regents Denied
Tho ohicsrs 70 Answer Separately.
'3 CoLUhBIA, S. O., April 23-Below
we givs the letter of the Board of
Asylum Regents to Governor Tillman
in reply to the charges made against
them by the legislative investigating
committee. The letter speaks for itself:
40 HIS EGcellency, Coz. B. Il. TIT
man.
"rhe committee appointed by the
Legislature in December last to ex-
amine into and report upon the condi-
tiOn and management OF the Lunatic
Asylum, has completed its work, and
made its report to the Chief Executive
of the State. Inasmuch as this report
brings several charges directly against
the Board Of Regents, we deem 1T prop
In the outset to state the fact that
the acquisition was made by the COM
mittee without notice to us, without
any intimation to us that we were to be
put on trial, and consequently with no
opportunity given us, or any OF the Of
iicers in charge of the institution, for
cross. examination or rebuttal. 1t was
entirely an e.p parte proceeding, where
witnesses We're examined in private.
"That report with the charges therein
contained. has gone in a semi-oflicial
form. before the people of the State,
through the newspaper of the day.
= "Attcr 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 find that in large number of cases
srsx, tn Npk Pow
able testimony were either discharged
attendants or employees having some
fancied grievance to avenge. The two
principal charges against the Board
proper are: First, a failure to meet as
often rs their rules cquire; and second,
q lax performance of their duty when
such meetings are held.
'"rhe first charge we positively assert
to be without foundation in fact. The
rules Of the Board require monthly
meetings and our records will show
that since the passage Of the law ten
years ago there has been no single in
stance Of our failure to meet as re-
quired. But few instances have oc-
cured in which every member was not
present, and In every such case the alb
sentee was prevented from attending
by bysickness or other unavoidable cause.
True, every ward is not visited at every
meeting, the largely increased size Of
the asylum rendering this work of
too much magnitude for one days per-
iOrmance, the rule Of our Board being
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 institu-
ti0D, and our records show in the re-
ports Of said committees that large
portion 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
diton, the purpose, therefore, of the
inspection having been as fully accom-
plished by the known uncertainty as
though the examination had been
made. Only very few instances have
occurred in which the examination was
entirely postponed or omitted, and these
omissions were caused by the press of
more important matters.
Besides all this the executive regent
for the current month, resident in Co.
lumbia, has invariably IN the discharge
of his duty visited and inspected, once
or twice each month, the entire build
ings and grounds as is clearly shown by
his reports in our minutes.
LII Pl poihu VI NlCW ~ 10
manifestly improper for strangers to
intrude often in those wards where the
more violent patients are confined, the
very presence of strangers tending to
cause undue excitement and thus to in
terfere with the proper treatment and
to retard the cure.
'As to the matter Of improper food
the simple fact is that our contract for
beef, which is furnished on alternate
days, is made with bonded contractor
who stipulates to furnish good mer-
chantable beef and we know the fact
that the authorities in immediate
charge do reject it when it falls below
the proper standard.
"The epreponderance 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 arti-
cles purchased on file in the Office of our
steward. Wehave frequently examined
thefOod in the kitchen and on the tables
and have invariably found it good
well prepared and served, and the
dining rooms particularly neat and
> 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
viii deny that this is just and proper.
"a difference also is made in the cases
of the sick or delicate and those In 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 Excellency
who, after Il personal examination OF
theinstitution in November last, stated
somewhat, as it appeared, with an air
OF complaint, that the 'pauper' lunatics
fared better than the poor, toiling far
mer who was taxed for their support.
"The seyerest 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. one former employee
who was discharged for cause several
years ago, the other witness being the
present superintendent of the farm
who was elected by us In October last
and who has been in charge of the farm
ever since, with instructions from us
TO 40 all In his power to improve the
efficiency of the same.
"As long ago as November last the
superintendent of the farm was in
str,lcted to proceed with the erection
ofanew barn and stable, and proper
appropriation was made by us for the
work. Various causes have arisen tC
prevent the earlier completion of these
needed improvements. &As a proof OF
the value 81 the farm as an adjunct OF
the, aavlum and IN r6fntatiGn Of the