The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1891-05-28

that ] was informed by a mutual friend |
last December that it was your pur-
pose to resign in the spring, but if you
were to be hustled out you would do so
then" My reply was l knew no rea-
son why you should be removed at all |
and certainly no diScourtesy would be |
shown you or your friends, and some
charge that you are being
prosecuted, and that the investigation
Of the Asylum was instituted for the
purpose Of making room for some Of
my political adherents.
l can only regret, as things have
turned out, that for your own sake you
have not resigned before the storm
that these things are not true, and will
add that while L have necessarily been
on the lookout for your successor have
not found man to my liking. 1t is
the most important Office in the State,
and / would be the last man to allow
political motives to influence my choice.
Yours respectfully,
B. II. Tillman, Governor.
COLUMBIA, May IS, 1891.
DIR. Il. f.. Griffin, superintendent,
Columbia. 5. C.-Sir: have waited
patiently to see whether you would
make any reply to my letter Of May
9th, or ask for trial. None has come,
and l am forced to conclude that you do
not wish such a trial. |, therefore,
write to ask that you send in your resig-
nation as superintendent of the Luna
tic Asylum. Respectfully,
B. II. Tlllman, Governor.
The foil owing is DR.. Grinin's reply:
OFFICE SOUTH CAROLINA LUNATIC) }
ASYLUM.
COLUMBIA, 5. e., May 2Oth, 1891. !
TO His EXcellency, b. II. Tillman, Gov
ernOr:
SIR: | have the honor to acknowl-
edge the receipt of your letter of the
18th inst, in which you ask me to ten
der my resignation of the Office Of STU
perintendent Of the South Carolina Lu-
matte Asylum.
This came to me while was engaged
in preparation Of my reply to your COM
munication of the 9th inst, which had
been duly received. 1t contained no in
timation of any public eXigency requir-
ing any especial haste, while the urgent
and extraordinary demands upon me
ut the asylum during the Centennial
week made it impossible for ne to give
to this matter due and adequate con-
sideration.
With this explanation | trust your
EXcellency will acquit me of ANY i'm.
putatiOn of diScourteSy to you or OF
any indifference to the statements pre-
Sented in your letter OF the 9th inst. a
reply in detail to all the statement will
be. only reiteratiOn OF what has already
been preScnted ed to you and to the pub
lie, but there is one assertion to which
| deem it my duty to call special attel
ton. In section 1 Of your letter it i!
stated that "all of the employees at tn,
asylum had been appointed either b,
yourself or by the Regents without col
or of law"
Now, your Excellency must surel
know that section 1866 Of the Genera
Statutes enacts that "The Regents 0
the Lunatic Asylum shall form Il bod
corporate in deed and In law, for all th
purposes Of the said institution, will
all the powers incident to corporations
and that they are hereby authorized
and empowered to make and establish
all rules, regulations and bylaws TO
the government Of the institution.
The bylaws now in force, Of which yOl
have Il copy, distinctly gives to the Sl
pelintendent the right to appoint an(
to discharge, with the consent OF tlt
Rcgents,all employees and subordinate
officers, with the single exception o
. treasurer. If it be true that under
strict construction Of the Constitution
all the officers and employees Of tn
mnatic asylum should De selected am
appointed and subject to removal b.
the GOyernOr, at his own will an
: pleasure, it only furnishes another rea
| son why the fundamental law unde
| which we have been forced to live by
convention alien to the people Should
| be reformed; for it is out Of the Ques
, tion that this institution can be sue
| cessfully conducted by agencies owe
which the Board Of Regents and tn
, superintendent have no control.
= In your communication OF the st
r inst, there is only one other point tina
| | deem it necessary to consider. Th
Y charges against me seem to be reduce
to two specifications. First, the intr,
: quency of my visits to certain ward
-, and second my permitting one Of tn
e male patients to have a key which gay
s access to the female department.
y reply to the first l can only repeat wht
1 has heen already published, that r
d ceive early every morning written L
r ports from seven watches which ShO
n the condition Of every ward at eaC
d hour of the night; that the matrol
3 and supervisors make daily written aT
e verbal reports of their respective
d partments; that my assistant physicis
" after the morning inspection gives II
d written and verbal reports of the co
!, dition Of the patients; that | am
% daily consultation with them in regal
e to the treatment of the patients, VlSi
IS ing those that need special attentio
n and that the bylaws wisely leave to II
If discretion Of the superintendent Il
it frequency or times of his visits Of i
ii SpectiOn.
t. In referringto the second charge yt
le state that "tho man Milne, whom yt
y characterized as Il Crank" and who L
% Corbett says rs morally insane,
.e which ] understand that he has a d
l. PRAYED nature which would not he!
It tate to crafty any passion or appcti
d this man was permitted for mont
lc to have key which would open &
ii doors to any of the female wards"
W reply to tins | beg to repeat my dem
p- that Milne was permitted to have t
at KEY, or that he is morally insane IN
le meaning Of having no sense of rig
ii and wrong, or of yielding to the bllI
,mpulSp OT brutal p3SSiOD. On the cn