The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-01-28
Our Benevolent institutions

WooD, the republican who was for
merly an attendant at the Richmond in
sane hospital, has been convicted of man
slaughter and given the maximum pen
atty OF twenty-one years imprisonment.
The punishment is a severe one, but, II
WoOD's guilt was clearly established, it is
a righteous one. To what extent, if at
all. the jury was swayed by prejudice, or
in what degree, If in any, the defense was
handicapped by extraneous influences, we
do not know. But il the evidence showed
beyond reasonable doubt that WooD
beat to death helpless human creature,
under his care and protection, it is in ac-
cordance with the dictates of common
humanity and eternal justice that he
should be punished as decreed by the
jury. 1t is to be hoped that his fate may
prove a salutary warning to al. who &C.
cupy such relations to the wards of the
state as he held toward BLoUNT.
Now that this matter has been iu-
dicially investigated the time has come
for THE SENTINEL to say what it has long
been minded to say. that Superintendent
WELLS ought to resign forthwith. What
ever his professional attainments and per-
sonal merits may be-and they are adj
mirable, we doubt not-he is clearly not
the man TO be at the head of such an in
stitution as the Eastern insane hospital,
and his resignation should not be longer
withheld. We judge him only upon his
own statements, made under oath in the
Wood trial.
BY his own testimony he is most en-
phatically not the right man in the right
place.
In this connection it is well to remind
the legislature that one of its supreme
duties is to put our benevolent and re-
formatory institutions under a different
system of administration than now exists
That they are, as rule, honestly and
humanely conducted, we firmly believe !;
but that the existing system, with
its divided authority and difTu-
sion of responsibility, leaves the
door open TO grave abuses, there
can be no doubt. If such abuses creep in
they may not only work a great wrong to
helpless people whom the state is bound,
by the highest considerations of Justice
and humanity, TO protect, but they are liza
bic to cost the democratic party dearly at
future elections, magnified as they of
course will be by the press and public
speakers of the opposition. 1t will not
only be wise craftsmanship, but the
most practical sort of practical poll
tics. for the present legislature to take
every possible precaution against the re-
currence of scandals in our public insti-
tutiOns. Well managed as most OF them
undoubtedly are today. serious evils are
liable to develop in any of them so long
as the present defective system is re-
tanned.
One word more: There are said to be
democrats in the legislature who are urg-
ing, Gin the interest of economy" or for
other reasons, that appropriations for the
state board of charities shall be denied
altogether or reduced below the
sums required to maintain the full
usefulness OF the board. We
do not believe that there is any danger of
this thing being done. 1t would be dis
grace to the democratic party and TO the
state il it were done. 1t would cost the
party thousands of votes at the next cleo
ton, and very properly. The men who
are suggesting such action clearly do not
understand the temper of the people.