The record-union., 1892-10-25
THE CHANGE AT THE STOCKTON
ASYLUM.

with especial harshness, that DR.. Rucker
was removed from the Superintendency
of the Stockton Insane Asylum solely be-
cause he is Democrat, while the Board
of Directors is Republican in majority.
All stories of this kind have two sides;
we have never known it to be otherwise.
We have been at pains to search out and
ascertain the facts, and as they come to
us they do not justify the charge made.
The directors declined to re-elect DR..
Rucker simply because they believed
that they will get better service for the
State, more skilled service from DR..
Clark. This is not intended as any re-
Election upon DR.. Rucker, and if it has
that appearance it is due wholly to the
indiscreet assaults made by the Demo-
cratic press in his behalf pretendedly,
but really in order TO make the election
Of DR.. Clark ammunition for campaign
artillery.
1t is absolutely necessary to keep State
institutions out of politics. There should
political whispers even. They should be
conducted solely with view to achieving
the highest, best results for which they
are intended. The introduction of politi-
cal patronage, partisan favoritism and
/, jealousy, party rewards and punish
ments, is not only to be deplored, but
oxecrated. The man or men who do
these things should be held up to public
scorn and loathing.
With an uneven number OF members
IN the directories of these institutions
there is always one political party repre-
sented more largely than the other in
such board. This is unavoidable. but it
would seem that our Executives have, for
twenty years or more, kept the scales at
as even a balance as is possible in these
matters.
Now, in the case of the Stockton Asy-
lum, the facts we found to be that qualifi-
cation and fitness have been the govern
ing causes in the selection of the chief
officers of the asylum, though a close
scaling Of the roster will show that a
larger proportion of Democrats than Re-
publicans has been chosen, which might
or might not occur in selecting the best
qualified men without distinction as to
politics.
On the 10th inst. DR.. Clark was elected
TO succeed DR.. Rucker, whose term ex-
pires November 1st. This change was
made, we find, because of the belief of a
majority of the board in the superior
qualification of DR.. Clark to have the care
and superintendency of the 900 patients
in the Stockton asylum.
1t appears that at the time of the cleo
ton it was stated in the board that
DR.. Rucker had honestly and faithfully
discharged the duties of the position as he
understood them. There was no charge
against him, nor the necessity for any.
but the board believed Dr. Clark to be
the better specialist, because he had
served ten years as first assistant physi-
clan in that institution, which he left to
establish, twenty years ago with Dr. Wal
ter Langdon, private insane asylum in
Stockton, and that was conducted with
signal success, as is conceded.
Now, it is well for the Examiner to turn
back in its memory and recall that DR..
Rucker, a Democrat, was elected four
years ago to succeed DR.. w. II. Mays, a
Republican. At that time no doleful
sound of complaint went up from the Re-
publican press that the political eouilib-
rum had been disturbed. On the 10th of
September last this same Board of Direc-
tors, which is charged with political bias
now, elected DR.. Young to be first assist
ant physician of the asylum. DR.. Young
is an ardent Democrat, but we have not
heard single word of complaint from
the Republican press.
1t will pay the Examiner to be fair in
this matter. 1t has nothing to gain for
its party by dragging the insane asylum
into politics. a board that has served the
State well has seen fit to elect a man to
the headship of State institution who is
believed by it to belmore highly qualified
hy thirty years experience in treatment
of mental disease than another whose
term of office is shortly to expire in nat
ural order. One of these men is a Re
publican, the other is Democrat. In the
institution Democrats have all along, we
believe, pTedominated in offices of trust,
but no one has complained of that. But
whether they have or have not been most
numerous cuts no figure. These institu-
tions must be kept out of politics; to drag
partisanship into them is bad for the State
and worse for the unhappy inmates of the
ssylums. When a board of direction
gsees fit to make change of officials in an
institution that should reflect no partisan
bias, the press should stand by it until
it is clearly and unmistakably shown
that the action of the board was wholly
prompted by political prejudices.
Every time d change happens TO in
yolve the displacement of a man differ
ing in politics from his successor, if the
press assails the board for that reason, the
surest means and shortest path to the
wreclling of the non-political character