Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-10-05
DEMOCRATIC REFORMS.
"A Record Of Eighte en- Months Adj
minietration by Gov. Altgeld.
A GOOD BUSINESs-LIKE SHOWING.

ness Principlcs-No More Purchasing
Agents or Favoritism TO Contractors
All Supplies Purchased by Contract
From the Lowest Bidder.
The result of one year Of democratic
administration of the state institutions
of Illinois will soon be published Off
cially to the world and will show the
practical reforms and The rigid system
| of economy which have been attained
under che administration of Gov. Alt
geld IN the campaign of 1892 the
6agrant acknowledgements of state insti-
tutions was freely criticised by Mr..
| Altgeld and the abuses which had
grown up under republican administra-
lions became one of the great issues of
the campaign. The result of the first
two years stewardship of Gov. Alt
geld will therefore be of special inter-
est to those who by their votes in the
last general election SO sharply re-
brked the profligacy of the republican
state administration.
Over year ago, in beginning the
work of reformation IN the state insti-
tutions, Gov. Altgeld iaauguratea the
system of having she trustees, super
in:endents and other officials Of the
various institutions assemble IL peri
odical conventions at the state capital
In his first address to the conven-
ton Gov. Alteeld said:
| II wish to emphasize these instructions; that
the whole energy of the superintenGentS and of
| the trustees. and of every body connected ' tn
| the management, shall be bent to place these
| Institutions upon the very highest plane OF ex-
celience and superiority possible, anu that 70
personal considerations, 10 considerations OF
! f-iendShip ar nolftirsl ...r
| mitted to stand in the way one minute.
There has been some embarrassment on ac-
| count OF the great e2.pec .atloIs o. the local
flies or yowns il the Immediate vicinity o. Ger
tain institutions. The pscpie Of these towns
seem to regard The Institutions as belonEiag to
| them. and'they expect TO run them-to furnish
the help and supplies-and they usualig ant
| to do IT in their own way, ana taey 10 not
want to have toe thorough scrut.ny OF the
| management. They don want too much COM
petition in .uraishiug supplies. and taoy don't
want such thorough-gotng nietho6s employed
| as inte-feres with th-i- friends.
Bu5 the principal reason for calling yol to-
gethef here to-day WAS 20 consider the suOiect
Of purchasing supplies, and in doing this do
not wish 30 DC understood rejecting upon
an person who has boiigh. su ppises for any OF
the institutions IN the past and cerJ2 MY not
upon the able rpen now fllin. these places. but
I want to speak OF the system The system
which has been retained thus FAR is the ola sys-
TEN oil having a man who Is connected with the
institution so out into the market and locE
around and buy where. in his judgment ne can
buy the best. At least that Is the theory OF il:
but In practice the system generally WORKS
this way: II the man VINO does the purchasing
is dishonest he makes Al arrangement With
some business house or rather with the S. les
man OF whom he buys. 10 be paid con mission
in cash upon al that he buys. II he is honest
at the beginning. then the usual expert
ence is about this: lie gets Acquainted
with the different statesmen IN large establish
ments. He Is invited TO take 4 ride. iie il in
yited 20 go to she Gheatcr. He IS invited to do
the town. He is treated to wine Sc has q
good time. He is treated right royalty. lie
gets Z kindly impression of his host. ard when
on the following DAY the host assures him that
certain goods are The best and cheapest i the
market. he is Inclined to believe 1t. an Ie Buys
them Later on. pure bases increase, tho
host very kindly presents HIM with q watch,
Christmas gift. Occasionally he throws
in suit of clothes, and ere long point is
reached where valuable presents are made
very frequently. These presents are not given
b. the head OF the business house which makes
the sales; they are given by the salesman who
makes them, and they go onto the boo'-s Q. the
concern under the head OF expense account"
The governor then announced tina t
the old system which had led to SO
many pernicious abuses under repub-
lican administrations must be abol-
ished, and all supplies let by contract
to the lowest bidder, thus insurins a
saving of from ten to twenty-five per
cent. The result of one and one-half
years administration under this re-
form shows a saving of many thousands
of dollars per annum.
At a later convention of trustees and
superintendents, last June, the COVER
nor made another innovation which
| has ,,,a1a hir e
justice by demanding that for tho
same labor women should be paid the
same as men. Said he:
II believe in most cases the ordinary attend
ants are not paid too much. This is espe cially
true of the females Simple justice requires
that wherever female attendants do the same
kind OF work that male attendants do. and do
it under the same conditions. and are in other
respects as serviceable around the institution
| as male attendants are, they should be paid
exactly the same wages as male attendants
are paid Therefore You may find it necessary
to slightly reduce the salaries OF male attend
ants and correspondingiy raise the salaries Of
female attendants"
Continuing he made the following
specific suggestions:
First We do not want any person or the
payroll whose services are not absolutely
| needed
| second Do not employ any man Y no IS not
| Just the right man for the place and il makes
no difference who recommends him or what his
influence his.
Third. Do not keep any man an hour after 4
Is discovered he is Tot exactly the right man
} Tor the place. no matter how many influential
men seek to have him retained.
Fourth Do not pay any higher wages in an
institution than similar services would COM
: mand outside.
Wherever three men are doing two mems
work there you will find not only increased
! expense, but you Will lind poor service. Each
man gets lazy and Indifferent. and neither is
| ut his best. I am aware that there Is a strong
pressure all over the state to have men put on
the payroll but want to say to you that IL
you yield to this pressure it will be an evil
J dence OF weakness, for it will indicate an
inability to say no, and o man who cannot do
that In case OF public trust is not male Of
that strong fiber that We must have in these
omces No man should have more influence
with you in regard to putting men on the pay.
roll than the governor. and the governor has
not o man In the entire state whom no xisbes