The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-19
GOVERNOR TAKES A HAND.
Tries to Steer the Senate Away from
Superintendent Johnson.

Tries to Steer the SENATE Away from
superintendent Johnson.
Governor Matthews dipped briefly into the
investigation of the Fort Wayne School for
the Predetermined yesterday, but it WAS
only briefly, and when he had retired i
was with diminished idea of his influence
with the present General Assembly. The
Governor has conferred with Alexanier
johnson and Senator Ellison until he has
imbibed the idea they assume ito hold, to
the effect that the investigation that is on
foot is a persecution and that the purpos
of it is to take the scalp of Johnson, no
matter what may be the disclosures before
the committee Acting upon this idea the
Governor yesterday sent to the Senate the
following communication, which Lieuts n
ant Governor Nye handed to the reading
clerk Immediately upon the assembly of
the Senate in the afternoon:
"Grave charges have been made rejecting
upon the superintendent and the manage
ment of the School for Predetermined
Youth located at Fort Wayne, a me charges ,sa,s
should--not supported by affdayit-and
drawn from employees and subordinates of
the institution, as / have been informed,
under assurance from the chairman of the
legislative committee visiting the school,
that their state ments should not be made
public a method of securing information
that cannot be generally commended, afford
ing, as 1t does, the means for dissatisfied
employees W dSSdll Tie CildidttcF VI SupcTlOI
officers without proper safe guards. The
public has a right to expect and demand a
full. just and impartial investigation. The
superintendent whose reputation is at stake
is surely entitled to one. Such an inveSti-
cation cannot, for obvious reasons, be had
in a thorough and complete manner except
at the institution itself. Persons as wit
neSSeS necessary to secure this end cannot
be brought from the school to this city
without serious injury to the conduct of the
school. Therefore l ask that the Senate
may order this investigation to be held at
mittee, who may be controlled by no other
motive than to arrive at the facts in the
case alike honorable and fair to the in
Stitution. it's management and the public
If the Senate committee cannot spare the
time necessary there, L would insist that
the State Board of Charities be authorized
to make this investigation without delay
and report the same to the General As
sembly."
Promptly upon the completion of the
reading of the communication Senator Eli
son offered resolution directing the State
Board of Charities to make the investiga-
ton in accordance with the recommended
tions of the Governor.
Senator Boyd, chairman Of the Senate
committee on benevolent institutions, who
has been in charge of the investigation up
to date, promptly moved to reject the reso-
luton He said in support of his motion
that the committee that has the matter in
hand has made good progress, that it has
taken a great mass of evidence, much of
which had been reduced to long hand Sem
ator Kern wanted to know whe Their Super
intendent Johnson had had opportunity
to cross-eXamine witnesses, and Senator
Boyd replied that he had not but that all
the evidence taken had been read to Super
intendent johnson, and that Johnson's own
statement had been taken He stated also
copy OF everything that the committee has,
and that there is nothing that the COM
mittee will hear that Mr.. johnson will not
be fully advised of and given an oppor-
tunity to refute
at least one member of the committee was
actuated by malice, and declared the i'm
possibility for fair and impartial he arin;,
was actuated by unworthy motives Sena-
tor Boyd wanted to ask Senator Ellison a
question, but the latter refused to be in
question, and as the dialogue became more
personal the presiding officer raped the
Senator Newly took decided ground
against delegating to another body a work
authorized committee. He declared that it
was plain that johnson did not want an
investigation unless it was conducted by a
committee of his own choosing, compose!
of his own friends. If it was 4 fact, which
as yet had not been shown, that Senator
Boyd was unfrendly to Superintendent
Johnson, the fact still remained that Boyd
was only one member of the committee,
and he would not be allowed TO dictate the
finding of the committee. DIR. Rodgers. he
stated was not demanding that, the work
should be taken out of the hands of the
committee, neither was DR.. Edenharter, nor
DIR. Smith, nor Superintendent Charlton, nor
even DIR. Thomas, OF the Evansville hos
pital. He was of the opinion that John
son should stand W and take his medicine
like a man, instead of running here and
there with his stories that he was being
prosecuted He declared that he had no
prejudice against Johnson, and was willing
and would demand that he should have a
| fair hearing but he submitted that the
course of johnson was such as TO create
| a presumption against him, and he for one
| would insist that the inve stigation be left
for completion in the hands in which II
| had been lodged
In the meantime Governor Matthews had
come on the floor Of the Senate and was
| coaching the Democratic Senator'S. His
| coaching facilities. however, appeared to be
| out OF repair, Tor Senator McHugh spoke
! against the Eli on resolu ion, declaring that
| IL would be an unus al proceeding to take
| matter out Of the hands OF a committee