The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-09-28
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acts, but are 4 set OF ollonders un,
worthy OF sympathy and amsndable ID
punlshment when obstinate or unman,
ageble, In the selection OF hospital GIN,
ployes too much care CannO. be exor,
ClSed to secure mon aud women who
have qualifications other than their
political pull with or family relationship
to the appointing powers. their tam,
per, disposition, breeding and intellOc,
tuRl fitness are the important things Ia
DO considered. II there IL one branch
Of our public service more than another
to which wholesome civil service Law
providing q system OF examinations as
TO fitness should be applied, 1t is that
branch which has the care and treat
ment Of tho states untortunatOs.
-
Such asyseem for the management Of
our state hospitals for the insane would
be in the line OF practical reform, and il
is a matter that should receive the at
tention Of tho legislature. PGrtisanshlp
has too long held sway at these hospit,
ais aud tho many positions there in the
| XIV VI hAu AAN0hakpAAuAh HHNu DtHN kuU
longlookedupon us merely jobs for party
workers and their friends. The welfare
OF tho stricken inmates has been OF soc,
ondary consideration. Let 4 stop be-
put to these things and there will be
tower scandals. A striking example
showing the need OF such reform re-
Gently came TO light in Illinois where
au official investigation oil the insane
asylums disclosed startling state OF
affairs. For years tho hospitals had
been conducted as nero political ma
chimes. aud the places at the disposal
OF tho management wore dumping
grounds for ward heelers rewarded for
political work. As q rule tho attend.
ants thus selected were rOpreseu tativos
OF tho most ignorant brutal aud vicious
classes, in whose hands the comfort
and lives OF the mRle patients, aud
the virtue Of tho unfortunate female in.
mGtSs were unsafe. Tho hospitals have
now been placed under civil service
rule; applicants for places are required
to pass a strict examination as to their
moral chaEactor, their disposition and
their knowledge OF the care Of insane
patients, and, in addition an education
al qualification is insistod upon. In
view OF tho SCandalS that have from
timO to time cropped out at our own
institutions, and tho charges 80 fire.
Quently made by the press, some such
reform in West Virginia would have a
wholesome effect.
-
II barely possible, as tho managers
OF the hospitals claim, that the charges
made are prompted by personal spite,
aud, In some instances. iustigatod by
discharged employees, or by partisan
critics. Ii such ia the case proper in-
vestigation will show it and the discus
sion Of the matter will DO dropped. But.
as has been SO often said, where thore
10 so much smoke there must be some
fire" aud the facts should be made
known, whatever they arc. Nothing
else will satisfy tho public. And while
the governor is about 1t, no should not
stop with the Spencer asylum. For
years past the Weston papers aud others
have been making charges OF incompe'
lGncy against the management OF the
hospital at that place. The biennial
visit OF the legislative committee has
been farce in its way. Such an I'm
vestigation," ia purely an informal
affair, necessarily limited aud amount.
ins TO little more than jnnk0t for the
committeeman. Something OF a more
special aud searching character Ia need.
cd, such ~ the Parkersburg Journal sug.
goats for tho Spencer institution. The
Weston Independent, oil this week, re-.
itsrates tho necessity for action aud re-
poats what has been said by many
other newspapers, when it says III
any one imAGiues that the oppOsition.to
tho management of tho Weston Hospital
is confined to Republicans. or that
criticisms are bein: made solely for par.
tisan purposes, no mistakOs tho sonti.
ment OF tho people OF this locality. In
many respects 1t is matter OF hui
mainly rather than OF craftsmanship. So
far as this paper is concerned, whiIo 1t
has attempted to do its duty 30 far as
nossible, its editors havO frequently
boon assured by those In position to
know that grave evils eXtst which 80
have never touched upon, oil which wo
know nothing aud which would shock
tho moral sense Of tho people OF any
community il known to tho public. We
may think lightly on these things at
Grst, but in such casos Of brutal miEuse
a. that Of Mat Haynes we must rOmem-
Dor that thoso unfortunRtOs arc some
body's aons and daughters, somebody's
brothers and siaLers, or perhaps some
body's parents. What II they wore
yours"
notice Col. John I. McGraw'a homo
paper, tho Grafton Leader, lie booming
him for Congress. That is, tho Leader
is dosirous that Col. McGrnw shall DO
nut up to attempt to pluck the plum
which Hon. William L. Wilson ENilUd to
reach last fall, when tho free trade
Democracy discovered that Aston Cor
don Dayton was no joke. Should Col.
McGrNw DO tho Democratic nominee
noxt year no will 90 into tho campaign
with full appreciation that 1t isu buzz
saw Ito is going to tackle, and that Day
ton will DO no moro OF q okO IN 1876
than ho was in 1894. ThorG iaa reason
for this, for tho calonNl Ia tho mau who
ran Mr.. Wilson'S campaign last yoar
aud hO discovered that there wasn't a
humorous AidO to II long belOro some
othOr Democrats did. Rn told that II
was very CoaIly OXperioncO for tho
colonel, aud that his pOCEot.book looked
like II had boon atruCk by a cyclone