The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-08-20

vIuolCSte U1mSeu.
Indianapolis Sentinel :-Governor
Mount has taken the rather extreme
course of sending the members Of
the state board OF charities to the
southern Hospital at Evansville to
clear his skirts of the scandals that
have disgraced that institution,
though the republicans have been
in Office but few weeks.
There were at the hospital of the
state board of charities Secretary
Bicknell, John r. Elder, Timothy
Nicholson and DIR. Mary Sphinx.
The board of control of the hospital
was in session at the time and the
repre- sentatives of the state board
met with it. The board of control
was questioned as to recent dismis-
sails, and found that all the state
ments and charges made to the ef-
tect that old and trusted employees
had been discharged to make room
for inexperienced republicans were
true. The board found that the
hospital was being filled up with
republicans, who were appointed
because they were good ward heel
ers, or had friends who were, rather
than because they had any talents
in the line of their work in the hos
pital The state board is not in
good humor with the southern
board, with the new superintendent,
or with the conditions and plainly
told the southern hospital board
how it felt. Those who were there
representing the state board are very
conservative in their statements, but
admit that the conditions are not
satisfactory. The oldest and most
competent employees Of the institu-
ton, who are among the best in the
state, have been let go for no other
reason than TO make room tor re-
lpublicans.
But the state board of charities
says not word in its report, which
it gave utyesterday for publication,
as to the discharges. 1t at once
gave out report which is supposed,
and no doubt intended, to white
wash the governor. This report
lsavs:
1.-The board of state charities re-
turned last night from visit to the
insane hospital at Evansville and
the reformatory at Jeffersonville.
While in Evansville the board in
quired particularly concerning the
charge that the family or family af-
fairs of Governor Mount had been
influential in the making of APP
Ipointments in the hospital. AS the
result Of these inquiries the board
found that Governor Mount has
never signfied in any manner de-
sire 10 have any relative or any 9TH
er person appointed to position in
the hospital, but that he has stated
on several occasions, once to the
board of state charities, that while
he is governor no relative shall re-
|ceive an appointmentto to any position
in the public institutions. The
statement that the son of Governor
Mount is afiianced to niece of DIR.
Mason, the superintendent of the
hospital, is true. From its inquir-
les the board is entirely satisfied
that at the time DR.. Mason was ap-
pointed to the superintendency
GOV. Mount was not aware of the
relationship between his sons fl
ance and DR.. Mason, and the
board is unwilling to believe that
the men composing the board of
trustees of the hospital would have
been moved by so petty and flimsy
a consideration, even had they been
familiar with all the facts"
1t is all about the governor, and
not word about the facts ascer-
tanned with reference to political
appointments. The report says it
is true that the governors son is to
marry the niece of DR.. Mason, but
the governor didn't know the young
lady was DIR. Mason's niece, though
the members Of the board OF control
evidently did, judging from the
last sentence Of the report which says
"the board is unwilling to believe, ("
etc. But there is not word as to the
political appointments or the whole
sale discharges Of old and compe-
tent employees to make room for
green republicans. Members of the
board simply say, with the promise
that their names be not used, that
they are not satisfied with the situ-
alton. They find the charges true.
But there is nothing Of this in the
report. All of which would seem
to indicate that the board went down