The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-22
TWEED RULE W.4s MIGHTY BAD.
Therefore. Says Logical Dr. Kinnicut. Vote
for The stnned Erophct OF Columbia

Tho Metropolitan Trained Nurses Club,
whose house is at 1O4 West Forty-frst street,
was organized, according to its constitution. 10
advance the profession of trained nurses, 10
promote social intercourse and to provide
houses containing sleeping apartments. read.
ing rooms, and an employment bureau for the
convenience OF physicians. notwithstanding
tho fact that the word politics does not appear
in the handbook of the club. an effort vas
made by the Citizens Union yesterday to fore
its local issues into the club. and it failed ut
terly.
The effort was made under the auspices of
the Womun's Municipal League. which has
been collecting money for Laws canlpai N
fund. Miss l.. d.. VALID. n member of the "
ccGtivc Committee, induced the officers of tho
Metropolitan Trained Nurses Club to cal u
meeting for the purpose of hearing some o'1le
Cts orators tell thcmswhy Seth Low anou d u,
the next Mayor. 1t was argued that 1As
nurses. in caring for the sick and injured WHO
might recover in time Ia vote, could influence
them to vote for The Consccratcd One.
Miss Wald presided. and shr, introduced NJ
speakers DIR. +. l.. kinn;Cut. who is connected
with the College OF Physicians and surgeons.
Of which Seth Low is ihc President; Charles
b.. Spalcr. ard John Brooks Lcavitt. Spi!Cr
and Lcavitt made the usual Cit haransuc. and
said that If Low was not elected Yam Wy"k
in which Bellevue Hospital was conducted
under the Tammnny regime. lie said:
nurses sS one OF The sDG iHncr "S Worki ,a?" Of F' goii';es, t tas
effect they have for good or bah Oh the admin
is'raiion an of our public ,ha Ghari!iss' Thsy can
clean, honest. untrammcllcd administration OF
competent men and the Wisrule conting@,t
alone that we should wish for the success OF the
ideas emhodied in the platform Of the Citizens
At the time when the power OF Tweed was
politically indisputable. i was a member o.
the house staff of Bcllcvu. Hospital, and I
saw something of what TuuDnuuy lniSrIlD
means: The food was wretchcd, the .~ventila.
,i%n dp5n M bad, and nd The he. scf fcbr per- r;
it all. Incompetent nurses and general mis-,
management so threatened the efficiency OF
Der Of public. spirited Women Of the city banded
together for the pnmrposc Of attempting 10 bring
Commissioners. and when they announced the
pprposc OF their can every %obst#%Sle was
told that it was none OF their business and
were not given permits 10 investigate the real
GGomairion x6 nd %tiGits, -, ISwGpai Of ync i SboungGr
posed reforms were threatened with discharge.
saved my head only by rrsigninS on account
OF a severe illness. The women found that
some OF the wards. where the comfort of pa
tients was essential o their recovery. were
Of the deaths at Bellevue durinr the Tam.
| many adminisi ration we're undoubtedly caused
by tho neglect and indifference of the MANAGE
When the meeting was over it was not dit.
n n1T!t to pr sSs ntn wl m1n Gis Hi inS sixty or seventy
"If any one thinks" said one nurse in
the general conversation which followed the
| speeches, 'thnt ] am going 10 talk politics to
| my patients for Low or anybody else he is mis-
| taken. People don't come 10 II hospital TO DO
told whom 10 votc for. but TO get well
six months" snid another. ''and | helped his
family. They told him to vote for Mckinley
| and better times. He did, and now is employed.
II the Republican party was good enough then
and gave him a joH, its good enough now TO
take care OF the city"
Fl was a nurse at l!cllcvuc during Tnmmany
| times said u third. 'And | don't want any
more; Of it; but il seems 10 ne thnt'if the Cit
| liens Union is 50 anNiOus 10 defeat Tam.
many II would pull Low out of the field and
unite on the regular Republican ticket, I'm
sure II the licpuhlicau" hadn't voted for
| Mayor strong Bellevue never would have been
improved"
With a few exceptions all the nurses cv-
at the bringing OF politics into the club. Miss
Valid argued, but in vain. She couldn't con-
vince them.