The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1897-02-27
A PARTISAN BILL VETOED.
Gov. MacCorkIe Gives Splendid
Reasons for His Action.

A Pure and UnaduIterated piece Of Par
tisanship without Even the sua
yeilings Placed About Such Measures
No Charge Against any Of the People
the Republicans Desire to Remove,
But on the Contrary, Four RepubIi.
can Committees Of Two Republican
Legislatures have Declared the Insti.
tutions to be well Managed and Above
Repraaeh.
A message was received from the
Governor, by his private secretary
with his veto of the bill amending
the code in relation to the appoint
ment of the directors of the two hos
pitfalls for the insane. Following are
extracts from the message:
Gentlemen of the House of Dele
gates-I return House bill No. 10
entitled: AN act to amend and re
enact section 2 of chapter 5S of the
code of West Virginia, relating to in
sane persons, without my approval
and do accordingly veto the same
This bill legislates out of office til,
present boards of directors OF
the Weston and Spencer asylums
This action cannot be justified OF
any good principle of civil govern
ment. +, 1t is contrary to the policy
which the last Republican Legisla-
ture laid down, when it appointed
non partisan boards to control the
two insane asylums. The present
bill is not yelled with any of the or.
binary coverings which partisan leg
islatures place over their acts. 1t
does not even pretend to enlarge oil
restrict the powers of the boards OF
directors" 1t does not in any par
ticular change the organic law, but
is simply bill doing away with the
present bipartisan and efficient
board, and placing the institutions
in the hands of majority of the
same political complexion as this
Legislature. l do most earnestly pro
test against the passage of this bill
and firmly believe that when the leg
islature considers what has been
done, it will join with me and the
people of the State in the objection
to this class of legislation. In the
first place, it is against the policy of
modern government that unfortu-
mates in the care of the State should
be made the prey of partisanship
No partisanship can justify the turn
ing over of the insane asylums of the
State in order that places may be
furnished for those who are temper
arily in political power. Twelve hun
dred helpless souls, our own blood
and flesh, compose the inmates of
these asylums. Surely these poor
people are above any question of
politics. Good treatment and skill
full management mean life Or death
to them, and happiness or sorrow to
their friends.
The precedent is utterly bad. In
the event of Democratic Legisla
ture, which may come in the vicissi-
tude of politics this action will be an
incentive to another change. This
means but to add to the sufferings
of more than a thousand sick people.
This act cannot be justified by the
condition of these asy lums. Both of
them are conducted upon the high
est plane; no scandal hangs around
them; on every side is universal
commendation of their management
The management has been patriotic,
economical, careful and intelligent,
and these two institutions rank
among the best in this country. L
refer to the four reports of Republi-
can committees to two Republican
Legislatures for justification of these
statements.
The Governor then quotes from
reports of the visiting committees,
in which the management of the
Weston hospital are highly COM
mended' Continuing, he said: Il
ask, then, in regard to the Weston
asylum, in view of the reports of the
Republican committees to the Re
publican Legislatures, what justifi-
cation can there for the passage of
this act? If there was any shadow
of question as to the efficiency of
management, then there would be at
least some justification for this act,
but there is none pretended. But
the reports of the Weston asylum
are equaled only BY the commenda-
ton of the two Republican commit
tees of the Spencer asylum"
He then quotes from the reports
of the visiting committees to the
Spencer asylum at the present and
former terms of the Legislature, in
which the management of that in
stitution is commended. 'These re
ports" the Governor says, "were
unanimously adopted and reflected
the sentiment, not alone of the Leg
islatures, but of the whole people, as
to the management of these institu-
sions. l do not believe that the peo-
pie will justify the absolute change
of the management of these two most
institutions, for the mere
purpose of changing the political
complexion of the boards or employ
es.''
Despite the appeal in the above
veto, the finer sensibilities of the
members of the Legislature and in
the face of the evident truth of his
remarks the partisan mad Republi-
cans promptly passed the bill over
his veto. There was no possible ar
gument for this proceeding. In al
short time they would have control
ed under the operation of law of
their own making. But even brief
stay when the spoils were in their
grasp was intolerable. 1t is now be-
lieved that for partisanship, general
ignorance and stupidity the present
Legislature will go further than the
aggregation the state was cursed
with two years ago.
Hoods Sarsaparilla is known to