The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-24
Is PysE APPEAL. OF ST. PAUL PLY
SfCfkNS CGNt~l3NIHis THE CITY
HOSPITAL.
Is A MODEL INSTITUTION
WHICH POLITICS THREATENS TIC
INVADE WITH THE MOST Sc
RIOUS RESULTS.
ANCI1ER'S EXECUTIVE ABILITY
Shown In the management of the
InstitutiOn-EcOn economically Com
Quoted without Scandal.

1t now appears that there are two
factions in the Republican party which
are pulling at cross purposes in their
efforts to transform the board of con-
troll into a political machine. While the
friends of DR.. Dewitt Clinton Jones.
who have been endeavoring to secure
his appointment as superintendent,
have been trying, according to reports,
to brow-beat the members of the pres
ent board into making the change they
desire in the management of the hos
pital, and to that end have threatened
TO pass a law which will take the ap-
pointment of the members of the board
out Of the hands Of the judges of the
district court, to whom it was entrusted
with the sole ambition Of keeping the
matter out of politics, it appears that
the Vaccinations of this party have
aroused cOVetOLs instincts which had
hitherto been Etent in the breasts of
another faction Of the Republican
party, chief of whom are Mayor Doran,
Judge O. B. Lewis, and other West side
Republicans. That latter faction hopes
to be able to accomplish its purpose,
without the interposition Of the Iegis-
Lewis to the district bench being quite
an addition to the mayors forces in the
contest which he is wagirg. If, for in
stance, the addition of the mayors
friend Hawthorne to the board Of con-
troll by the vote Of Judge Lewis should
give the West side physician, DIR. Haw-
kins, the vote which should elect him
as superintendent, then the Republican
ln1, Of = l.
is thought, would hardly be willing to
stir up party strife by pushing any
measure which was tacitly understood
to be purely a political scheme and
aVowedly in the interest of d certain
candidate.
The question is whether the Doran
party will be able to get its scheme
through before the Legislature can get
around to the consideration Of the bill
which is said to be in process of prep
aration by some of the members of the
Ramsey delegation.
The friends of the proposed change
rely on the overwhelming Republican
majority in both houses to sustain
tEem IN their effort to put on a par
tlsan basis board that the greatest
care has been taken to preserve free
from political contamination The nre
saGe by the urging of the claim that the
behch, between long terms of Office
and the custom of continuance in office
during good behavior, is not so close
TO the people as should be the selection
of a board which has to deal so direct
~ with the common people as the
beard Of control. 1t is not thought that
the legislative delegation will go so
FAR as to make the board elective as
that would make the tenure of office
of the beneficiary Of the present project
uncertain but it is given out bv the
closest nlouthed Of the conspirators.
who are all pretty reticent about the
matter, that they have a scheme"
which viii beat the present board out
of its job.
The report that a political assault
bad been planned on the hospital has
caused good deal Of adverse comment
among those who are most familiar
with the workings of the institution.
For years that has been one of the
institutions of st. Paul which the citi-
Zens have pointed to with pride and is
regarded by medical @een who are not
believed to be prejudiced In the matter
On professional grounds or for personal
reasons, as one of the best managed
public hospitals in the country. DR..
Ancker, the present superintendent
whom it is now sought to have deposed.
has given all his time Of late years,
and much of it before then, to the
building up of the hospital. He began
when it began and he has grown in
tho work, it is claimed, as it has grown.
There has never been any scandal of
any kind, it is pointed out in this con
nectiOn, and it has never been charged
that there was the slightest eXtrava-
gance, either, in the daily expense or
the improvements of the institution.
Physicians claim that it is one of the
snoOthest running, best conducted and
most economically conducted public
hospitals in America, and nothing but
the political ambition of somebody
would intimate change was necessary
much less actually seek to bring it
about
Several st. Paul physicians were
asked yesterday for their opinion
OF a change, and each one Thought
Il would be misfortune if any s11ch
thing should be attempted to be brought
about What one said was practically
what each one said, and this is how the
one talked
DIR; AncSer is a man of splendid
executive ABILITY" said he. sHe is one
OF the best executive officers [ have
ever known. He has been with the
institution for fourteen years and has
always taken personal interest and
pride in building it up. AS if has
branched out his experience has grown
until now he is one of the best super
1ntendents in the country, and the in
sItution stands equally well in ap-
pointments and everything else.
The proposition now is to make it q
political part of the city. If the ap-
pointment is taken from the board Of
control or the appointments to the
board Of control are changed. then the
institution is placed in the political pot.
The best element in the profession an
preciate the work Of Ancker and favor
his retention. Skill cuts small figure
In the question. Jones and Hawkins
are capable physicians; there is moth
ing AGAINST their ability but Hawkins