The Wichita tribune., 1898-10-29

tion alone. As one who was connecteu
for over ii months with the Osawato-
mie asylum under the present populist
mana cement l desire to say that the
condition which DR.. Wetmore de.
scribes concerning the Topeka asylum
is only a faint picture of that which
has existed at the Osawatomie insti-
tuition.
On April l. 1897, this institution was
the pride of the people of the state Of
Kansas. The members of the present
state board Of charities repeatedly
stated that its management was supe-
rior to that of any other state institu-
tion. But notwithstanding this state
ment they displaced q superin ntendent,
DR.. 7. c. Biddle. and his experienced
assistants, DR.. S. D. Van Nuys and the
trained employees, with an assistant su-
perirtendent, DR.. T. W. Hinton, and
az assistant physi elan, Dr. Wellman,
neither OF whom has diploma Or ever
had any experience either in treating
or caring for the insane. The board
of charities insisted On replacing the
experienced employees with raw mate
rial, much of which had had no expe'
rience whatever in such work and was
alike deficient in morality, men tality
and that sympathy so necessary in
caring for the helpless dependents con-
signed to their charge.
AS a result, is it any wonder that
Hugh Forsythe, patient from Fronte-
nae, was permitted to jump through q
second:storv window and receive in
iuries from which he soon died?
Is it any wonder that where polit-
ical pull was the sole requisite for
position and promotion that laundry
girl w as found in the clerks bedroom
in her night clothes?
Is it any wonder that the matrOn So
selected declared this episode only IAN
indiscretion?'
| Is it any wonder, then, when hair
| pins and garters were found in the bed
of an official Of the asylum that the
employe making the discovery should
| be told that it should not be consid-
cred immoral, nor told?
Is it any wonder that during the
past II mon tins there have been no less
than four military marriages. among
the employees at this institution
Is it any wonder that the officers OF
that institution boycotted the mer-
chants of Osawatomie because they re.
fused to clay down" on their local ed
itor and have him suppress stories OF
the horri BILE condition of affairs at the
asylum
have been interested in the reform
movement all my life, aud worker in
the populist party ever since l became
old enough to vote; | have seen mem
bers of the state board Of charities
who have supervision of these institu-
tiOns, come to the OsawatOmie asylum
under the influence Of liquor; have
been an eve witness to their unseemly
conduct and l cannot believe that the
people of Kansas who pay so literally
for the support of these charitable in
stitutons and who should find in them
q source of justifiable pride will ever
indorse a state administration which
permits these conditions to continue.
On numerous occasions have known
EMPLOYEES who were discharged a.
Osawatomie because they were lncom
petent or for misconduct, on accom-
of their pull with the board, trans
ferred to the Topeka asylum where i
is only natural to suppose they con
tributed to the conditions which DIR
Wetmore says existed at the Topeka
asylum. If the people of Kansas fully
realize these conditions how the un
zlfortunate insane-sometimes thel'
- If Gives, other time their friends-are
neglected, abused and mistreated in
these institutions they would rise ur
in their might and at the ballot box II
November repudiate most emphatical
lv all those who have contributed tt
create, maintain and continue thi
state Of affairs. S. M. PARKS