The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-11-16

Kansas, damages their usefulness and
destroys their mission Instead OF al
fording to our suffering people place
for rest and probable recovery they
have become places of scandal, fighting,
quarreling and inhumanity- Brutal and
incompetent attendants beat p2IenIS-
lunatics with whom no man should take
Offense-as they are irresponsible Kind
ness, patience, diplomacy, if you please,
and all the arts known for dealing with
people and keeping them in restraint
without using violence should be
brought into play at these institutions
But it is not. On the contrary violence
seems to prevail, if reports be true, and
forces upon the people a recognition of
the fact that present conditions border
on calamity and must be improved
DR.. L. d Mckinley, superintendent of
the Topeka asylum said: THE state
institutions should not be the subjects
of political manipulation. They should
be managed in such a way as to bring
benefits to the unfortunate people who
are compelled to seek refuge therein.
Civil service is the remedy but I have
not figured out plan which I would
suggest for the accomplishment of this
purpose. Political workers should not
be rewarded I would suggest that an
examination similar to those employed
IN the government service should be the
test OF a mans qualifications. If this
rule applied men who did not know
boiler from a stove drum would not be
appointed to positions as engineers. This
is only one example which I think of.
Others might be suggested. The most
skilled scientists to be found; the great
est specialists. should have charge of
these institutions. Attendants and sub
ordinate officers too, should be cOmpell-
ed to establish some reason to claim
positions. Trained nurses should have
charge of the patients. OF course these
nurses would of necessity be taught in
the institutions where they could be-
come thoroughly familiar with the peO-
pie with whom they would have to deal.
Then they could take up the work. after
their patience and conscience had been
thoroughly educated to a proper con-
ceptiOn of the duties which confront
them. I believe that if political mana
gers would figure on the basis of having
a relative or some dear friend in these
institutions, that in placing men in
charge of them more care would be ex-
ercised. This Improvement must soon
come to Kansas institutions. [ know
not what viii bring it about, ,butKansas is
too great and her people too generous in
ablisfing these magnificent institu-
tions for the political parties to trade
and dicker on They have a mission
which must he fulfilled" a"
John w Breidenthal has been aGvo-
eating the inauguration OF reform at the
state institutions for years. He is an
enthusiast in this direction. He said
today: Nothing will be accomplished
by partisanship. The Populists and Re
publicans have had scandals at these
institutions. The institutions will suf-
fer just as long a s they are turned up
side down every time a change of ad-
ministratiOn comes in Kansas. We need
and must have civil service or a reform
which is even greater and more far
reaching. We are behind every other
state IN the Union. We have the best
| institutions in the United States. We
have hundreds of unfortunate people to
whom the state owes a duty which can
not be performed through the medium
of political parties Partisanship is re-
spOnSible for the existing conditions.
If we could place the state institu-
tiOns under civil service rules and reg
ulatiOns and have the best talent in the
United States at the head of them and
then have trained nurses or experts in
direct charge of the sufferers we would
/ lift our institution to the very highest
| plane. I have been advocating a con-
| stitutiOnal convention for the purpose
| of doing away with the state board of
| charities which is a constitutional crea-
| tiOn and providing in its place a state
| board of control which should be non
partisan in every particular, each mem
| ber could be appointed in such way
| as to have a ma jOrity of experienced
members on the board all the time I
would not want this board made up of
! politicians but broad minded men whose
J business instinct and regard for the
/ welfare of the wards of this greatstate
! exceed the narrow limits of partisanship
! Then we could expect some improve
J E1ent, but until the Kansas institutions
! are removed from the domination of DO
/ htical bosses we need expect nothing
/ but trouble and scandals in which all
! political parties play an equal part"