Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1899-08-17
THEY'RE TIRED OF IT
Weston People Take no Stock
in Asylum Investigations.
They Have Had so Many That the An
nOuneement of New One Does not
Perturb Them.

PerturD Tnem,
WESTON, w. Va, Aug. I6-A cor.
respondent of the Petersburg Jour
nal writes his paper as follows in
reference to the asylum investiga-
ton.
What this weeks proceedings in
the matter of the investigation, now
pending at the Hospital for the In
sane will disclose, is a question con
corning which there is much specu-
lation. Itseems to be conceded that
the principal evidence on behalf Of
the prosecution is now i'll, aud it is
doubtful whether anything Of fur
ther Importance will be offered by
those who are seeking the political
decapitation of DR.. Stathers.
The history Of the West Virginia
Hospital for the Insane reveals the
fact that charges against the officials
of the institution have been made
under almost every administration.
OF such frequency have they been
preferred that the people OF Weston,
the location of the institution, are as
a rule disposed to place but little
confidence in the rumors that are
constantly kept in circulation. 1t
should be borne in mind that the
Hospital, with more than twelve hun
dred patients and something less
than two hundred employees, eonsti-
tutes an extensive family. As a
matter of course, complete unity and
satisfaction cannot prevail at all
times. Now and then acts of indis-
erection naturally occur and trivial
mistakes are inadvertently made,
and the tendency at all times is to
magnify and exaggerate the eonse
quences, giving to them an alarm
ingly sensational phase until the
true situation is understood. Ii is
truthful saying that mistakes will
occur in the best regulated families.
Indeed, upon an investigation into
the private matters Of almost every
household it would doubtless be
said that something could be learned
upon which to form the basis of
scandal and disgrace If portrayed in
the language of Misrepresentation
and sensationalism And so it is
with this great,institution at Wes-
ton. 1t has always been source of
political strife and contention. 1t
matters not under what administra-
ton, something at some time or an
other is reputed to be going wrong.
If an employee is discharged for re
fractory conduct or negligence OF
duty, he has a grievance to cherish
and in fancied injustice to avenge.
Then the public press is appealed
to or an official commission must be
invested with power and authority
to investigate the conditions of an
alleged alarming state of affairs.
The only manner in which the
present trouble at the Hospital for
the Insane is distinctively different
from the disturbances Of the past
consists in the fact that the prime
movers in the charge of immortality
preferred against Dr. Stathers are
members of his own political party.
They profess to represent the exist
ing, sentiment Of that party in Lewis
county. They proclaim the discov-
cry of state of affairs at the Hos
pital that needs cleansing They
say that in the name OF party puri-
ty, justice and humanity, it is their
duty to direct their influence in that
way, that shall bring about the de-
sired reform and demonstrate to
the people Of the state the sim
cerity of their actions DIR. Stath-
ers and his friends, on the other
hand, charge that he is the victim OF
foul and contemplate conspiracy.
They say his accusers are actnated
by personal, selfish and dishonest
motives, allege that they represent
only faction Of their political par
ty, and procured the afiidavits and
other evidence upon which their
charges against him are based by
intimidation and other questionable
methods.
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