The Portland daily press., 1899-01-25

ner they have from the first acted In wal
20 strengthen the suspicion which existed
at the start and 10 destroy utterly publ,
confidence In any decision they might or.
rive ut They appear to have entirely
misconceivsd their duty. Instead OF a
jury to get at the truth they appear to have
conceived IL TO be thu proper thing to stand
by the management at any cost aud &c
throw all the obstacles possible In the
way g the complainant
To go back several weeks when the first
open meeting was held TO consider These
charges People who remember that
meeting will recall toe process by which
the man wanted was got into the chair.
A man had been nominated from the floor
but the temporary chairman ignored this
nomination completely, and declared that
II had been moved and seconded that a
certain OF. er person be presiding Of
ncer when as matter Of fact
his name had not been mentioned, and
then with hot haste his election was de-
olsred though there had not been an
aye vote. On account Of the Illness Of
the defendant that meeting was ad.
journsd without taking up the charges
and the trustees went into executive
session. When they came out one Of their
number gave out for publication . letter
from lawyer up in Oxford county full
OF sneers at the complainant, DIR. Bowers,
alluding to him rs certain DIR. Bow.
ers" and protesting never to have heard
Of him personally or professionally. There
could have been but one purpose In
making public that letter at that time and
that was to prejudice DIR. Bowers In the
community, and make IL appear that he
was trying to pull down a benehcent in
stitution to crafty private malice. And
this was the work Of the jury whose duty
1t was to hear this case impart tally. DIR.
Bowers was there ready to present bis
charges no was not permitted to do so
because the defendant was absent and
then the trustees went into executive
session and as the re suit. presumably. OF
their deliberations gave out for publica-
tion letter full Of sneers and innuendoes
against him. Was that conduct cal
culated to inspire confidence in the sin.
cerity aud impartiality of these trusseesf
Now coming down to the night of the
hearing. DR.. Bowers had already filed
his charges, but the trustees wanted o
bill of particulars and he had prepared
that. He appeared at the meeting (which
by the way had been filled with the sympa
thizers with the management and decla.
ed his readiness to present his statement
Then the Hon. II. p. Frank, one Of
the trustees. arose and said the trustees
had determined that he must proceed in
certain way, In short that he must sub.
init his case according to their notions
and not according to his own. He pro.
tested but the trustees were firm, Trustee
Little declaring with an i'll concealed
sneer that he did not see how long dis.
sertstion on the method of conducting
this institution from Dr.. Bowers can
have any weight here. The executive
surgeon, however. was permitted to put
In long statements as to the reason for
dropping DR.. Bowers, without objection,
though 1t was not germane to any
of the charges. DIR. Bowers was COM
PEELED to submit, and state his case
according to their notions. When he had
concluded, presto change. MIR. Frank
who had apparently been speaking for
the trustees Of whom he WAS one. bios
somed out as counsel for the defendant
and proceeded caustically to cross examine
the witness. Subsequently he wound up
the case with An argument In which DIR.
Bowers was likened tn ''cur" bay ing at
the moon, while the moon sailed m In the
utmost serenity. Then MIR. Frank re-
turned to his role rs trustee and went
into executive session with the rest OF
them, though he delioately refrained from
voting. When the gentlemen issued from
the delibsrative chamber the management
was indicated.
The trustees might have so conducted
their investigation that this vindioation
would have carried great weight. They
chose to conduct 1t In way that carries
none whatever,