Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-04-04

angry at Ward for defying the house and
appointing a committee which would vir-
tualy nullify the investigation. They de-
cided to serve notice on Ward. in a way
he would not soon forget, that the house
must be respected and would not tolerate
being overrfdden by a weak excuse for a
car. Davis. of Fke. an administration
man, played into their hands.
He offered a resolution to include the
Cbillicothe home for girls in the Lexow.
He thought that by including another in
stitution in the investigation the element
personal to the governor in the Fulton
scandal would be eliminated. A circular
had been sent to each member of the leg
islature some time ago in which immoral
conduct was charged against the officers
OF the asylum. Prosecution for libel fol-
lowed against the author of the circular,
but he was acquitted. The resolution in
troduced by Davis is as follows:
Whereas. AT a trial held in Utica. Liv-
fngston county. No., March so. 1899. where
In the author Of the circular attacking and
preferring charges against the state in
dustrial home for girls and the manage
ment thereof was prosecuted for libel, the
jury acquitted the said author upon the
defense that the charges in said circular
were true; and, -
Whereas, At said trial member of the
board of managers OF said institution. re.
Gently resigned, appeared as witness for
the defense and by his testimony substan-
tiated the charges in said circular; there-
fore be 1t
Resolved. That the special committee,
created by resolution Of this house. March
81. to investigate the Fulton Insane asy.
ium. be and is hereby instructed to in
Vestigate said Industrial home for girls.
and that said committee have,= by this res.
olution, the same authority In conducting
this investigation as conferred on them In
the investigation OF the asylum at Full.
ton."
Some Of the administration members ex-
postulated with Davis and he tried to
squirm out Of the difficulty by withdraw
Ing the resolution. Aydelott, however, would
not hear to this and himself offered an
exact copy of the Davis resolution. After
great deal of talk pro and con, the ad-
ministration burden being that all investi-
cations of this character should be made
by the state board OF charities Blair, of
Dekalb, moved to lay the resolution on
the table. This was defeated. 90 to Al, and
the Aydelott resolution was then adopted
60 to 9.
Hall, Of Saline. now had the excuse he
was looking for. Many of the Democrats
did not want an Investigation at Chilli
cothe, and when Hall moved to reconsider
the Fulton asylum vote of Friday, the
Democrats welcomed the motion as a way
to hush up the scandals.
Only Davis was frightened. He thought
he smelled rat. ~
II want to know the object of this mo-
tion,". he demanded .sN.fThe motion speaks
for ITSELF replied Hall 81 made it be-
cause wanted the vote .reconsidered."
Everybody voted aye. except Davis.
Ellis, Of Bates. also moved that the reso-
luton be Indefinitely postponed. This
would have quashed aIr investigation and
saved the administration embarrassment.
Jones, of Howell: James. Of St. Louis
county. and Wilson, of Hickory. scored the
Democrats for doing thing one day and
then undoing II the next.
Damaging reports are current concern
ing the charitable institutions of the state"
said Jones.
They reflect not only upon the admins
tration. but upon the whole people. who
tolerate the alleged infamies without pro-
test. If the administration be innocent of
the charges. why are attempts made to
stifie fair and free investigation? There is
something dead IN Denmark, and an effort
fs made to cover up the dead thing"
Cardwen. of Kansas City. spoke furious
ly in favor of squelching the investigation.
He referred to Jones as 'the one-gallused
whippoorwill and whangdoodle statesman
from Howell
In spite Of Cardwelrs effort the motion
to Hostpone-did not presail, the vote stand
ipg 10 b. 80, .,-l.aAs.slss; ~ s-s.s-s.ss ~,
Mann.iof Kansasi City. Offered; an aaend-
ment- abeIfshng Ward 81. rccmniftee --and
substituting the following: S@4'--';s' t'--s-7~
See. OF Montgomery: voolfolk of Lin,
coin; Fitzgerald, of Gentry; Hall. of Grun-
dy; Musser. of Miller.
Bohart moved to- table the amendment
This was lost. 80 to 66. Mann's amend.
ment was adopted. a to a.
Myers, Of Bollinger. an administration
man, tried to secure an adjournment before
the original resolution should be readopt.
ed, but failed. As soon as the resolution
was adopted James and Johnston, two Re-
publicans from st. Louis county. moved to
reconsider and to lay that motion on the
table The latter motion prevailed, clinch-
Ing the whole matter beyond possibility OF
change. .:'ls5s
The committee elected to investieate the
Fulton asylum and the Chiliicothe home il
considered an able one and fair II there
Is rottenness in either place It will be un.
earthed and the guilty will be recommend.
ed for punishment: il the suspected be
proven innocent, they will be exonerated
But the effort on the part of Stephens
ana his man Ward to stuff the Lexow com.
mittee does not tend to quiet the suspicion
that In the charitable institutions of the
state exist Irregularities of a nature mos
grave.