The record-union., 1899-08-23
GAGE WILL PROBE SCANDALS
AGNEWS BOARD ON THE CAR
PET TODAY.
The State Lunacy Commissioners
VIII Hold a Session in
San Francisco.

There is a great deal of interest in
the outcome of the meeting of the State
| Commissioners in Lunacy, to be called
TO order by Governor Gage, at the Pail
ace Hotel, 10 a. m. to-day.
DR.. Hatch has been absent from Sac
ramento for two weeks, during which
| time he has visited some of the asy-
/ lums of the State for the purpose of
/ gaining information to be used at to-
days meeting 1t is the general belief
that there will be decisive action, and
there will be full attendance. Secre-
| tary Of State Curry and Attorney Gen
eral Ford will be there.
The spirit Of Governor Gage is per-
turbed over the scandals in asylums.
In an interview at Los Angeles a few
days ago he used these words relative
to asylum matters:
Every guilty scoundrel will be un-
earthed and brought to justice No
one, no matter what his position may
| be, viii be permitted to escape. The
present State Administration is deter
mined to break up the deplorable con-
dition of affairs which has apparently
for some time been existing. You may
| publish what I have said in as strong
| language as you desire.
Il have received a partial report of
the past condition Of affairs at some
of these State institutions, and the facts
! have shocked me. 1t is frightful that
servants Of the people, paid out of the
public treasury to maintain decency, to
say the least, have shown such an ut
ter disregard of the Importance Of their
/ duties.
II intend to investigate the conduct
of every public institution in the State.
| Several have already been inspected
and privately overhauled by my orders,
without the knowledge of those in
! charge, and something will drop be-
/ fore the investigation ends. It makes
my blood boil when I think of some of
these things"
! The Board of Managers of the Ag-
news Asylum will attend the meeting
| at the Palace Hotel to-day A special
dispatch from San Jose in last nights
/ San Francisco Bulletin says (refer-
ring to the foregoing expressions OF
Governor Cage:
/ But whatever preferences the local
members of the board may have among
I the list of officers and employees they
/ will abide by the wishes of Governor
! Gage, and if the executives recent ut
/ terances may be taken into account
there viii be large harvest of heads
of the employees and attendants Cages
/ recommendations will be received and
/ agreed to without the least show of
opposition, as far as the San Jose end
! of the Asylum Board is concerned.
This is the program: If Sponogle's s
cause has been successfully pleaded by
Mackenzie at Sacramento his job is
safe. If not he is sure to be dismissed
despite the personal friendship of the
| local members of the board and the
protestations of local politicians ANY
/ thing that Gage says goes is the
watchword
DIR. Sponogle will not die easy in arr
event. If dismissed he will make a
contest in the courts to be reinstated
on the ground that the position of SUI
perintendent of Agnews falls under civil
service rules, and that he cannot be
removed without cause. He will be
! represented by an attorney at the meet
ing tomorrow morning in the Palace
Hotel, and will show fight the moment
the powers reach for the ak.
Senator Morehouse. who has been
] retained by number of the employees
will also be present to protect their in
terests. Morehouse says none of his
clients can be dismissed by the board al
all. Their positions. he contends, are
held at the option of the Superintend
ent of the asylum. Attorney General
Tirey L. Ford, however. interprets the
statutes differently. and has advised
the managers, that they are the govern
ing power of all employees, and of course
| the prospects are good for a fight in
the courts, if any of the attendants lose
/ their jobs