Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1899-07-06
Rotten to the Core.


there would be no scandal or abuses
in the various state charitable in
stitutious. Hired sfidavit-makers
visited the asylums and paid cash
for sworn fictions regarding the al
legged Encouragement of the in
situations. These 1ictions were given
to Republican newspaper workers and
used as the basis of wierd and hair
curling stories of assassinstions and
other high crimes that were encour-
aged by Governor Leedy's board of
charities. These stories were gwen
the widest possible publicity and un-
doubtedly influenced a good many
voters for the Republican ticket.
The Republican administration has
been in power only six months. but
those six months have been turbulent
and full of trouble. Into them have
been crowded more real. bona fde
abuses and unsavory transactions than
any biennial period in the states his
tory. The Republican board of char
tiles had scarcely begun operations
before woman from Olathe, an in
mate of the Topeka insane asylum
was taken out of the institution by
her friends. Her body showed many
wounds inflicted by brutal attendants
and she told frightful story of NAL
treatment. Since then there have
been many other disclosures of the
same sort, more glazing than any
that rranspired during Leedy's time.
They have been told in the papers
from time to time. The latest
scandal is at the state soldiers or
phans' home at Atchison. and was
made public today. A little girl IL
years old charges that w. III. 81.
Young, the new Republican Super
intendent, enticed her into a room
and took improper liberties with her.
The charge reached the ears of the
state board of charities through indig-
nsnt Atchison people, and a special
meeting of the board will be held at
the home tomorrow to investigate the
charge. w. II. II. Young has only
one arm. He claims to have lost the
other fighting for old glory in the
civil war. In reality he lost it by
being run over by Missouri Pacific
freight train and collected a fat
judgement for the loss of it.
Speaking of scandals, there was
nothing in the LeedY regime that
could compare with this open and
notorious purchase of the asylum
locating committee. Two members
of the committee testify that they
were offered brides to vote for the
town that was afterwards successful
but refused them. There is conclus-
i've proof to be obtained against
another member of the committee.
In the face of such evidence as this
Governor Stanley says he has mo
jurisdiction" and will refuse to act.
There have been other features of
the present administration which
demonstrated that while it is sancti-
monious on the surface 1t is rotton at
the core. The transactions Of the
insurance department may be taken
as q sample. The Travellers Insur-
ance company owes the state $4,000
back taxes. McNall excluded it from
the state until it should settle IN full.
Church, McNalrs republican success
sor, gave the company license to op-
crate in Kansas and accepted the
payment of this years taxes as settle
ment in full.
The part the republicans have
played lately at the state agricultural
college Is another sample of misman-
Rgement and incompetence. The
president of the college and four pro-
fessors, as competent educators as are
identified with any institution in the
west, were removed for purely politi-
cal reasons. They are not republic
cans. Two populIst regents of the
college went through the ridiculous
ordeal of being investigated" out of
Office. They were found guilty of
running a cooperative dining hall in
connection with the college. Since
then on the petition of more than 300
of the students, the soup house," as
1t was called, has been reestablished.
The action of the regents in insulting
William J. Bryan, who carried Kan
sas for president in 1896, was another
bright achievement.