The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-12-18
CLAY CENTER's CLAIMS.
Commercial Club Tells Why They
Should Have an Asylum.

Clay Center has commenced, in earn
est. the effort to obtain the new asylum
from the legislature. This asylum was
two years ago located, by a committee
at Parsons but Clay Center has sue
ceeded in preventing its construction.
The Clay Center Commercial club has
sent the following letter to each meni-
ber of the house and senate:
LAS a member of the incoming state
legislature, we wish to present for your
consideration the question as it now
stands of the new state insane asylum.
You win recall the decision of the
last legislature that new asylum was
necessary to properly care for the in
sane, and that committee was appoint
ed to examine the various locations Of
fered, and to report the one in their
judgment most suitable for the purpose,
at which place the new asylum was to be
located The intent of the Legislature
was unqueStionably that the location
should be somewhere in the nof Invest
ern part of the state, there being al
ready one asylum at Topeka, and one at
Osawatomie. The section of the state
without any facilities for caring for rs
insane was, and is, the central and west
ern counties, and certainly the people Of
the entire state were greatly surprised
when the committee reported their
choice of Parsons as a location, situated
There could be no question that the
committee acted in direct opposition to
the manifest intention of the legislature,
and that their selection was a great in
justice to that large section of the state
situated q long distance from either IF
the present asylums, and which should
in all fairness have the new asylum To-
Gated so as to be easy of access.
After the report of the committee was
made, the Commercial club of Clay Cen
ter took up the question of attacking the
action of the committee to prevent the
establishment of the asylum at Parsons.
Counsel was employed, and the state
board of charities enjoined from draw
ing money from the state treasury to
pay for the land. A preliminary injunc-
tiOn was granted December 5, 1899. and
a motion to dissolve overruled The de-
cisiOn was taken to the supreme court
and dismissed for want of jurisdiction
On a final hearing in the district cours
the injunction was made perpetual and
ion. The two surviving members of the
board of public works, at the request of
parties interested in locating the asy-
Ium at Parsons, attempted to condemn
land at that place for site An in
junction was obtained against them in
the district court of Shawnee county
which was made perpetual in June OF
this year On November 1, 1900, parties
interested commenced mandamus pro-
ceedings to compel the state board of
charities to condemn a site at Parsons.
OH december .. ISUU, the supreme court
refused the writ of mandamus.
The foregoing is. in brief, the course
pursued to keep the new asylum, in
tended for the use chiefly of the central
and western counties Of the state, from
being established in -tFie southeast cor
ner- The question will without doubt
come before the incoming legislature, and
we ask for it your careful consideration
CLAY Center saw the need of an asy-
lum for the insane in this part of the
state and introduced the first bill to es-
tabiish one in the legislature the session
before the last one, and stated her own
claims to the location, which were IA
vorably received by the members of the
legislature. These claims have been re-
peatedly urged and a careful investiga-
tion will show that Clay Center has ev-
cry requisite in situation, transportation
facilities, good water, good drainage and
all other matters that go to make de-
sirable site. We still wish to be con-
sidered when the new asylum is located
and hope that our claims will be passed
on fairly and impartiallv"