The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-05-21
CURSE OF POLITICS
Influence on State Institutions
Is Discussed.
Prof. F. w. Blackmar Suggests
the Remedies.
EDUCATE OFFICIALS.
Suggestion Made That Persons
Be Fitted For Work.
Civil Service Law Should Be
Strictly Enforced.
Would Abolish the State Board
of Charities.

AAA4f CAS4NSs SCC1 ChS14y VI lAAC SO1AA124ANANCy
made a report at the forenoon session
of the conference of Corrections and
Charities upon the subject of Politics
in Charitable Institutions The re-
port did not attack particular party,
but it did attack "the bad methods of
appointment of officers of penal and
charitable institutions in the various
states of the union and among which
Kansas is not the least culpable.''
The committee presented these prop
ositions:
That the charitable institutions
should be under the control of persons
especially adapted by natural endow-
ment and specific training
THAT the state should provide special
and ample means to provide such facul-
ties for educating prospective officials
for this work
ITO exempt the appointing power
from partisanship in these appoint
ments.
THAT persons should not be removed
except for incompetence or bad behav-
ior. and not for political Gffiliation.
That complete civil service law
should be enacted putting the whole
business on the footing Tor fitness for
the position; that such a law should
be free from a paralyzing formality;
that there should be some other test
than a mere competitive examination.
That there should be vested in some
competent authority or commission the
power to exercise a superior judgment
in the case of the employment of e1ple
who are especially fitted for the work
This would dispose of the political
rakes and buns who are the perpetual
terror of those who have appointing
power who want to be guards or door
keepers, or something equally as good
to stop their clamor 1t would protect
from an immoral and irresponsible class
who under political usage force their
way with all their corruptiols
and venality within the walls
| of cur institutions. 1t would dis
pose of all mere pegs to hang an
| office on, and all bosses seeking sops
| for hungry incapacities.''
! This committee report recommends
| the abOlishment of the state board of
| charities and the prison and reforma-
| tory board to be succeeded by two su-
| pervisory boards of three members
each to control the penal and charitab G
| institutions; the wardens of the prisons
! to receive additional authority; the
boards to be non-partisan; choosing su-
perintendents for the charitable insti-
tutions the best officials that can be
! found, giving such officers absolute
power to name their assistants and
| helpers.
This, states the report, would save
the state of Kansas annually the loss
of thousands of dollars wasted by bung-
ling and incompetent people
AS result of political management
of Kansas Institutions the committee
| decides that:
Reform schools become breeders OF
crime.
ity
THAT imbecile asylums have multi
! piled inbecility.,'
The report recommends the election
of a governor and legislature once in
four years. The document closes with
the following:
I'VE appeal to all parties to states
| men and politicians to see to it that the
| baneful influences of partisan politics
| be removed from the administration OF
our charitable and correctional institu-
| tions that crimes and effectiveness may
be decreased and the burdens of tax
payers be lessened."
Philip c. Garrett of PHILADELPHIA,
called the attention to the wide diver
| gence in methods of the present as COM
| pared with those of our forefathers
when men were selected for fitness in
public and private life. Now said
the speaker, the city, state or nation
which conducts its affairs with the
single purpose of efficiency is the ex-
ception and not the rule.
Would a man who runs a. mill, fac
tory, store, newspaper or any other bus
| mess cOnfire his employees to the list OF
| partisars with whom he is acQuainted?' ~
| He referred to the Shibboleth Ito the
victor belongs the SpOils.' 'Forsooth,'
he said, THE party is victorious and
! the bosses are the party, therefore tC
! the bosses belong the spoils. It is a
monstrous and barbarous doctrine, un-
worthy of a civilized republic. 1t is
| not true. They do not belong to tbs
| victorious boss. They belong to the
people. It is true in war simply be
cause war does not profess to be any
thing else than a system of destruction
| and robbery. War depends aVOWedly
| on taking the live and property of 9TH
ers. But neither government treasur-
/ les and poStOfficeS, nor hospitals, refOr-
| matories and homes are in that busi-
| ness. There has got to be an ire
| preSSible conflict between the party
machine, made up of party leaders and
| people on the other, until the people
win. Till then we shall never be res
! cued from the miSmanag cement of inSsi-
tutions that get under political control
AS the machine is founded on the sup
preston of the popular will and en-
dures only by reason of the chicanerS
provided by our present election Sys-
TEN. it is hopeless to expect it to assisi
| in such revision of the laws as shall
| conduce to fair and honest elections
| The pollution Of the ballot is under.
taken for the benefit of the forbidden
| forces in our politics. Recent exposure.
show that officeholders and expectsnt.
commit the frauds and are provided witt
bail and with high-priced counsel wheI
! their liberty is jeopardized and will
| means of subsistence when they resort t
5Such arc the benevolent influence
which sometimes obtain control of ou
institutions
This is written by an optimist and i
not pessimism. It IS fact. We have fai
country which God has given us-a yer!
Garden Of Eden for beauty, but over
is the trail of the serpent-a garden 0