The Red Cloud chief., 1900-10-26

interference by the governor, though
the past year at that institute has been
m of turmoil, strife and disorder.
The cause of II all was to fulfill q cam
paign promise, no matter at what sac.
rifce. Governor Poynter had on more
than one occasion expressed confidence
and satisfaction In and with my man
agement Of the Beatrice institution. so
there could have been absolutely no
reason for making a change other than
to discharge 4 campaign pledge or pfa.
cate certain politicians who were loud.
~ demanding recognition.
"The Affairs at the Beatrice institu.
ten are very much unsettled. Only a
few days ago one Of the children from
Douglas county was taken away be.
cause its parents believed that It could
not DO cared for properly with the
change and consequent inexperience OF
new employees. The parents Of another
child from Dakota county visited the
Institute Q few days ago and found
their child in such q condition that
they were constrained By parental i'm.
pulse to take II away.
"Ths people Of Nebraska can not as.
e9Ua to let such diAGraccfw conAitions
ca<inss. Il b . crying shame thaA
haapasss and dsfensebess pespie shosisd
- made b su9er AaQ1 nat che %.
nsaAs q politicians naS be fuRftSed
Il certainly presents . pectace 20 the
unoiased voter wAtcA ahpuld move
hm to register an emphatic prvtsst.
I have no concern In tie matter other
than for the public god when 1 say
that Governor Poyntee s6ould be De.
feated. In the past he has been unable
70 break away from the political wire.
pullers and there Is no reason to expect
anything different SHOULD he be re.
elected. In many OF the institutions
at this very time the employees are
wondering what the future has In
store for them and are devoting more
time to their political cares than to
their official duty.
"The custom Of levying IN assess.
nent on officials and employees of these
various institutions has become quito
general under the Poynter administra.
ton, and it is needless to say that IL
has done much to- take the authority
out Of the hands 9. the Governor and
place 1t In the hands of the politicians,
thus greatly demoralizlng the service.
After an employ has been compelled to
divide up his salary with the politicians
and having knowledge that the COVER.
nor who appointed him to his position.
knows that that division Of salary
was made, he feels as If he is under no
further obligations and n at liberty to
perform bis duties as he sees fit.
This has taken the authority to main
tain discipline and keep things in their
proper working order out Of the hands
Of the superintendent, and the result
is that each employe is authority unto
himself. Nothing but decentralization
has, or ever can. result from such con-
ditions.
II am thoroughly familiar with con
ditions as they obtain In nearly all the
institutions of the state and I say,
without fear Of contradiction, that
there never has been a time when the
public service was more severely Grip.
pied than at present, and there never
has been a governor who has shown
less respect for the public welfare
than the present incumbent.
"Certainly under such condition of
affairs no progress can he made either
In improving tn conditions of the in
mates Of these institutions, reducing
expenses, or In perfecting the public
service. I think the figures will bear
me out when I say that Governor
Poynter's administration has been a
very expensive one to the tax payers.
Properly managed, the institutions
could be maintained at muchNess cost
and the benefits could be made much
greater. 1t Is folly to expect that you
can use positions in these institutions,
from superindent down, as legal tender
for the payment of political debts with
out mourning much additional ex-
pense and at the same time destroy
ing efficiency.
81 base my statement on what I
knew of my own personal knowledge
while superintendent at Beatrice
when I say that there has been niue.
corruption practiced under the present
state administration. / remember at
one time that a large amount of grocer
les and provisions were shipped to
the institute at Beatrice from Lincoln
without ever having been ordered by
any one In authority. The first l knew
that such a shipment had been made
was when l received notice from the
railroad company that. there was a
consignment of goods for the institute
at the depot. l had placed no such
order, but upon investigating I found
that the shipment was instigated by
the governors agents. The goods re-
msined at the station several weeks
and there was considerable waste
from destruction by rats and exposure
u ~