New-York tribune., 1901-11-22
KELLER AGAINST SPOlLS.
..r.,f,1,Ny HALL HAS STOOD FOR 1T. l
DON'T" HE TELLS CHARITIES
CONFERENCE.

..Tanmany Hall has stood for the spoiis system.
7 don't" said John ". Keller, the Coiniis'ioi va
p,,b1ic Charities In this city yesterday III d oi'
speech before the New-York State Cohlere u
charities and Correction in the large i"i, 80 -
I-,T+ed charities Building. Many of the delegates
70 the conference seemed to think MI
speech was significant. His remarks were
nraise of his administration by two speahei' '
conference. ,,o-,t
In a paper dealing with politics and ota'e sla
able institutions, Professor George r. "a
nresident of the State Charities AID asSociat,''
nraised Mr. KeIler's administration, saying ina.
Mr. Keller. although the appoln1ee OF d P
partv had administered his important o'liee Eii
manner much more satisfactory thah hf'u o-i' ~
his predecessors in a quarter of century
pober+ w Hill an INSPECTOR of the State Board OF
Charities indorsed what Professor Canneio h'o
said. He added:
Improvement has been made IN sso Gam
charities of New-York Sity, anu hJ Commissioner
Keller is based upon an intimate t he savs Mr
eIIer IS the hest Commissioner NewYork has had
in twenty-five years he voices an apppissioner nm is
ignore the fact that the inai organiza-
a representative of the defeated poHutai y, ,rev
business administration OF the. the Hi tbai} the incon-
Public Charities, 1t is to be hoped M the nubIic
Charities such high place that enSTfment ho
political party will dare make the uei" " -
part of the spoils of victory
Commissioner Keller who entered the nan /"
time 70 hear Professor Canfied's paper asked Tor
the privilege of the floor toward the close oi .i1
discussion and thanked those VINO hao coiiihie -
his administration. saying that ne Was esp' ~
gratifed because the praise came from those WHO
were followers of "A political party olIeie4i' iioA
his own.
Politics in the best sense" he said. should oo-
tain in charities as we'll as in every otheF uePFi
ment of municipal government. Politics Is ti'e
science of better government. The Mayor "heh nc
selects a man for Commissioner of Charities shouu
look for a man. only able. but man thoroush
ly in sympathy with him in politics only theh
can he be sure that the department VIII oe au-
mnistered as he would have II administered.
II have been assailed by people who wished me 10
put unworthy people the payrols. ana al
these have not been politicians either. out i'lii
ters of the Gospel and members OF the charitieS
organizations who from the sweet sympathy Oh
their hearts wanted to appoint TINS man oi
that man merely because he poor nave
come the conviction that the best thlng LOT d
Commissioner of Charities is TO administer his OF
fee so as to please himself. and not care Tor any
body else Then he will please the appointing
power and even II he should not please the peo-
pie the people will get back, not at him. but the
appointing power.
..Tamrnany Hall has stood for the spoils system
] don't. But when I compare Tammany with the
reform government of 1897 1 find that the only
difference that Tammany stands for the spoiis
system and makes bones about it. while the re-
form government stands for the same thing. but
tries to conceal it, Civil Service rules were never
violated during the strong atfuilllS u d'i'i-
They seemed to be able to get the old people
out OF Office and their people in "
Here Commissioner Keller was shut of by Mrs
Charles R. Lowell. who presiding. He man
aged 10 add. however. that ne had had a hard
time of it, and hoped his successor would have
better time of 1t. but he did not think he would
Yesterdays proceedings of the conference began
with the reading OF long report by the Commit
on Politics and Penal and Charitable institu-
tons of which Mrs. Lowell was the chairman At
one point the report said;
The members Of the governing board OF every
public institution. whether appointed by the Gov
ernor and Senate. elected by people or app2ln.eqi
by mayors Of cities. should be carefully selected
from among men who are not political leaders IN
any OF the word, who have no Tohttca!, atnJs
TO pay and no political ambition 10 o.. a, rul ~,
They should be men COR women or characttr N n
devote the work they undertake and who take a
real interest In it
Politics in Prisons. Penitentiaries and Jaiis.
the subject OF a paper read by ROBERT w
Hebbard, secretary Of the State Board of Char
tiles and one Of its concluding paragraphs was
the following;
What business house would reason or act other
wise than upon the theory that II should DO every
even though the firm changed hands, Is such
course not tben ag viii Ie wish to
father the proposition that me business % OF Ts
should be conducted in an unbusinessl!ke manner
simply forward the temporary and selfish inter
ests of a little group OF people!
In the afternoon Dr Stephen Smith read
port on Hospitals Dispensaries and Nursing" In
which the establishment Of more hospitals and dis
pensaries for the treatment Of ccnsumptivc pa
tients advocated. In a paper on 'Sanatoria for
Consumptives," DR.. John II. Pryor. OF Buffalo, said
in part:
We know that incipent tuberculosis is durable.
and that the we'll to do can seize the opportunity
The vast majority of consumptiyes
die simply because they poor, and no provision
is made for curative treatment. only one form OF
treatment promises anything, and that involves
for 4 time where the air Is pure, Win pteltS
of good food and special education, with discipline.
The poor Is without the assistance TO enable
him take advantage of this treatment. Yet as
sistance which costs just much IS given when
II is too late and destitution has driven the de-
pendent the last resort. The establishment OF
sanatoria for those suffering from incipient pull
monary tuberculosis would prove of incalculable
benefit. The infected individual could be removed
before becoming a of danger tc others, and
undesirable progeny prevented.