The independent., 1902-11-27
REPUBLICAN IRcOMpETERTS
Mr.. Ellis Relates . Few Facts About the
beatrice Institution

ardship the populistS nave invariably
followed the practice of telling the
truth, while the republicans have nev-
er hesitated to tell a fiat-footed lie If
they considered 1t would help them.
This was noticeable in the last cam
paign The State Journal started out
with scandalous article regarding the
home for the friendless during the
superintendency of Mrs. C. s. Jones,
remarkably chiefly for innuendo. One
statement, however, was a point
blank lie, and the Journal "corrected'
the error" and "apologized" to Mrs.
Jones This was concerning the alleged
purchase of caddy of Battle Axe to-
bacco. But although the Journal 'cor-
rected" this error" the republican
state committee did not, and the week
before election the country papers
were filled with "boiler-plate" matter
in which the same old lie was told
about tie purchase of Battle Axe to-
barco by Mrs. Jones while superinten-
dent ut the home for the friendless.
The facts were that the tobacco had
been pui chased for the institution for
feelle-m.ud' d I, Beatrice when DR..
Lang was superintendent, and the
Journal in It's apology" could hardly
take time to make Il decently for Won
dering what Trey were doing with
Battle Axe tCi,acco" at the Beatrice
institution. Afterward the Journals
attention was called to the fact that
during July and August, 1902, the
present rcputlita an superintendent had
bought at one time 16 pounds of Star
tobacco and at another IL pounds, but
his was glossad over by saying that
"other superintendent besides DR..
Lang had purchased tobacco for the
institution"
The following letter is from gen.
tleman who is thoroughly conversant
with the present administration of af-
fairs at the Beatrice institution It
ought to open the eyes of some people
WHO are prone to believe whatever
they see in a republican DapeT-no
matter how unreasonable. and disbe-
lieve what populist paper says
10 matter how well sustained by the
Officia records. Dr. Johnson has an
appropriation $4,000 greater than DR..
Lang had-and he is spending 1t right
and left. Mr.. Ellis letter will give
some idea of his efficiency"
Editor Independent: In one of the
stereotyped letters issued by the re-
publican state central committee ap-
pears the statement that when the fu-
sionists managed our state institutions
"in utter disregard for the public good
they portioned positions to political
favorites and factions. Men were ap-
pointed for what good they had done
the party, rather than for their fitness
resulting in filling the institutions
with incOmpetents and in many in
stances with public plunderers."
The writer knows a little about the
past and present history of one of our
state institutions-the one at Beatrice,
and from what he knows about that,
is much surprised at the effrontery,
impotence and gall that is displayed in
the assertions above quoted.
When the present superintendent of
the Nebraska institution for feeble
minded youth was appointed by Gov
ernOr Dietrich, will any one dare denv
that his appointment was brought
about by political considerations and
at the request of certain politicians of
Swedish nationality and not on account
of any particular fitness in the man
for that important position. The i'm
portant matter was the Swedish vote.
The gentleman appointed was never
8 heard of as having any superior quail
flcation for the place then and his
management of the institution now
fails to show that two years of expert
ence has added much fitness to his
personality.
Reports have been given out quite
frequently that inmates of the insti-
tuition are running away from time to
time and that no effort has ever been
made by the officials to bring them
back.
Complaints have been made by many
of the farmers who live near the home
that the inmates are allowed to run at
large around the country and are
cause of considerable trouble and an
noyance to the people they visit.
Another complaint that we have
heard quite often is that the sexes are
not properly segregated at the institu-
tion-that they are allowed to run to-
onthpr tnn O,n0h An off io1 30 h.