The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-03-24
RELATIVE TO
AFFAIRS OF
SANlTAkIUM
Governor Has Asked That
Every Detail be Scanned.
H { Is TISF IE D
He Has Done His Duty in the
Matter.
is Statistic D

I to send a special agent to Oklahoma tC
! investigate in every particular the af-
! fairs of the Oklahoma Sanitarium at Nor
man. said Governor T B. Ferguson,
today to the representative of the Eagle.
Il am desirous that every detail be look
ed into relative to this institution. Ev-
cry little while something comes up and
old straw is threshed over again, which
! is becoming obnoxious. 1T has gone out
to the public by the medium of The press
that there seems to be something radical
ly wrong in connection with the sani-
tarum and L want the Department of the
Interior 10 be fully apprised of the real
situation. 1t is my desire that the testi-
mony taken by the joint legislative COM
mittee appointed TO investigate the af-
fairs of the senitarium by the legisla
ture be turned over to the special
agent and that he follow up with more
thorough examination"
Governor Ferguson is satisfied that the
institution is in much better condition
than it was when he took cnarge of the
governors Office. He has reported fire.
quently TO the Department the status of
the situation regarding the institution,
and if there is anything wrong he has
not been made aware of it.
When Governor Ferguson received his
dent Roosevelt to investigate in Okla
homa and ascertain who held stock in
the Sanitarium company. The governor
made a full and exhaustive report and
apparently this settled the matter. There
are none who will state that the governor
did not do his duty, yet regardless of this
fact every little while the sanitarium
-serenely comes to the front. pushed for
ward by some one, who, evidently has
a f1 n fa
ministration. 1t would seem that after
the Governor turned down certain appli-
cants for Office, the Sanitarium matter
was brought up again. How long such
thing would be kept up is problemati-
cal, but Governor Ferguson proposes to
put a stop to it by having the Depart
ment of the Interior make full inVesti-
cation. If the investigation is made, af-
ter thattime when matters comes Up rela-
tive to the institution. it can be handled
in the Interior Department without call
ing on the various departments il Okla
homa to answer questions.
Such an investigation would undoubted
ly bring some interesting things to light.
1t would show TO a certain extent who
are knocking on Governor Ferguson's
and would have the affect
of stopping the knocking. for after
the investigation fully appris;ng the De
ton in Oklahoma attempted sanitarium
agitation would result in naught.
Secretary VIM. Grimes returned this
morning from Kansas City where he
had gone to visit his son Thayer who
had been attending the Wentworth mill
tary school at Lexington. Sunday Sec
retary Grimes gave out the following
statement relative to the proposed Inter
ior department investigation asked for
by Governor Ferguson:
1t means that the territorial admins !
tration has stood as long as it intends 10 |
the slurs and innuendoes of boodlers and |
political pirates who, TO secure favorable |
legislation and boost themselves irto Of |
fee hope to weaken ii and eventually |
tear it down by circulating false and /
5landerous reports calculated to besmirch 1
It's members. 1t is asked for in good faith /
and if granted as it undoubtedly will |
be. viii throw a much needed light into |
some of the dark corners of Oklahoma |
politics.
''One of the strongest influences back |
IF the mud throwing that has beer done
s the book trust. With the governor
and other members of the administrat ton
was unqualifedly for a free textbook
measure as indicated by that plank in
he Enid platform on which the last
campaign was made We proposed work
ives of the book trust which now has
he box trust of Oklahoma absolutely
lnder its control, directed their fire at
ne. in the hope that by weakening one
member of the administration they could
make its opposition less effective.
Il was asked for a statement CT the
ees received in my Office and sent the
tatement to the legislature in next day. /
also askd a committee to examine the
,cnlr Of 2 h.
nent. which it was hinted. had been gar
lied, but my request was ignored The
alary of the secretary was cut down I
n the hope that l would resign and make
DOM for members of the combination /
hat was fighting me. ard through me |
he governor. Not content with this.
n attempt was made u show that l
vas connected with the sanitarium com
ANY at Norman. which has the contract
or the care OF the territorial insane. ami
o discredit the governor by showing that
he condition and management of that in
utution We're not what they should be.
"A committee was appointed 10 investi-
'ate the sanitarium-a committee packed
gainst the governor II was composed 4
# four Democrats and three Republic
rs. One of the Republicans. Merrick.
5 man with reputation as an OBJ
tructionist, who has been fighting the
-
here was not a syllable OF testimony
onnecting ne with the institution in any
Fay. II was found that conditions were
: good as could be expected under the
ontract system ard the report was con-
urred in by everyone but Merrick a
lan who after al his obstructiouist tao
les attempted to bluT the governor into
living him a Job as supcrintenda ant Of
hat very Institution. They carried their
tack still further and drRgged Delegate
'ennis Flynn into the muddle
This an'mus for the stack or F-iynu 1
easy TO locate. There IS an element I
, oklahoma politics that IS IN every I
-ay trying 70 break him aovn and build /
p new machine % ambitious but un- !
red. in experienced me uto III the places
Z those who have demonstrated that
hey can do things Tor the territory
1t must be remembered when s;aaak- J
y Of tbs sanitartuT1 matter that Cow
rnor Ferguson had no chci-e except 70
AIRY OCT the existing contract What
yer reforms have been Instituted at the !
-stitution have emanated from n He
ppoiutec an examining hard whch vls- /
: the pisce regularly and reports T.
tm and upon its recommendation he
as insisted and secured more thaa Se4-
, worth Of Improves ~ IN the building
I'd plant There are 20 public hufl 'ines
Oklahoma for slln,osynary OF reform |
urposes and necessarily the contract |
ssteTa has 50 far prevailed.
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