The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-30

In the Legislature OF 1870 the Dill 10 put
the charitable and penal institutions OF the
State under the control of nonpartisan
| boards met with bitter opposition the
part of a considerable number OF Repub-
| Leans in the House. Indeed, IL would be
near the fact to say that majority could
not be counted for the bill which proposed
such a change. The bill was made caucus
measure, and caucus after caucus was held
before the Republicans, by rather mar
row majority. came to the conclusion to
| support it. 1t would not have been carried
| then IL the two state prisons had not been
made exceptions TO the nonpartisan policy.
The Republicans had been out a long time.
and to them came extravagant visions OF
| the places in the institutions which Repub-
licans might fill. The argument of General
| Harrison on the stump was that the hos
pitfalls for ting insane should be under sys-
tenn through which the fitness of those who
have charge Of the insane should be ascer-
tanned before appointment During the
tendency Of the measure General Harrison
saw many members at his residence, and
the question was discussed. 1t took four
caucuses to get a vote to support the bill
| which put the insane hospitals, the asylums
for the deaf and blind and the home for
predetermined under nonpartisan boards.
| The Soldiers and Sailors Orphans Home
| and the Reform School had been under
nonpartsan control from the outset. 1t is
safe to say that the nonpartisan law was
not popular with many Republicans Hav-
ing wrested the State from Democratic con-
troll, many believed that Republicans should
have all the public employments. 1t had
been the Democratic custom to bestow the
| trusteeships on a class Of broken-down poll
ticians While General Hovey was Gov
ernor the Legislature took from him the
power to appoint trustees and assumed 1t.
The trusteeships were filled by party eau
cuses, and, very naturally, the selections
were as unsuitable could be made. When
the change was made in the lazy Governor
Matthews had the making of the appoint
ments, except for the prisons. He named
| a better class of men, and the improvement
was continued under Governors Mount and
Durbin. Business men and other men of
affairs have been named for trusteeships so
long that public sentiment demands that
men of established capacity for affairs shall
be put in charge of institutions rather than
men who have not been successful, and for
whose appointment the only reason that
could be given would be that they need the
places. There is reason to believe that the
people of Indiana have passed beyond such
defective theory as to appointees for
management of the States institutions. As
the best talent and experience are required
I'm the management of factory. railroad
or extensive farm operations, so the same
kind of capacity is needed in the direction
of large state institutions
There are many indications that the peo-
pie at large have come to fully appreciate
the nonpartsan system. 1t is noticed that
farmers Institutes and other associations
approve. 1t noticed in the recent con-
troversy over the Reformatory bill that
men on both sides of it unhesitatingy de-
clared that their purpose was to promote
the policy of nonpartisanship in the man.
agement of state affairs. II during Gov
ernor Mounts second year he had ap-
pointed a Democrat on the Michigan City
prison board when he could have appointed
a Republican he would have been criticised
for such action by few Republican papers
and not few Republicans. When four
years later Governor Durbin appointed a
Democrat to fill a vacancy made by Re-
publican there word of protest.
probably because a tacit public sentiment
favored the representation of both parties
on that board. Nonpartisanship is now the
thoroughly established policy of the State