The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-15
WHAT GROUT MEANT.
Comptroller 0rout In his speech at New
burgh on Wednesday to the neiehbors OF
Governor Chairman Odell said:

Comptroller 0rOut IN ms speech nv Ne"-
burgh on Wednesday to the neiehbors OF
Governor Chairman Odell said
but the most contemplate OF all things done
under odelIs guidance Is the treatment OF the STATE
Institutions II q man holds man up In the street
and robs him he II simply highway robber' bn'
when he attacks the crippled and helpless he Is a
coward as well az q thief.
Frank Wayland Higgins. Governor
Chairman Odell's candidate for Governor,
voted for the Odell lunacy bill.
Frank Wayland Higgins, Governor
Chairman Odell's candidate for Governor,
voted for the Odell lcnacy law In opposition
TO the protest Of all the charitable and benev-
client organizations Of the State. This bill
removed from Office the local boards OF
managers OF the insane hospitals, although
the boards were made up OF persons who
served without pay. These boards were
superseded by paid commission.
BY the provisions OF the Odell lunacy law,
which his candidate, Mr.. Higgins, voted for,
the care OF the 1900 insane patients and an
annual expenditure OF at least IS 900 900 are
so placed as to be made capable OF exerting
an active force In partisan politics; 40 that
such power as In given In II might, In the
hands OF az unscrupulQus Governor, whose
object might be to build up a political or
personal machine, not only be dangerous to
the people OF the State in general, but dis
astrous to the unfortunate inmates Of the
institutions. Among the bodies which
exerted their influence to defeat the bill
were the State Board OF Charities, the State
Charities Aid Society and the Charity Or
ganization Society; and a formal protest
against It's passage was sent by Bishop Pot
ter and number OF others OF the most prom
inent clergymen Of various denominations
In the latter 1t was said of the bill
II will centralize all administration, which Ell e
perience and philosophy unite TO declare should be
In a democracy as far as possible localized: II Will
deprive the state OF the voluntary. spontaneous
service OF a considerable number OF men and women
of large experience and phllanthropc character:
It will tend to lessen public interest In the charitable
work OF the state. which ought TO be Increased
rather than lessened; and 1t will build up service
In the hospitals which will be liable TO change with
every change OF political administration.
The Albany Medical Annals said OF the
system which the Odell lunacy law de-
stroyed through the help Of Mr.. Higginss
vote.
Destruction OF this system by a close and Inn
penetrabie central State organization can only
lead to disaster. eventually TO reconstruction. be
fore which comes years Of personal suffering and
wrong and political abuse carried on In the name
OF charity. The bill proposed Is revolutionary and
probably the most pernicious measure ever intro
duced In the Legislature relating 10 the care OF the
insane,
There are at Philadelphia several OF the
best hospitals in the country. The Phila-
delphia Medical journal said OF the Odell
lunacy law which was passed by the help
OF Mr. Higgins
BY this law che State Of New York removes ell
boards OF managers from these hospitals and hands
these institutions over TO commission appointed
and housed In Albany. Such a commission will con
troll the destnies OF many thousands of insane pa
tlents: viii appoint small army OF employees In
far distant parts OF the state, and will have the
expenditure OF millions Of dollars. 1t will prac
tically be an appanage of the Governor. who can
at his option control It's policies Its appoint ments
and Its expenditures In word. this bill unihes
the State hospitals and makes Of them political
engine of great power. The public can draw Its
own conclusions as TO the motives which have In .
splred this legislation and as to the results which
will now from It, But what Governor Odel has
completely ignored in his rescript Is the fact that
he Is deliberately making big political engine out
Of the insane hospital and that this new depart
ment of the State Government will inevitably sink
into the mlre OF politics. Perhaps this does not
seem to be half bad idea to Governor odell; and
It Is Just possible that some succeeding Governors
OF New York may md the arrangement even more
10 their liking II such q time and such Governors
ever come-lt, In other words. the whole mechanism
OF New Works State charities for iunstics ever de
generates into political machIne-why. then God
help the insane poor OF Nen fo7k'
These medical authorities explain what
Comptroller Grout meant when on Wednes
day night he said to Governor Chairman
Odell's neighbors at Newburgh:
But the most contemp tlbe OF all the things done
under Odeis guidance Is the treatment OF the State
institutions II man holds man up in the street
and robs him he Il simply highway robber. But
when he attacks the crippled and helpless he is
coward az " ell as a thief
Did Mr.. Higgins. Governor Chairman
Odell's candidate for Governor, utter one
word OF protest or opposition to the law
which made the poor and the helpless part
OF the Odell Grating machine?
No. on the contrary, obedient to Cover
nor Chairman Odell's orders, he cast his
vote for the dreadful law!