The Farmington times and herald. (Farmington, St. Francois Co., Mo.) 1902-1905, 1905-03-03

ulate policies that would best con
dnre to their proper government
aud maintenance.
The Atkinson bill, however, pro-
vides for salary that is sufficient
to warrant the appointment ana
acceptance of tirst-class men III
every respect, men who are capable,
honest, energetic. 1t further pro-
vides. in detail, how this Board
shall manage. direct and control
the various institutions; makes 1t
mandatory upon the Board to visit
the several institutions, and with
the superintendent go into the de
tails of every department Of each
institution. and nothing rau be
done, even in the smallest pnrllcu-
lar, by the Superintendent, with
out the approval of the Board, AS
provided by this act.
Another important feature of
this bill is, that it is non partisan,
aud that no member of the Board
or rmployc of the Board, or any
officer Of the institution, either
high or low, shall III any way be II
partisan in any election, or shall
he assessed to support ony candl-
date or any political party
1t was conclusiveIy shown by the
supporters of the bill on the floor
of the House that the four States
now employing this method of con.
trolling their similar institutions
had saved to the taxpayers of each
State each year since the change,
from $3.50, 600 To 800, 900, and
that the efficiency and standing Of
each institution in these four States
had been raised fifty per cent by
the change.
As heretofore suggested, the
main argument IN opposition to the
passage Of thiS bill Is, that it cen
traIIzes power too greatly. What
is meant by centrHllzlng poweri
Is it that the Capitalization of pow.
er is injurious, il Is well known
law of mechanics that the least
amount of machinery that can pro.
ducr Il maximum amount of results
is the best kind of machinery Is
it not true then that the least
amount of political machinery EN-.
pIoycd III governing our eleemosy-
nary institutions is hest for those
most vitality concerned
If by this act the citizens Of Mis-
souri, can be saved half million
dollars annually; the efficiency of
the institutions can be raised fifty
per cent the first year, and the
great army of the unfortunntcS can
he better cared for, is ii not better
to centralize, or rather to concen
tratc tins power, aud do il III hur-
ry' BIT if it is meant by cen
truli2lng, that it puts too much
political power in this Board, We
suggest that the bill absolutely re.
moves politics from these nstitu-
tons; it makes it IL misdcmcanor,
with IL heavy fine and removal from
office on conviction, for any person
who in any way tries to Influence
any one connected with these grent
institutions for any political cundi.
date or any political party
Instead of Capitalization of pow
or being the real objection of the
opponents of this measure, may it
not be that they oppose it because
1t will DESTROY the possibility for
any Governor or other high official
to build up gigantic political ma
chine on the heads of the unfortu-
nate inmates of these institutlOns1
1t is n well known fact that the
outgoing Governor DOckeryiZed
every institution in the State aud
made it alive with perniciOus
political machine for the perpctu-
alton of the powers that were then
in control.
1t is the history of these four
States, which have adopted this
scheme of control, that three years
have demonstrated that politics has
been forever removed from their
elcemOsynary institutions; that
the efficiency Of these institutions
have been greatly raised; that
it has saved thousands of dollars to
the taxpayers of these States We
say, if this be Capitalization OF
power, let's centralize.
DIR. W S. Osler has crpated som,