davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The National tribune., 1906-02-22
INSANE ASYLUM SCANDAL.

committee of the Washington
Medico-Legal Society has been investi-
eating the conditions at st. Elizabeth's S
Insane Hospital near Washington. and
has presented a most startling report.
which will be brought to the Presi-
dents attention. There are about $500
patients in the asylum. of whom nearly
one-haIf are old soldiers and sailors.
The committee finds. in the first place
that it is the practice to put these vet
Grams in the hospital upon mere re-
quest from the Governor of a Home
which may be 1000 miles away. and
that when there they are denied all
opportunity to prove their sanity. They
NAV be. in fact. immured for life. The
larger part of the veterans pension is
taken away from him. and if he ever
succeeds in getting discharged he is
penniless. He is put in poor quarter
and fed with very inferior food. while
the best rooms and the best food are
reserved for the paw patients. who are
frequently relatives of Government Off
GERS and clerks who Day no taxes to
support the institution. One of the
worst features is what the inmates cal
the buIl-pen. but is officially known as
Atkins Hall. which is a triangular in
closure of about three acres. of whici
one-half is occupied by buildings. 1t is
surrounded by brick wall and high
paling fence. Some of the men con-
fined there have been there for decade
No occupation is given them. nothinp
to divert or stimulate their minds. and
they are rigidly disciplined. There are
no special diets furnished for cases
needing them. but al have the same
monotOnous fare of corned beef. sweet
potatoes. etc. One veteran was found
who has been in the bull-pen for seven
or eight years. during which time his
pension has heen taken for the hospi-
tai, but he has been allowed 81 week
for cutting all the wood and CARRYING
all the coal required by the bakery
He works all day long. Winter and
Summer. and does about as much as
two laborers should do. 1t is not said
that he is insane. but the Superintend-
ent is afraid that ''if released evil
minded persons might impose upon
him"
The Committee severely criticiSeS the
general management of the Asylum. its
frequent cruel treatment of the pa
tients and it's utter lack of progress ir
methods to keep abreast of the times
There is no segregation of the patient
into suitable groups. and criminals a.
put in among the honorably-di discharged
| soldiers and sailors. The manager OF
the Insane Hospital. DR.. w. A. White
| processes Indifference to the report. de-
nies all brutality. and saws that he will
| welcome an Investigation even by Con-
gress. One Is pretty sure to be made
| and that very soon.
The National tribune., 1906-02-22
DEATH OF MCCALL.

John A. Mccall, until recently Pres
ident of the New York Life Insurance
Company, died Feb. 1S, in Lakewood,
n. j., whittier he had been taken some
weeks ago in hopes of improvement
from the breakdown which followed
the revelations of the investigating
committee. This ends a career that
had much of the highest credit in 1t,
and only failed in the latter part by
reason of acts pronounced iudefensi-
BILE. 1t may be said in mitigation that
Mr.. Mccall found himself in bad COM
pany and felt compelled to do as others
were doing. Any measuring up of the
allegations against him will show him
less culpable, probably, than the other
managers of great insurance COM
panies. The specific act which brought
upon him the severest censure were
unaccounted payments of S235,000 to
Judge Andrew Hamilton. Mr.. McCall's
boyhood friend. Undoubtedly a large
portion of this money was used in brib-
ing legislators and meeting threatened
hostile legislation. Mccall promised
that Hamilton would explain what hal
been done with the money, but the ex-
planation which Hamilton sent from
Paris did not explain, and Mccall was
compelled to make good the amount,
which he did by mortgage of his fine
Summer home. In addition to the
specific $235,000 that was recovered
there were other payments carrying the
To
Mccall was born In Albany, N. Y, in
1S49 OF Irish parents, and his father
kept a little grocery store and was n
political boss. Young Mccall began as
clerk and obtained his first training
in insurance as bookkeeper in the Con-
necticut Life agency at Albany. He
went into the State Insurance Depart
ment in 1869. showed great ability and
industry and was retained by the Re-
publican Insurance Commissioners al
| though he remained a Democrat. He
| did good work in the Office in straight
! ening out the life and fire insurance
business in New York, which was in a
bad condition. and stopped many
| frauds and Illegal practices by his rigid
| supervision. He was instrumental in
| driving out of business IL fire COM
panies and Is life companies inside OF
seven years. Gov. Grover Cleveland pro.
NOTED him to Superintendent of Insur-
ance and Gov. Hill tried to get him to
accept reappointment. but he had be-
come too valuable for that position, and
entered the Equitable's employ at $15,-
600 a year. Six years later he became
President of the New York Life at z
salary of $4,000. The Company al
that time was in q bad way, owing tc
the disclosure of many corrupt prac.
tices, and Mccall did a great work ir
reorganizing the Company and restor.
ing confidence in It.
The National tribune., 1906-02-22
wEsT-vrRG1NIa POLITICS.

Senator FIlxins, of West Virginia. is
an above-the-average good guesser. but
he occasionally. misses. and his last miss
is very unfortunate. for it occurred with
in Il year ofs his coming up for re-elec-
ton. He started out last Summer with
the proposition that he was going to
settle the railroad question, and called
his committee together some months
before the opening of the session, with
the announcement that bill would be
prepared that Congress would pass
the question out of the road early in
the session. The Senator Is charged
with being entirely too friendly to the
corporations, and his bill supported the
view that he was trying to fix up things
so as to shunt off the demand for rail-
road regulation in the way that the
railroads would have it. He stuck firm
ly to his bill. until recently, when Gov.
Dawson, of his State smoked him out
by letter to Senator TiIlman. Daw-
son loves EIkins not, and is believed to
have aspirations for his seat. This
Dawson denies most positively. and as
serts that he proposes to serve as Gov
ernor until the end of his term He
| does not say, however, that he will not
support someone else for Elkins's seat
or that he will not be a candidate al
the end of his Gubernatorial term
Senator Elkins finds it very necessary
to square himself with the West Vir-
ginians, and he comes out with an
| avowal that he has been in accordance
with the Presidents views from the
very first, thing which no one has
heretofore suspected. Senator Elkins
| is notoriously hard to corner, but he
| has evidently need of his utmost agility
1t is asserted that Representative
Dovener. Gaines and Hughes have been
from the first opposed to Elkins's bill
while woodward has supported it.
The National tribune., 1906-02-22

All that leaks out from Russia Or
real news indicates strongly the hope
Iessness of any real revolution. A
delegation of peasants has been waiting
on the Car and Count Witte. They
desire the distribution of lands and the
giving of a little farm to each man.
Count Witte insisted that they should
organize to buy the lands from theiI
present owners on easy terms, with the
Government assisting, but the peasants
utterly declined this and insisted upon
getting the lands for nothing, though
the Count pointed out to them that the
public lands, great as were their extent
were ridiculously insufficient to NEE
this demand. The Count tried to con
vince them how much better off the!
were than other countries, which ars
ruled by Jewish bankers or other un-
desirable forces, while they have ar
Emperor designated by Heaven and
who ruled independent of any de
moralizing influence. All the greatness
and happiness of Russia, he said, We're
due to this unique position of theii
Emperor, and the peasants would en-
joy no prosperity were it not for him
The revolutionists were trying to es
tablish a Government of Poles. Ar.
menians and Jews, which would be ar
intolerable tyranny. 1t will take cen
turies before there is sufficient develop
ment of intelligence i'll the Russians t.
make popular Government possible
The National tribune., 1906-02-22

Sneator Elkins's bill provides thai
whenever any rate. fare or charge by
i common carrier shall be alleged to
De unreasonable. the Interstate Com
:nerce Commission shall have power.
tfter hearing. to make an order modi-
wing such rates. which order shall take
effect not less than 80 days after SER
vice upon the carrier. The courts NAV
.eview the order of the Commission
md suspend it's operation. If any Sec
ton of the bill is declared unconstitu-
-ionaI by the Supreme Court. it shall
not affect other clauses in the bill. The
objections to this bill are that it intro
1uces a complicated system of litiga-
ton. which will practically defeat all
efforts to modify rates.
The National tribune., 1906-02-22
SUBSIDIZING THE PRESS.

Mr.. Robert kiSSick, OSkaloOSa, Iowa.
has a big reform in mind upon which
he is stirring up Congress and public
opinion. 1t is that the Representatives
of the people should not ''subsidize'
the press by having editors appointed
Postmasters. He says:
THE press in this way is shorn of
much of its real power in its capacity
as public servant of the people, and
instead of exerting its power for good.
lends its influence, in perhaps many
cases, to the building up of political
machines. in the selfish interests of in
dividuals, regardless of the rights of the
people. Certainly this is not in the in
terests of good Government. Unques-
tionably, an untrammelled and inde-
pendent press, though a party press, is
necessity in Government like ours.
Without such a press, it is evident that
inefficiency and rottenness in govern
mental affairs will not be exposed. Let
us then endeavor TO have a pure and
free press"
This will strike all who are acquaint-
ed with political conditions as exceed
ingly funny. An editor is not appointed
Postmaster in order to muzzle him, but
as a reward for his having been q
thick-and-thin champion of the Con-
gresham who secured the place for
him. The editor who accepts a Post
mastership or any other public office is
not usually much of an independent.
and there is no muzzling in his appoint
ment. He is simply getting paid for
| past services. He is going to stick to
his party and to his political patron un-
der all circumstances. The real muz-
zling of the press is accomplished in
another and much more potential way.
1t comes most frequently through the
advertising department. and this is SO
gigantic in its effects as TO make what
little control there is exercised in the
way of political patronage seem like
peanut business. An editor who accepts
an office usually does it at an expense
to his influence and prestige in his
community, that is not compensated for
| by the salary that he gets. The editor
| outside of office has always great deal
| more influence than the one in. Mr..
| Kissick will find much more needed re-
forms to which he can devote his atten-
| ton.
The National tribune., 1906-02-22

Senator Dillingham; would amend the
immigration laws very materially by
adding to the number of the classes of
excluded aliens. He would bar out, be-
sioes imbeciles and feeble-minded per-
sons all those whom the examining
surgeon shall pronounce as being mem
tally or physically defective to such an
extent as TO affect their ability to earn
living; and aliens who have commit
ted felony or who admit belief In the
practice of polygamy are to be excIud-
co, and also women and girls coming
here for immoral purposes
The National tribune., 1906-02-22
KNOX FOR PRESIDENT.

A formidable boom for Senator
formally announced from Pittsburg.
and is said to have behind it unlimited
money, powerful corporations. strong
political coalition. and the Leader, the
principal afternoon paper in Pittsburs.
The boom began with the coalition of
the Citizens and the Regular Republi-
can factions in Pittsburg, which brings
in most of the leading politicians. The
Leader was bought and taken away
from the support of the Democratic
Reform candidate for Mayor, and the
ck-Pennsylvania-Sta syn
dicate was brought into line. 1t is pro-
posed to buy one of the big Philadel-
phia dailies, and as Knox was in active
sympathy with the movement which
downed Israel W. Durham, the Boss of
Philadelphia, the new organization
there will cooperate with that in Pitts
burg to make Pennsylvania solid for
Knox. 1t is, also claimed that Cassatt,
Hartman and Hill will actively sup
port him with their immense influence.
President Rooseyelts selection of Knox
to represent him in railroad legislation
has given his boom great assistance.
Pennsylvania has had MAN. candi-
dates, but not a President since james
Buchanan was elected just so years
ago. Since that time Illinois has had
one, Indiana one, Ohio four, and New
York three. 100 t.l
Senator Knox is a very able man, and
| would make a good President, but the
array of forces behind his candidacy is
| not such as would seem to commend IL
TO the people.
The National tribune., 1906-02-22

Representative Calderhead, of Kan
sas, is very earnest in his efforts to get
free alcohol for use in the arts He be-
lieves that not only will this be of the
greatest benefit to many industries
which will grow up here. instead of
being mainly carried on abroad. but
that it will help agriculture. in substi-
tuting alcohol for many purposes for
which benzine and naphtha are now
employed The French and Germans
are strongly fostering the use of alco-
hol, in the interest of the potato grow
ers. Representative Calderhead's bill
is very simple, and after providing for
the use of untaXed alcohol in the arts,
leaves all the regulation for prevent
ing its becoming drinkable in the hands
of the Commissioner of Agriculture.
Representatives Hill, of Connecticut;
Jones, of Washington; Roberts. of
Massachusetts,, and Marshall, of North
Dakota, have similar bills before the
Committee
The National tribune., 1906-02-22

Admiral Rojestvensky makes a novel
defense for his defeat, in which he says
virtually that the universal corruption
in Russia was responsible. Thieves
built and equipped his vessels with in
plates were cracked even when the jap
anese shells exploded near them and
opened great leaks. If the AdmiraPs
explanation is only partially true. it
gives a revelation Of a deeper corrup-
tion in Russian official circles than has
ever been alleged.
The National tribune., 1906-02-22

The reports from Atlanta say that
the Confederate veterans attempted to
have Confederate flag wrapped
around Joe WheeIers coffin as it was
placed in the grave, but the War De-
partment would not permit this, and
the Stars and Stripes lay on the coffin.
1t looks singular that there should be
such request made by reasonable men.
If Gen. Wheeler was buried as an
officer of the United States Army it
was unreasonable to the last degree to
expect that the flag around the remains
should be that which had been III bitter
rebeilition against the Government.
There was room for but one Flag and
that was the Flag under which he was
serving when he died.
The National tribune., 1906-02-22

Representative waldo. of BROOKLYN.
y. Y. is deyOting himself mainly to
demonstrating that the Government can
setter build its warships in its own
navy yards than - let them out by con-
tract. He has been collecting data as
% the relative cost of the Connecticut.
building at the BROOKLYN Navy Yard.
and the Louisiana. which is under con-
'truction at Newport News. He would
ind out how much money the private
concerns have been making off of their
.overnment contracts. The main OBJ
iect is to increase the work given to
he BROOKLYN Navy Yard.
The National tribune., 1906-02-22
The President thinks that Alaska i.

The President thinks that Alaska is
earnest of these has appointed Daniel
d. Pullen, of Skagway, Alaska, 20
cadetship at West Point. The law au
thorizes the appointment of one cadet
to West Point and one to Annapolis
from each Congressional District and
Territory the same to be nominated by
the Representative from the District or
the Delegate from the Territory. There
is no Delegate from Alaska, and SO the
President has asserted the rights Of
Alaska by personal appointment.
The National tribune., 1906-02-22

The special session of the Pennsyl-
Fania Legislature. called TO consider
much-needed reforms, has passed four
bills, which have received the Cover
nor's signature. The first compels per-
Bonai registration, and aboiishes the
system by which from $4,000 to 10000
bogus names were kept on the regIstra-
ton list of Philadelphia. The second is
a primary election law, which provides
that all the parties shall nominate their
candidates the same day at the same
polling places. The third provides a
system by which the State surplus of
S10,0O0,0G0 shall be deposited at inter
est in certain banks. and prevents the
State officials from showing favoritisrn
The fourth reapportions the Senatorial
representation according TO population.
The National tribune., 1906-02-22

With all their monarchy the Ger
mans are at heart republican and their
judiciary maintains high plane.
ruled the Kaiser by confirming Col
Gaedke in his title of Colonel upon the
retired list against the Kaiser's order
that he be stricken from the rolls. Col
Gaedke is a military writer, and his
sharp structures have grievously offend
ed the Kaiser and Court
The National tribune., 1906-02-22

not striking and his manner unassum-
ing to the last degree, Senator w. Muir
ray Crane, of Massachusetts, has made
an astonishing headway since he en-
tered the Senate. He has cool judg-
ment, which the older Senators are
learning to seek, and he is very often
called to the White House to consult
upon the legislative program.
The National tribune., 1906-02-22
TRAINING GOVERNORS.

The election of Claude a. Swanson
as Governor of Virginia Is another in
dication of the excellence of the House
for Governors Mr. Swanson had been
10 years in the House before he was
put in nomination for Governor. Proc
tor Knott's Duluth speech made him
Governor of Kentucky; James +.
Campbell and William Mckinley were
ernorship of Ohio; Cows. Stone and
Dockery of Missouri. Gov. Odell of New
York, Gov. Stone of Pennsylvania, Cows.
Sayres and Lanham of Texas. and Gov.
blanchard of Louisiana. all had similar
promotion. The House of Representa-
tives is most unusual body. and does
not have its peer in ability anywhere
in the world. Even the English House
of Commons. which stands at the head
of representative bodies of Europe, is
far below 1t in the average of ability;
for while there are many men of the
highest grade of intellect in the House
of Commons. there are a great many
others who are mediocre to Il degree
which is below the level of the men Sc
lected in America. At present eacf
man in the House represents abou
100000 people. and outside of tht
South the competition for the nomina
ton and election is always very sharp
and so much so as to prevent the selec
ton of anybody but men of quite mark
ed ability and force. Service in tbs
House tends strongly to broaden ,
mans mind. give him a comprehensive
grasp of public affairs and to fit hin
for the proper administration of u grea
State
The National tribune., 1906-02-22

The Annual Convention of the Unit
ed Mine Workers of America gave some
support to the good roads movement
By a resolution in favor of letting the
convicts be employed in road building.
The tendency of the public mind seems
TO be in the direction of such employ
ment. and the sooner it can be made
a general policy the better ii will be
for the cause of improving our high
ways
The National tribune., 1906-02-22

Mr.. Beavers has been added to the
Post Office colony in the penitentiary
at Moundsviile, w. Va. That institu-
hon has now as remarkable collec'
ton of postal experts as can be found
In the world.
The National tribune., 1906-02-22

In proposing a monument to Capt.
Nirz the Daughters of the Confederacy
have struck the most wicked and ma
Hguant blow at harmony between the
sections that devilish ingenuity could
devise Women who would glorify the
crimes for which Wirz was punished
are beyond the power of words to stig-
matiZe
The National tribune., 1906-02-22

May Is has been suggested as the
date for the close of this session. With
general leave to print this may be
accomplished. The real work of Con-
gress has been well prepared in the
committee rooms, where all that is
worth while saying has been said by the
members of the committees and the
Interested delegations. If Congress will
have the members speeches printed for
the benefit OF their constituents, instead
OF taking time to listen to them, the
business can be rapidly closed up.
The National tribune., 1906-02-22

The Russian authorities seem to have
Tar more success in excluding healthful
literature from their country than in
keeping out dynamite. People have
difficulty in getting letters and news
papers, but the insurgents none at all
In bringing in explosives.
The National tribune., 1906-02-22

Senator Elmer ]. Burkett, of Ne
braska, is doing remarkably well for 50
young a man and SO new a Senator.
He is constantly in his seat or in COM
mittee rooms; studies carefully every
question presented, and is as unobtru-
sfve as the older Senators think q
youngster should be, and, therefore, is
making many friends.
The National tribune., 1906-02-22

New York has begun active work on
the construction of its great 500, ,00O, 900
canal. and this without anv of the fuss
and trouble that l'"s accompanied the
inception Of the Panama Canal nroieri
The dirt Is certainly hving betweer
Lake Erie and the Hudson if not be-
tween the Atlantic and Pacific.
The National tribune., 1906-02-22

The Chinese have a larger country
than the United States, and much of it
Is no more tiaickly populated than our
Far West. Why can they not stay at
home and develop their own country?
The National tribune., 1906-02-22

Representative Brooks, Of Colorado.
has introduced a Dill, which has re-
reived favorable report from the
Committee on Mines and Mining. to
create the office of Commissioner OF
Mines and Mining. The bill contem-
plates the establishment of a new bu-
res.u. having q full equipment of clerks
etc, and the additional expense is very
shocking to the economical ideas of the
Committee on Appropriations.
The National tribune., 1906-02-22

yitations to the Longworth-RooSev
wedding took their revenge by invent
ing scandalous stories about the
parties
The National tribune., 1906-02-22

As might have been expected. the
American who is at the head of the
disturbance on the Isle of Pines is a
Kansas man.
The National tribune., 1906-02-22

Will the inevitable rescuing party
have to follow Wellman to the north
pole in air ships?
The National tribune., 1906-02-22
THE SPIRIT OF CONGRESS.
Some Of the More Notable Pro.
ceedings of the Week.
Senate.

Monday. Feb. 1.-THE Senate list
ened to carefully-prepared speech by
Senator Lodge on the raiiroad-rat'
question. and then adopted radica
joint resolution presented by Senator
Tillman directing the Interstate Com
merce Commission to make a rigid in
yestigation OF the alleged control by the
Pennsylvania Railroad and its allies OF
the coal output in Pennsylvania an6
West Virginia and also of that rail.
roads alleged control of other products
shipped over its lines.
1t is thought that because of the fac
that Senator Tillman's resolution is 50
sweeping 1t will fail of accomplishing
anything of practical benefit. Whereas,
II he had particularized a little more. lie
might have secured valuable informa-
ton. as Congress is iii the humor to dc
as he asked
The National tribune., 1906-02-22
House.

Representative Gillespie made an un-
successful attempt to discharge the
committee having in charge his resolu
ton to look into the cost TO the Coy
ernment of transporting the mails. He
also unsuccessfully tried to have spread
on the record the grievances of the
bituminous coal people against the
Pennsylvania Railroad.
The fertificationS appropriation bill
was considered most of the afternoon
Mr.. Williams fflibustered on the motor
to adjourn. demanding a roll call.