Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-01
INSTITUTE FOR BLIND
RESIGNATION OF PRESIDENCY By
REV. HENRY N. CoUDEN.
Inability to Get Statement of Affairs
Views of the Secretary, Mr..
F. E. Cleveland.


Institute for the Blind of this city has been
without a president since last April, when
Rev. Henry N. Couden, chaplain of Inc
House of Representatives. resigned from
that office. became public today. The cause
of his resignation was given as his dspleds-
ure at the present methods of conducting
the institution. and the failure of Mr.. r. E.
Cleveland, secretary of the institute to ap-
point a board of trustees to have general
charge of the affairs of the concern.
Statements of both sides of the contro-
versy have been made to The Star-one
from Chaplain Couden and the other from
Secretary Cleveland. In giving the reasons
why he is no longer officially connected
with the institute DR.. Couden said he re-
quested that a board of trustees be APP
pointed more than year ago, and tnat
soon thereafter he rendered his resignation
as president but at the request of the sec
rotary, Mr.. Cleveland, he held 1t In aDey-
ance until last April, when he formally re-
signed, and today he informed Star re-
porter that he has not since that time had
any official connection with the institution
Statement by Mr.. Couden.
1t appears, according to the statement
made by the chaplain today, that his reason
for resigning was his inability to get any
satisfactory statement of the affairs Of the
institute.
II made an effort last November to have
a board of trustees appointed to meet
monthly to audit the accounts OF the con-
Germ" Dr. Couden said, land Mr.. Cleveland
begged me to withhold my resignation /
pending his effort to bring about the erea-
ton of the board, waited. until last April,
when the trustees. not having been ap-
pointed, insisted upon my resignation tax
ing effect"
ii was Dr. Couden's idea that the board of
fruc chofrld he cOfnnOSpd of solid buSl-
ness men of the District, VINO should over
see and direct the affairs of the institute
He said he did not desire to criticise Secre-
tary CIevelands integrity, but, he added,
Il do not like his methods Of business"
What Mr.. Cleveland Says.
Mr. F. E. Cleveland, secretary of the
Columbia Polytechnic Institute for the
Blind, made the following statement anent
the resignation of DR.. Couden:
Space will not permit a full and COM
plete statement of my connection with THIS
institution, but enough may be said to give
the public an insight into its history that
will prevent in the mind of every man OF
affairs any injury being done to the instltu-
ton by the phraseology of DR.. Couden's
publication. .
For more than year previous to Its
organization the writer devoted most of
his time and expended many hundreds OF
dollars endeavoring to awaken an interest
in the conditions of the adult blind In this
the Connecticut Institution for the Adult
Blind of which he was president for nearly
nine years, and conducted an experimental
workshop in this city for year at his own
expense. Through the assistance OF Gen.
Joseph r. Hawley, then senator from Con-
necticut, Congress was induced to appro-
pirate 5000 to the institution, not more
than 81 800 of which could be employed to
reimburse the writer for his expenditure.
Knowing that the whole amount of the ap-
was insufficient to get start
and make any showing, he declined TO
touch any of this money.
1.-The report of our treasurer, Rev. R. P.
Williams published at the end of the first
year of operations. showed that not only
had the 5000 been expended and regularly
audited by the government auditors, but
that the writer had advanced $7S4.36 In
addition thereto.
"It is we'll known that Congress at about
that time avowed it's policy to withdraw
its support from all philanthropic organiza-
lions in the District which were not under
government control, and consequently this
institution has received nothing from Con-
gress for the past five years.
During all this time the institution has
lived at the sufferance of the American Sc
curity and Trust Company, which holds a
mortgage on our building of nearly $4,000,
and the writer has regularly advanced the
means to keep the institution alive, hoping
against hope that Congress would at last
come to our assistance.
DR. Couden, who has many times writ
ten and spoken in the highest praise of the
writer's endeavors in behalf of the adult
blind, was chosen president of the institu-
ton and has been very solicitous for it's
success. but at no time has he been called
upon to furnish any financial assistance,
and with the exception of a few public
speeches in behalf of the institution, has
the institution been any tax upon his time.
We are sorry to lose him, but we have done
the best we could with the means at our
command.
Ever since the publication of our treas
urer's report an account of the receipts and
disbursements has been faithfully kept by
the stewardess of the institution and all
moneys have been in her custody and she
stands ready to account for the same when
ever called upon to do SO by the corpora
ton.
For the past year the institution has
come nearer being self-sustaining than ever
before. Mr.. Chas. j. Bell, Justice A. B.
Hagner and Mr.. r. p. Andrews have prom
ised their assistance members of an adj
visory board as soon as their services are
required and We are only waiting to see
whether we can make a showing for the
past year that will justify these gentlemen
in giving their time to the affairs of this
A Dessert of Notable Excellence.