The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1906-10-12
OUR STATE INSTITUTIONS.

| Nebraska state institutions such as
the insane asylums ought, In justice
to the wards cared for and the men
who take charge of them, to be re-
moved from politics. The power of
appointment ought to be taken out of
the hands of the governor, who now
payment of political debts every two
years, and should be placed In the
hands of n board of control of five or
more members, to be elected as our
state university regents are chosen,
and who could not, because of the i'm
possibility of changing the political
years remove an asylum superinten-
dent because of political affiliations
| and substitute another for the sole
reason that he was of another party.
Under the present system in Ne
| braska Il superintendent In one of
our state insane hospitals no sooner
gets well acquainted with the duties
of his office. and no sooner gets things
running smoothly and for the benefit
of the patients under his care, than
another election rolls around, new
governor Is lnaugurated and new
superintendent replaces the old. The
new man has the work to learn all
over again, and loses his position Just
as he has acquired the run of things
| And, for one political reason or an
other, the governor today can demand
the resignation of state official for
slight cause The power is too arbi-
trary with the states chief executive,
and appointments are too unstable to
work out the best results for all con
corned
In New York the asylum superinten-
dents are appointed by board of
control. The superintendent remain
in office during their good service and
can not be removed except for cause.
In Middletown, n. Y, there is said to
be superintendent who has remained
in one asylum for twenty-seven years.
The, same plan prevails in South Da-
kota and other states.
An illustration of the working of the
plan may be found in the Nebraska
state university chancellor, who is
elected by board of regents. Dr. e.
Benjamin Andrews is democrat. His
politics cut no figure with his tenure
of office, If his appointment had rest
ed with the governor, he would have
been replaced by a republican when
the present administration entered of
| fice.
Political belief has nothing to do
with a physicians ability to care for
the nervous and insane. When the
state gets good man in an insane
hospital, he ought to be retained as
long as he will stay and give no rea-
son for his removal.
1t is reasonable to suppose that the
longer a superintendent remains in
charge of hospital, the better meth
DDS will be adopted, the better prog
ress made along lines of improvement
the patients.
Appointments of such vital import
ance to the wards of the state ought
not to be swayed back and forth with
the political winds which put first one
governor in Office and then another.
AS the position stands under the
present system, it is grave question
with any physician whether 1t is worth
while to abandon his practice for two
years for the sake of the superinten-
dency of hospital, and with a pros
pect of losing the place at the next
election. If it were a permanent place
during good behavior and good SER
vice, the medical profession would be
more willing to Offer up its men.
This condition is suggested as food
for thought at the coming state legis-
lature
The plan is advocated not as a per-
sonal reflection of any sort, nor is it
in any way intended to be a criticism
of men or their acts in the past of
whatever nature, but The News be.
lieves that the present system, as a
system. could be improved upon to
the advantage of the medical profes.
sion and the states institutions.
PARTY LOYALTY.