The Lake County times., 1909-07-09

Of PEyTON
SATISFIES
Bipartisan Board Puts a
Democrat in Charge of
Jeffersonville Institution;
Governor Marshall Held
Aloof in the Choice.
TIMES BUREAU,
AT STATE CAPITAL.

TIMES BUREAU,
AT STATE CAPITAL.
Indianapolis. Ind, July S.-A good
many people are wondering why the
| board of trustees of the reformatory at
Jeffersonville appointed a democrat su-
perintendent of the institution to sue
ceed W. II. Whitaker, a republican.
DR.. d. c. Peyton, the new superintend-
ent, is a democrat. The board is made
up of four members, two democrats and
two republicans, and it was expected
that tnasmuch as the whole business
is supposed to be bipartisan and that
politics is not to be considered in the
management of the various state in
stitutions the successor to Whitaker
would be a republican. But the ex-
pectations failed to materiauze
appointment PIeases Governor.
! The only reason assigned for the
choice is that it was taken for granted
that Governor Marshall wished a demo
crat appointed to the place. but 1t is
certain the governor never said a word
along that line. But those who know
the governor know that it will please
him If all of the jobs in the state are
! filled with democrats. Those southern
! congressman who had fits a month or
two ago because it was reported that
Governor Marshall was about to ap-
point republicans to Offices may now
rest easily when they read about the
result at JetfersonvilIe
Some Democrats Hold On.
The republicans have had control Of
the state ever since November 1905,
and during all of that time it is pointed
out that they have never run the af-
] NJ bn or
partisan basis. There are several SUI
perintendents of state institutions who
are democrats and who have been in
their present position ever since long
before the republicans obtained control
| Of the state. For instance, there is
Superintendent Edenharter of the Cen
tra1 hospital for the insane. He is a
democrat and he has been in his pres
ent position for close to twenty years.
| Superintendent Laughlin of the South
| ern Indiana hospital for the insane at
| Evansville is a democrat who has held
his position for years. Superintendent
! Smith OF the Eastern hospital for the
insane at Richmond is another of the
same kind. Superintendent Terflinger
! of the Northern Indiana hospital for
! the insane at Logansport is a repub-
lican who was promoted from the posi-
ton of assistant superintendent TO that
of superintendent when the former su-
perintendent died. 1t was a we'll
merited promotion. too.
Party Lines Wiped Out
Superintendent Carroll of the home
for feeble minded youths at Fort
Wayne is a democrat. and he was ap-
pointed by the board of trustees Of
that institution under a republican ad-
ministration. Dr. Carroll is acknowl-
| edged to be one of the very best men
in his line in the country, a man whose
place it would be hard to fill and vet
the republicans appointed him. War
| den Reid of the states prison at Michi-
gan City is a republican who has held
his position for years and there is no
other man in the state who could go
| into the institution and fill his shoes
at this time. DR.. Edenharter and DR.
| Smith are men of the same kind. fullv
| competent and men who, it is acknowl-
| edged. could not now be replaced. And
all of these men have been retained in
their places by republican admfnistra-
| tions, not because of their politics but
| because of their fitness for the posi-
tions.
So in the face of all this it is point
ed out that the action of the board at
| Jeffersonville in naming democrat to
succeed Mr.. Whitaker is all the more
striking as an evidence that the demo-
Gratis are not going to let anything get
| away
Peyton's appointment Satisfies.
| 1t is true that Governor Marshall has
not had anything to do with making
the selection. In fact, he refused to
mix In 1t at any time taking the DO
sition that the board itself is the ap-
pointing power and that it must all
ways take all of the responsibility Of
making appointments DR.. Peyton is an
able man, 1t is said, and there seems
no doubt that he will make good in
the position Of superintendent. but this
is the first time that the present demo-
cratic administration has had to show
that 1t means to follow the bipartisan
policy of former administrations and
it has failed to live up to 1t.
The appointment Of DR.. Harry @
Sharp of JeffersonvilIe as a member
of the board of trustees to succeed w
H Hart of this city, also was a sur
prise, for no one out in the state seems
to know Sharp. His appointment
however, IS likely to stir UP a big muss
in southern Indiana politics. for he is
| a republican, was formerly republican
county chairman at JeffersonvfIIe and
was at swords points with Whitaker
in local political affairs