The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-04-12
State Board of Control in Matters Of
Charges Preferred Against
State Hospitals Has Is.
sued Statement.
ACTION WAS UNFl
Claim Committee Acted as Attorneys
Whose Duty 1t Was to Find
as Many Charges as it
Was Possible.

AhOAANA<A'p lONa, AHlil III AG
state board of control. in the matter
OF the charges preferred against the
state hospitals, has issued state
ment, in which are the following OBJ
jections:
I'VE object to the report OF the COM
mittee because 1t is based on wrong
theory of its duties, which it does not
disclose. From the beginning the COM
m1ttee acted, not Judiciary, 10 hear
evidence impartially and decide ac-
cording to the very right of the mat
ter, but as attorneys whose duty it
was to find as many charges against
the hospitals as possible and to ig-
more all evidence in their favor.
I'VE object to the ort because it
is misleading, wholly unsupported by
the evidence and contrary to it.
we object to the report because
it will lower the standing of the hos
pitfalls at home and abroad, cause
them to be stunned by desirable en-
ployes and by patients, and work IT.
reparable injury to our state and to
unfortunates who need its aid.
I'VE object to the report because it
will undo the work OF years in build
ing up our hospitals, in securing the
confidence of The people in them. will
cause needless anguish to tens OF
thousands who have friends commit
| ted to them, and impair the standing
and blacken the character of the eff
ficient and faithful officers and EN-,
ployes who have been in charge
In view of the theory of the com
mittee that 1t was not required to
take or listen to any testimony fav-
orable to the hospital management
but was charged with the duty of as
pertaining and reporting all it could
\ learn against such management with
out regard to the truth of any charge
we have the right to presume that OF
the 200 who answered its 500 letters
of inquiry it selected as witnesses
4 those who would testify most strong
ly against the hospitals. Fourteen
| witnesses only were examined for the
/ committee. Six of these, SO far as
shown, had never been adjudged in
sane. and eight had been patients III
the hospitals.
"Of the six, one testified in regard
to the abuse by a husband of the priv
ilege given him to visit his wife, whe
was patient, but not to any abuse
on the part of the institution. One,
physician, testified only as to the con
dition of two patients who had beer
in one of the hospitals, but he had n,
knowledge Of the hospital treatment
Two testified to what their two sons
who had been patients, told them, an,
two who had been attendants nurses
testified as from personal knowledge
OF the two attendants. one testified il
regard to the Cherokee state hospital
but her testimony was so sensational
and so thoroughly refuted that, it al
pears, the committee gave it no cred
ence. as the report does not CRITICS
the institution of which the witnes
testified. The testimony of the othe
attenoant was almost wholly in favo
of the hospital management at MI
Pleasant Although employed in on
of the violent male wards he ha
never seen patient abused excep
that he heard not more than three al
tendants use abusive language TO pc
TENTS, but he could name but on a
teients, but he could name but one a
I'VE say with entire confidence tina
the Objectionable conditions depicite
by the report do not exist"