The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-03-05

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ment of State officials in the discharge
of duties, and we recommend the
adoption O. the concurrent resolution
that we propose and that will follow
this report.
State Park Property.
In the judgment of the committee
based on the great preponderance OF
the evidence adduced during the in
vestigation, the State Park property
is ideal and admirably adapted tc
and for the use and purposes tol
which it was purchased and ought to
he and should be developed as rapid
" as the State can afford to do So
to the end that the great congestion
now existing at the State Hospita
for the Insane may be gradually and
completely relieved.
1t is our opinion, based upon. the
testimony, that all patients of the
classes which will be most benefit,
ted by the quiet and pure air of the
country should first be removed
thereto, and those classes only which
can be most advantageously treated
in the present quarters in this city
be retained.
There is now a modern and splen-
did building completed at the State
Park. which should at once be equip
ped and occupied, relieving as much
as possible the distressing congestion
now so universally deplored in the
State Hospital in this city-giving
more and better room to those who
are unfortunately left behind-and
acting as a double blessing.
Praise for DIR. Saunders.
Your committee went fully and mi
nutely into the complaints, insinua>
ton innuendoes inquiry and
charges against DR.. Eleanora B.
Saunders. We find no evidence to
sustain any of them. She is not
guilty of any wrong intention OF
wrong-doing. There is no breath or
even a suspicion as to her moral char
acter-none against her professional
reputation and conduct and career
in her ethical department and IN all
her conduct in or out of the instl-
tution-the State Hospital for the
Insane. The few and insignificant
acts on which complaints were based
were the direct result of requests
from the superintendent-her su-
perior oficer-and were executed in
the discharge of duty to suffering
humanity, and are to be commend
ed and praised rather than condemn
ed.
Her work and labors in the State
Hospital for the Insane bears elo-
uuent tribute to the remarkable lnl-
tiative, aided by tireless energy and
dominated by the womanly woman's
overfowing love for unfortunate
humanity, which love, energy and
tireless devotion is manifested by her
every movement of which she has
been the handspring and which is
shown in the results in every depart
ment of work which she has touched,
and which even her critics in almost
every instance have admitted.
We condemn the method of trial of
DR.. Saunders adopted on December
-, 1913, and hope that the records
of the State will never show repe-
tition of such procedure.
Executive Session Condemned.
We refer to this merely to call The
attention of the members of the gen.
eral assembly to the necessity of pro-
viding against any repetition of such
proceeding in the future, as undel
proper and logical system of rules
and regulations no such proceeding
could have obtained. irresponsible
power is that power which is exer,
cised without rule or reason and from
which there is no recognized method
of appeal. There should be no such
power vested in any person or per-
sons in the State of South Carolina
and there should be rules carcfu:iN
prepared, adopted and passed to pre-
vent another such occurrence.
We commend the stand Of the su'
perintendent, Dr.. J. w. Babcock, ir
this acute exigency and throughout
the subsequent aftermath, when he
championed the right, not only of his
loyal and true subordinate and staff
/ officer, DR.. Eleanora B. Saunders, but
of a woman whose every instinct i:
shown to be for the. right, the inter
ests of the unfortunate patients un'
der her care and the best interests
of the institution.
We recommend that this repor