The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-02-18
ANOTHER REGENT HEARD
DIR. sETLEMEYER TESTIFIES BE.
FORE COMMITTEE.

Says he Regarded DR.. Babcock as the
Equal Of the Board Of Regents in
Authority Over the Institution.
DR.. Eleanor B. Saunders, the lady
physician on the Asylum staff, whom
Superintendent J. W. Babcock is
| backing up, and whom the majority
Of the regents hold responsible for
the friction which they state would
have ended among the medical staff
had DR.. Babcock dismissed her, was
not allowed to have a stenographer
present during the executive meeting
Of the regents in December when GOV.
Blease was present with his private
Secretary, Col. John K. Aull, who
Is q stenographer, and Mrs. Bessie
Sanders was present also as a stenog-
rapher, according to the cross-exami-
nation Of Dr.. W. L. Settlemeyer, one
of the regents, Thursday afternoon
by DR.. Saunders.
This was the meeting at which COM
plants Of certain members Of the
medical staff against DR.. Saunders
were taken by the regents, and her
father, Mr.. O. L. Saunders, was not
allowed to be present, it has been
testified to, and resolutions condemn
i ing her for interference were passed
by the regents. Dr.. Settlemeyer went
on the board Of regents last April,
succeeding Mr.. Fred H. Dominich,
and he stated that in selecting per-
sons for the vacancies filed by the
board July 1, he voted for those he
thought best fitted for the positions,
and that there was no previous under
standing among any of the regents as
to who were to be elected.
Corroborating the testimony OF
Chairman Carouthers, DR.. Settlemey-
er was Of the opinion that the trou-
bic at the asylum came from the fric-
ton between members of the medical
staff and the complaint by certain
subordinates that Dr.. Saunders was
infringing on their duties and rights.
He spoke highly Of the work and ef-
fciency of DR.. Saunders and stated
that he had inspected her work, that
! of the white women, only twice and
found everything in fine shape. Per-
sonaaly, he stated, he knew no charges
against DR.. Saunders and those made
Eby4tbe .etsssr members Of the medical
tstaff only general.
! Under QUESTIONING from Dr.. Bao-
[cock, -Dr: Settlemeyer stated that he
thought itwas the duty OF the male
, doctors to lend every assistance in
their power to the female doctors;
that the profession was very arduous'
and that he considered from Ques-
ton Of ethics that all of the male doc
tors at the asylum should cooperate
with DR.. Saunders in every way pos
sfble. He praised both her and the
! work she was doing highly, said there
was no charge regarding her moral
character, and stated that he and Dr.
Babcock had gotten on well together
He did not consider DR.. Babcock a
subordinate, but the equal of the re-
gents in authority, and said be
thought DR.. Babcock ought to have
come to the regents with the whole
matter ard the trouble might have
been avoided.
The witness, in reply to a question
from Dr.. Saunders, said that he die
! not know why Representative o. l.
fSaunders had not remained when the
regents went into executive session
to hear the complaints against hi:
daughter, and certainly, he said, he
had no objection to his remaining
He said he did not know why Mr.. A
NJ. Deal, the stenographer for DR.
! Saunders, was not allowed to remair
at the meeting and why Col. John K
AuIl and Mrs. Sanders stayed, eXcep
! that Mrs. Sanders, he thought, nae
been invited to come as the stenog
rapher for the board. Just why the
lady physician under investigation
was not allowed to have her stenog
rapher present, he said, he could no
explain, and did not know. He statee
he did not hear Gov. Slease sugges
to MI. Deal that he leave after it wa'
: stated the board was going into execu
tive session.
/ Col. John K. Aull brought In thu
minutes OF the executive meeting o
!, the board of regents on December II
and reading from them Representa-
| tive Stevenson asked Dr.. Settlemeye
IL the regents were trying to oust DR.
Saunders because she was not
| Bleaseite. The witness denied tina
politics had anything to do with tn
matter, or that they had ever beel
discussed by the regents at any o
their meetings.
| DR.. Settlemeyer had stated tha
Drs. Taylor and Babcock, Messrs
Bivens and Somerset constituted
|, committee Of the regents to revise tn
rules under which the regents wer
working and to present them to tn
general assembly for their approval
| as required by the Act. DR.. Babcocl