Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-02-20
DIR. SAUNDERS ON THE STAND
Sought Only to vindicate Her Moral
And Professional Character.

witness yesterday. She was on the
stand for nearly two hours, and made
full and detailed presentation Of her
case, with but few Interruptions by
questions, and there was no cross ex-
animation.
That part of DR.. Saunders statement
which relates especially to the in1us-
tice she considers that has been done
her, has been taken from the steno-
graphic record Of yesterday as follows:
AS I said, 7 did not ask to remain. l
asked for exoneration. This they did
not grant me. And 1 thought If the
governor did not intend to slander me,
or IL he did intend to slander me, II
was most unfair that he should say 1t
was for my best interests to cover 1t
up and let 1t be at an end, for felt 1t
was better for 1t to DE in the open. II
there was a scandal at the hospital,
that the woman physician who had
charge Of 600 patients was guilty Of
immoral conduct, she would foster 1t
in her nurses and patients, and I vain
ly tried to tell them that my efforts
had been for the good Of the place, and
vainly tried to tell them that l had
done no wrong. And I think 1t was
most unfair for them to ask me to
quietly retire and leave men who were
not friendly to tell the reasons why.
l felt then and feel now that II
Gov Blease had heard sufficient re-
marks to justify his writing those let
ters that he wrote, that he should at
least have said what the remark was,
from whence 1t came, and II he should
think that 1t was sufficient to cause
all Of the decent women In the state
hospital to retire, that he should let me
have further explanation.
felt that 1t was rather unfair to me
that the governor should act both as
prosecutor and Judge in my case. And
If the purpose Of the meeting was COM
rothers has said, then l wonder why
Mr. Bivens said: Breads the Bivens
resolution finding that the charges
were true and asking that she resign).
l felt to close the matter then would
be most unfair to me, to my nurses and
to my patients.
felt then, just as do now, that the
white woman nurse Is the hospitals 8
most valuable asset.
! saw no reason why I should accept
the accusation that / was the reason
for the leaving Of the institution by all
Of the decent women. felt that up to
this time the patients families had had
confidence in me, that they had turned
them over to my care, and / was un-
willing to have anything occur to make
them think less Of me or to think me
unworthy, that Is, without a fair trial,
which feel that did not get
felt then, as / do now, that 1t was
the fairest thing for me, for my nurses
and for my patients, to Mve the mat
ter out in open public.
was rather wounded to hear that
people would think that because
cared for certain diseases that / am
unwomanly. I feel that If women have
to suffer, it is nothing short Of humane
for some to help.
AS say, regarded the letters writ
ten by Gov. Blease and the remarks Of
DR.. Griffin as an attack upon my NOR
al character, and I was not willing to
allow a shadow to remain on my char
acter; hence ! demanded of the board
Of regents an investigation that would
clear my good name.
felt that they refused me an hon
orable discharge. felt that they had
not given me a fair trial. And / felt
1t my duty to let them know at that
time, not wait six months later and
tell them that I was not satisfied with
their decision.
And again insisted that was not
contending then, as am not contend
ing now, for my retention, for my po-
sition, as woman physician at the state
hospital; but / am contending for my
reputation. / want to say now, as
tried to say then, that what did was
for the good Of the patients, in my own
department first, in other departments
later, and felt in so doing that have
done no more than any other woman
in my place would have done
l want to repeat that / am not con-
tending for retention Of the position
which / have held for the last seven
years, but ! am pleading for my vindi-
cation and my eXoneration.
Q. You feel that you have been done
great injustice? A. Yes, do.
Q. Have you anything you would
like to say in reference to this injus-
tice, further, than you feel, that has
been done you? A. Why, yes I felt
that an injustice had been done me. I
felt that I had done, as nearly as
could, my duty. I had shown a gen.
erous spirit and I had certainly had no
indication that my work was not sat-
isfactory or that the superintendent
or the board Of regents or even the
governor had any serious objection to
my Work, and I felt that since no re-
port had come to me previously, that
/ had no knowledge that they objected
to it, that they might at least have Civ
en- me q warning, that might have
discontinued doing the things that they
objected to-
Q. Have you anything that you
would like to bring out in reference to
that meeting, the July meeting, I be-
lieve, the board Of regents meeting
that has been often referred to here?
A. December the 18th?
A. Well. up to December 12. as
told you, l had no reason to believe
that my work was unsatisfactory to the
superintendent the regents, to the
governor or the public, and I felt that
l wa-s-that though I was not person
ally friendly with all Of them that
was at least on friendly working terms.
When the applications were made, or
when the notification was given us that
we were to reapply, / thought sure
ly 1t must be for some purpose; there
was some definite purpose in view or 1t
would not have been done, and I was
afraid can not say that I was afraid
but to be on the safe side, l would
rather not apply if my presence in the
hospital was disagreeable to anybody
or 1t would embarrass the manage
ment, and / told DR.. Babcock that
would rather not reapply. So we talk
ed around while about it, and after
a while / did so do.
But l did not reapply until after
nad seen the governor. He had been
particularly agreeable to us on the
nurses account and I had felt that he
was at least friendly to me and to the
institution. So 1 went down, accom-
panied by my head nurse, and I paid
Mr. Blease visit on Saturday before
we reapplied on Monday. He was very
busy with the military board and he
sent some one to ask me to leave the
papers If l had any. I told him that
l had none, that wanted to speak to
the governor to assure him that there
might be some changes in the person.
mel Of the hospital staff, and we un-
derstood then that all of the subordi-
mates were to apply too, and we want
ed him to feel that we were very
grateful for his help in the nurses
fight, and we thought that the govern
or had been kind enough to help us
out, insomuch that he was willing to
sign It, And we went down that day
as l told you. He assured me 1t was
perfectly right for me to apply. In
fact, that he had told the board of re-
gents, as l understood him to saw. not
to make change in my department
everything went along agreeably. II
did apply, and 1 went along comforta-
bly, until the 18th Of December. I had
a notification that was appointed for
two years (here witness introduced
in evidence q letter from w pnnoh