Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-04-03
IBy Ora williams.l
, Times-R enllblican.

thing sometimes to take look back
ward IL one wants to know how far
or how fast we are going. History has
habit Of repeating itself. Turning
the leaves of an old leather-bound
record book the other day, in which is
given the original records OF the
board Which constructed the first Iowa
hospital for the insane. an interesting
newspaper clipping was found. Incl
dentally the hospital at Mount Pleas
ant was authorized by act approved
Jan. "a. 1855. which is only sixty years
ago. It was when built the one hos
pital farthest west in the United
States. It was the first one west OF
the Mississippi river. Because OF this
fact the hospital at one time received
patients from many of the territories
in the west, as far as Idaho. The
Legislature made an appropriation or
$4,000. which from legislative view
point was an awful TAX on the pooI
farmers. But the board, which was
non partisan, and was composed OF
hard headed business men, some OF
them at least possessed Of vision and
foresight, laid plans for hospital
which was to cost nearly 100000. The
next legislature made an additional
appropriation, and others. and finally
the building was completed. OF course
there was controversy over the ex-
penditure Of such fabulous sums OF
money and much criticism OF men who
had the courage to look into the future
and provide for the needs of the state.
So bill was passed in 1860 which re-
quired that every officer empowered to
expend any public money shall take
an oath to obey the laws and shall be
prohibited from making any contract
for the erection of any building or any
other purpose which shall contemplate
any excess of expenditures beyond the
terms of the law under which said OIL
Ger was appointed" And one who vio-
lated this was to be fined $1,000 or get
five years in the penitentiary. 1t Is
not related in the record book In
question how the state ever got itself
out of this strait jacket but ii is GER
tain that it did before the capitol was
built and before the work was COM
pleted on other of the state institu-
tons.
But that which is most interesting in
this record which links past to the
future, is a pasted-in clipping from
Dubuque newspaper, being report OF
speech delivered in that city Sept.
%, 1858, by ]. NJ. Ellwood. the sub
head of the article being Republican
Extravaganza and Corruption Shown
Up" The speech related to the insane
asylum appropriations and especially
attacked Governor Grimes, who APP
pointed the commission which located
it and started the work. In this speech
Mr.. Elwood was quoted as saying:
The edifice contemplated by tho
plan OF the commissioners is to be,
when completed, a massive structure
covering an eighth of mile square;
the wings are three stories in height,
and the front four stories in height,
and the outside OF the building is to be
finished in cut stone. This institution
is larger and more spacious than the
insane asylum Of any state in the
union-larger than the insane asylum
Of the state of New York, state which
contains 100000 people. One wing OF
that institution, have no doubt. would
amply accommodate all the unfor-
tunate insane which this state Will be
called upon to provide for. for CEN
fury to come"
OF course Mr.. Ellwood pleaded that
of the state" and protested against
this awful extravaganza" Continu-
ing he said:
"The naked walls Of this slendid
structure are not yet comleted. More
than s265,000 have been already appro-
priated to its completion, and that
building. before 1t is completed, Will
cost the people OF this state more than
,o1f ~ 1nH1
for more than fifty years to come, one
half OF that building will not be needed
for the use of the insane OF this state,
and in those naked and empty walls
will be the money Of the people OF this
state, a monument Of useless and OPP
pressive taxation. and Of no practical
use or benefit whatever. One single
wing Of that building will accommodate
all the wants of the insane OF this
state for years to come, and policy and
economy alike would have dictated
that one wing of this immense edifice
the main body of the building could
have been added whenever the inter-
ests of those for whose benefit 1t IL
erected should demand 1t"
The speaker explained that In his
building was to be erected was because
Governor Grimes, the chairman OF the
committee, owns, near the site OF this
institution. a large amount OF real es-s
tate, the value of which would be en-
HANGED by this erection"
The committee in charge consisted
OF Governor James w. Grimes, Edward
Johnson, Of Lee county. and Charles 3.
Clarke, OF Henry county. Afterwards
G, W. Kinkaid and J. E. Lash were on
the commission and later the general
assembly appointed in their places J.
e Shaffer, Of Fairfield. and Martin Il.
Edwards, Of Henry county.
The salary Of the superintendent OF
the asylum was fixed by law (Sept.
II, 1852, at 1920 a year and assist
ant 5000.
Senator Lars NJ. Doe. Of winneshiek
county, is to leave Iowa, and he is one
of the class of public men that can
hardly be spared. He goes to Minne-
apolis to become head Of the big pub
fishing house of his church. He has
been in the ministry about fifteen
years and in college work at Decorah
for a dozen years. But after a fine
record in the Iowa house he was sent
to the senate. where the present and
the last session he has proved himself
to be big. broad-mindec, capable leg
islator.
There are number Of wealthy men
in the state senate, few in the house.
swenson, OF O'Brien, probably IL the
richest man in the house. He has