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THIS ami REFOIIMEHS
How Funioniats Aro Prrying Upon Tax
Payors of llobraaka at Beatrice.
HOME FOR f tEBLE-MINDED YOUTH
The Hoetm of Turmoil, Dlm'iinl I'ruuil
mill pollution Drtiiilct-iiiivMi, luriim
ljtoiif')',nlfi1iouaty, Treimurj UiMhimmI
Klnilrod (XTpniim Cuiniiilttoil by Olll
curM High ii1 I.unr.
Shntnoful Incompetency gross icr
vcralon of the public funds use of the
nppolntivc power to reward party wiU'l
II lea regardlosij of merit imiwige
uient'H linndH tied by hlgli-ui) fusion
ofllciulB ufllctril recordB in bad shape
and over the i'oynter lulinlnlsttatlon In
its entirety hnngH the shadow of cul
pable negligence and scandal. This In
brief la an epitome of the condition of
the Home of the Feeblo Minded Youth
nt Beatrice.
Several years of fusion mismanage
ment and Jugglery havo sulllced to
bring about a state of nf fairs In this
Institution so terrible as to almost
challenge public credulity.
Dispassionately recited, If tho truth
bo only half told, it 1b enough to cause
the cheek of every citizen to burn with
Indignation. Especially Is UiIb true,
and especially does it become a fit sub
ject for careful and solemn Judgment,
when It Is considered that tho victims
of theuo abuses aro among tho most
helpleos and defenseless wards of tho
state.
When tho fuslonlsts enmc Into power
In Nobiaaka tho republicans relin
quished suporvlslon of this institution,
bequeathing to their successors and to
the public a record of splendid achieve
ments. In selecting olllclals, teachers
and employes for this Institution it was
tho unvarying rule that merit and ilt
nesB alono should command recogni
tion. Then, aB now, the Institute had
upwards of 225 Inmates. There were
few changes In the ofllclal family, and
In no lnstanco waB a change made for
political reasons or party expediency.
The last republican in the supcrip
tonuency held the position for upwardB
ol seven yoars, and a change occurred
at the end of this time only by reason
of the fuslonlsts acquiring control of
tho state government.
How does this compare with tho re
cord of tho fuslonlsts? Tho fuslonlBts
have beon In power about live years,
and in that time two superintendents
have coino and fionc and the third one
has been compelled to enlist the r
of the courts to keep his ofllclal head
from under tho axe. Thus, In about
live yam (including the recent ap
pointee whoso right to tho olllce is be
ing contested In the courtB) four differ
ent poisons havo been appointed to tho
suporJntr ndnncy Tills has kept tho In
stitution in strange hands nearly all
the tune, ns a result of which, and by
reason of other .causes hereinafter
havo been acqulrod through political
enumerated, discipline has disappeared,
disorder prevails, feeblo minded in
mates, Blow to familiarize themselves
with strnngo faces and restless In their
presence, havo progross-ed slowly. If at
nil, and tho state has expended thous
ands of dollars wholly without com
pensatory reBUlts. Nover since tho fu
slonlsts ncqulred control has thero
beon harmony in the ofllclal family of
UiIb Institution. This Is duo entirely
to the fact that positions high and low
'uulls" and not by reason of merit.
Since tho populists obtained control no
superintendent lifts gone ,ln thero free
handed. All of thoni havo been under
the party bane, and, no matter how
much It Impaired or Interfered with
the welfare of tho Institution, they
have been compelled to accept such
teachers and appointees as the party
managers havo seen lit to give them.
On can eaBlly Judgo of tho condition of
things by consldoilng that tho party
bosses have invariably selected for
those positions tho bohs, dnughtors, or
henchmen of loading politicians.
Thov havo done worse than this,
tlmv havo selected for positions of
trupt and responsibility persons, not
olono mentally Incompetent, but mor
iillv ab well. Making solectlon with
out regard to qualifications, giving
no particular person authority to con
trol but making each a superior unto
himself, thus causing Incessant clash
ing of authority and wrangling among
themselves, and placing tho party or
appointive authority under direct obli
gation by levying an assessment
monthly on all appolntecB and compel
ling them to pay a fixed per cent of
theli salary to soma ono designated to
receive It by the triumvirate for a cor
ruption fund-combine to account for
Uus sad state of affairs. Thero aro
Borne facts connected with the con
temporaneous history of this Institu
tion painful to rfcltc. They go beyond
tho conflnea of ordinary happenlngB
and trespass upon tho domain of scan
dal nnd criminality.
Passing by the history of tho Insti
tution under tho suporlntoudency of
Ri Fall and Dr Sprague (and there la
little difference between thnt .portion
of the history and that to which refer-,
once will bo made) attention will bo
given evil, wrongs and outrages preva
lent now.
Dr. Lang, tho present superintendent,
vns appointed about ono year ago,
Tim noxt most responsible position
that of bookkeoper nnd stewardwas.
given to James Mllllklu, a political
satellite from Fremont. Though Mjli
Jtln know nothing of bookkeeping, Jjq
was entrusted '"' kfleoiP" tho rec
ords. How ho kept them, needs only
to be Been to be comprehended. Had
the figures boon blown upon tho pnges
of tho records by a cyclono, they would
bo Just ns easily intorpreted. The de
bits are mixed with tho credits and
tho credits with tho debits. Entries
are seldom properly made, and there
Is no wav of ascertaining from tho rec
ord the condition of accounts, of the
funds, or whether nnybody Is debtor or
creditor of the state. The undlHpufcd
fact Is that the records have not n on
kept at all and n searching InveiHep
tlon would, no doubt, result In stai tl"M
'sclosures It In nn onen snci'pt '
the Institution that Mllllkin was not
alono Incompetent, but that he was
frequently Intoxicated whuo on duty.
Foreman EHIb of tho brush fnctory of
the institution stnted that he had re
peatedly seen Mlllkln with u bottle of
whlBkcy at the Institute, nnd that ho
did not only drink the liquor himself,
but preslsted in making other em
ployes drink with him. Ono of tho
employes who hnd taken the Keelcy
cure and who had not tnsted liquor
for several years was persuaded by
Mlllkln to indulge. He then ngaln be-
enme a confirmed drunkard and flnnlly,
to get away front tho temptation, bad
to leave the Institute. Superintendent
Lang remonstrated with Mllllkin, tell
ing him that he was setting a bad ex
ample for the inmntcs and employes,
but to no nvall. Mllllkin claimed that
ho was backed by Governor Poy liter,
by tho fusion contingent of the beet
sugar element nt Fremont, nnd was not
amenable to the rules or orders of the
superintendent.
NEW nitAND OF "CORN MEAL."
Nor were Mlllkln's shortcomings con
fined to traditional consistency.
Scarcely had he entered upon his du
ties when ho resorted to methods most
questionable. On ono occasion Super
intendent Lang discovered, among sup
plies delivered, a choice lot of straw
berries. There was no provision In the
contract covering supplies for the In
stitution for this quality of food, and,
looking over tho bill or statement of
the goods delivered, ho observed thnt
tho bill called for corn meal, but thero
was no corn menl delivered. "How Is
this, Mllllken?" said Superintendent
Lang, "I fall to see any entry on the
bill for strawberries? '
"Thero It is," said Mllllkin, pointing
to tho entry, "corn meal."
"It was right then nnd thero," said
Dr. Lang to the writer, "that I discov
ered that Mllllkin would bear watch
ing. I told him that kind of dealing
would not do, nnd that he must stop
it. Hut he paid no nttentlon to me.
Only a few days afterward ho became
possessed of a half dozen boxes of ci
gars. I asked him how he got them
nnd he said tho boys down town gave
them to him. I knew that he got
them In one of two ways either by
the 'corn menl' dodge, or that some
body was dealing with the Institution
Belling Biipplles and with dishonest mo
Uvob hnd given them to him. I again
cnutloned him against doing wrong,
but he met my warning with a defiant
sneer. Finding I could do nothing
with him I wont to Lincoln and laid
all the facts before Governor Poynter.
That ended it; Governor Poynter never
stopped to consider tho matter for a
moment. Mllllkin followed this up by
getting drunk and coming to the in
stitute in a drunken condition and
bringing liquor with him. Again I pro
tested to tlio governor, nnd again noth
ing camo of It. Finally things became
so bad that in desperation I went to
mo governor and begged of him to net.
Tho governor came down but did not
have tho moral courage to do any
thing. Mllllkin himself told the gov
ernor that ho was unable to keep tho
books and wanted to be relieved of It,
but Btlll no action. Tho governor at
Inst concluded that he would get rid
or Mllllkin, nnd ho asked mo to hand
In my resignation that ho might show
It to Mllllkin and have an excuse for
asiclng n im for his. He said my resig
nation was only n blind to fool Mllll
kin, nnd thnt he would not consider it
as effective, and would uso It only to
get Mllllkin out of tho wny. I re
garded It a strange mode of procedure,
but I complied with his request, think
ing I was dealing with a man of prin
ciple. Imagine my surprise when ho
announced a day or so later that wo
had both resigned, and subseouently
followed this announcement bv the nn-
polutment of my successor. It was an
act of subtle and flagrant perfldlty, un
worthy of a man of honor. I resisted
nnd tho courts will determine whether
n resignation obtained In that way
shall be effective
"I lay much of the blame for the
condition of nffalrs in the Institute
upon Governor Poynter nnd his hench
men. They have forced upon the sal
nry list of tho Institute ns teachers and
for ono position and another, porsons
who nro notoriously unfitted for such
service. Those appointments have
been made on tho strength of polit
ical "pulls" and without regard to
qualification or fitness. Tho governor
has done more thnn this, ho has tacit
ly, If not openly, mlvised subordinates
that his whims and not my rules
should be rospected. Ho has encour
aged them to roBlst my authority ns
superintendent from nlmost tho very
commencement of my term. Under
such conditions the worst is the best
Unit could be expected.
ROTTEN WITH FILTH.
"When I camo to this institution It
wns rotten with filth. My predecessor
had had just such cxporienco as I am
hnvlhg. Thoro was no such thing as
discipline. Thero was cojistapt strife
ntnong the employes and teachers.
'Tho roonia In'the huildlpgs wore very
, filthy nnd unsanitary. This caused
i Blcknoss among tho inmates and In
. Borne Instances deaths occurred.
FHASTINQ AT THE PTlin,
I One baa only to glnnco at tlio pay
roll to bco to what, extent tlio fusion
reformers are milking tho public treas
ury. Of the Sprecher family, tho son and
(until recently) the mother are draw
ing fat salaries and tho daughter was
until recently living In luxury nt tho
state's expense.
Tho Sullivan's are represented on
the supremo court bench and as ma
tron at tho Institute nt Norfolk.
Ex-Sonntor Mutz has a daughter on
the pay-roll at Heatrice (or lather
up to n few weeks ago did have, sho
having been discharged bv Superin
tendent Lang for Insubordination )
Polle Spanogle, of Red Cloud, Is on
the pAy-roll at Beatrice at the Instiga
tion of ono of Poynter'a clerks at Lin
coln. Edith Ross, daughter of ex-Representative
Ross of recent fame, is an
other name on tho pay roll.
Several fuslonlsts who havo not even
been brevettcd nre on tho pay roll as
farm hands at tho munificent salary of
$2f. a month nnd everything found.
In no instance lias there 'been an
nppolntment made on the grounds of
merit. Indeed, It is an open secret,
that not one of the teachers has a cer
tificate, and It Is admitted by those
who nro familiar with tho facts that
none of them could pass a teacher's ex
amination. DOCTORING THE BOOKS.
As hns boon Bald before, tho accounts
of the Institute aro In very bad shape.
The records aro so badly mixed up nnd
confused that no one knows anything
nbout the stntus of the funds. Goods
have been bought and sold, but for
what, or what became of the money,
nobody can tell. When the governor
romoved Steward Mllllkin, who was
bookkeeper, ho then learned of some
of tho fruits of his blunders. He dis
patchod a bookkeeper from his office
at Lincoln named Mclnteo to Beatilce
to untangle the mesa. Mclnteo pro
ceeded to arrange tho records ns ho
saw fit, and before Superintendent
Lang knew what was going on he had
chnnged nbout GO accounts. Fearing
tho governor nnd his representatives
had ulterior motives tho superintend
ent ordered the "export" out of the
building, nnd ho departed.
Tho records as they now stand nro
in a bnd way, and constitute n sweep
ing indictment of the fuslonlsts, being
mute yet unimpeachable witnesses to
glaring Incompetency nnd posslblo
fraud.
It is due to Dr. Lang thnt he be ex
rulpated from all blame. His hands
have boon tied nnd he has been a su
perintendent in name'only. At no time
has he been free to administer the
iffalrs of the Institute without interfer
ence from sources involving a higher
power.
SUSPICIOUS REVELATIONS.
Steward Ball and Superintendent
Lang are hard at work i edifying er
rors in the records and about tho in
stitute. One thing is alrcedy notico
ablo nnd thnt 's a decrease in the cost
ot groceries for tho hnMtnfp Tho
grocery bill for tho month of Mav is
$157. less than for April, and $172 less
than for March. Mlllkln retired about
April 1st, but his errors did not cease
to benr fruit until recently. He used
to permit the contractors to bill goods
in bulk like, say for example, ho pur-
cnasni a sack of flour or sugar, it
would be billed "one sack of flour or
sugar $1.50," or whatever It might be,
without giving tho quantity In pounds
or the quality. This left an opening
for fraud, and a rectification of this
practice has resulted in a large de
crease in the expenses and In the com
plete cessation of presents, suen ns
cigars and other luxuries which used
to bo sent to the steward by parties
selling goods to the Institute. Why
the cigars wore sent and why they
stopped coming, and why tho cost of
the groceries dropped nearly SO per
cent, Is a problem cnrrylng w'lth It the
otior or suspicion nnd fraud, and Is a
problem which Steward Mllllkin might
experience Bome difliculty In satisfactory-
explaining.
CORRUPTING THE PUBLIC SER
VICE. Every month all the employes of the
Institute from superintendent down to
farm laborers aro required bv the fu
sion leaders at Lincoln to give up a
portion of their salaries. The amount
which they have to givo up varies all
the way from three per cent to five per
cent. The rule is that this mnnnv numi
be pnid over or those who fall must
amp down ana out. Last yenr tho de
mands for money were heavy, and one
of tho employes, an engineer named
Adams, rather than mibmlt, handed in
his resignation. In this resppct tho
present year loveals no disposition to
reform. Already the officials and em
ployes in tho vnrious state Institu
tions are being bled by tho committee
on extortion." Under date of April 2nd,
1900, the following letter, which shows
very clenrly how the work is being
done, wna received at tho Beatrice in
stitute: LINCOLN, Nob., April 2, 1900.
Gentlemen:
Wo, tho Finance Committee appoint
ed by tlio populist, democratic and free
silver republican stnte central coui
m'ttee, do hereby call on you for tho
amount of asjCFsmont due fmm your
department, or olllco, as provided for
by tho resolution sent yop. Tho
amount due at this time from vour
department is $11S.8L We desiie to
say to nil who are called on for funds,
you have been recognized and honored
by our forces nnd placed wliou1 n
are drawing revenues from the tuo,
nnd we shall expect you to conn b'jto
tho small amount n&ked for months.
T. H. TIBi'l.r
J, E. COAD, Jr.
L. L. CHAP'N'
This letter throws thr white Hp. t of
truth upon tho pypnctlsy nrd ',iio
protestations of tho nham letormeis. it
" r.,,1,, ,Pvotl? tbplnslflA wnrklrs of
the machine, but It stronglv coiroUor
ates the charge often made by ptnullat
ofllclnlB who have felt the blighting
curse of this evil, that one of the pri
mary elements entering Into the con
tamination and demorallzauon of state
Institutions Is the practice of extort
ing contributions to a campaign cor
ruption fund. That this Is tho prac
tice, now a uxod policy of the fus'nn
campaign managers, the foregoing let
ter abundantly proves. Muc'i of the
Insubordination and consenimnt dis
cord which exists in state InpMtutlons
among tlio officials and employes la
duo largely to tho fact that having con
tributed to the corruption fund, every
body feels that he la at liberty to do
as ho pleases. This has greatly Im
paired tho public service nnd has low
ered It to that level whore tho money
expended in tho maintenance of those
institutions is practically dissipated.
Tula! Off the Old lnpnr.
The Paper Hangers' union In Phila
delphia has passed a resolution warn
ing the public that health "Is Jeopar
dized by allowing old wall paper to
be covered with new, thereby permit
ting all dirt and filth to accumulate
nnd remain, and with It germs of dis
ease." Some ugly testimony Is pre
sented in relation to the paperiug of
rooms in which contagious diseases
had occurred.
Women as Well as Men
Are Made Miserable by
Kidney Trouble.
Ono of it Now ICIml.
James Dunsmulr of Victoria, B. C,
tho new premier of British Columbia,
is likely to be known as "Tho Silent
Premier." lie has been a member of
tho provincial legislature for two
years, and In tnal time his voice has
ncvor been hoard in debate on tho
floor of tho house.
Kidney trouble preys upon the mind, dis
courages and lessens ambition; beauty, vigor
ana cnecriuincs3 soon
disappear when the kid
neys are out of order
or diseased.
Kidney trouble has
become so prevalent
that It Is not uncommon
for a child to bo born
afflicted with weak kid
neys. If the child urin
ates too often, if the
urine scalds the flesh or if, when the child
reaches an age when it should be able to
control the passage, It Is yet afflicted with
bed-wetting, depend upon It. the cause of
the difficulty Is kidney trouble, and the first
step should be towards the treatment of
these important organs. This unpleasant
trouble Is due to a diseased condition of the
kidneys and bladder and not to a habit as
most people suppose.
Vomen as well as men are made mis
erable with kidney and bladder trouble,
and both need the same great remedy.
The mild and the Immediate effect of
Swamp-Root is soon realized. It Is sold
by druggists, In fifty
cent and one dollar
sizes. You may havo a
sample bottlo by mall
free, also pamphlet toll
ing all about it, Including many of the
thousands of testimonial letters received
from sufferers cured. In writing Dr. Kilmer
& Co., Blnghamton, N. Y., be sure and
mention this paper.
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We own nnd occupy the tallest mercantile building in the world. We have
over 2,000,000 customers. Sixteen hundred clerks nre constantly
engaged Tilling out-of-town orders.
OUR GENERAL CATALOGUE is the book of the people it quotes
Wholesale Prices to Everybody, has ovor 1,000 pages, 16,000 illustrations, and
60,000 descriptions of nrticles with prices. It costs 72 cents to print nnd mail
each copy. We want you to have one. SEND FIFTEEN CENTS to show
your good faith, and we'll send you a copy FREE, with all charges prepaid.
LSS W M IK IIM1-HY Milfl J I Ai """"U11" .anu rr.auisonw irci
,"v",ug",ul" "n,lu u UU CHICAGO
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BUGGIES
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SE8MD WL DOLLAR &;&rtia.fiyaa?:,5sdJ! aa
.s.rr ".'l'"',!'"'; OUR SPECIAL OFFER PRICE MB
wuu jjuiiut tiuub wjiu uruuj 51
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SiUSvU01 tl"Lbet mattrlal money can l.uj. While in
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(J101L1IO.N TIIK IlkVT KIWIY IIUI LIN I1K11III.I. Wo inilnUIll
ourownflvo utory huuy factory for tlio nla
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ILSTOYILUS MAM t UTLltl lld VHOl XT.
Every BuRgy Wo Moke lo Guaranteed
FIVA Ynnro nnrl Tma ufin tn iu... ciun
Ordinary Factory Rlgo,
THE MATERIAL AMD LABOR III 0U1 ACME QUEEN
huiru'j. Wo uiso a il.hu cmhion cloth, onid .ire
80 cent! we usoa tl .iOlieail llnlnir, wine no 10 1 enC,
wo u'o - cent leather, home ui-o si cent, woutie t.t.ro
colors and vanilsli. unine iio 75 cent and fl.ov VK
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