Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 4.djvu/236

 2l8 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

who, by a well-established custom, is appointed for one year only; if his administration is satisfactory to the directors, he is reappointed each year. The superintendent's duties are defined by law as follows: "He shall per- form such duties as they (the directors) impose upon him, be governed in all respects by their rules and regulations, and may be removed by them at pleasure." With this law the reason for the custom of appointing a superin- tendent for one year only is plain ; it places the superintendent completely and absolutely under the control of the directors ; if the personnel of the board is changed, he can be removed ; their wishes and pleasure are the rules of his action, whether it be in appointing his subordinates, purchasing the supplies, or managing the infirmary. The good-will of the directors is the one essential condition necessary to the success of a superintendent ; without this good-will neither party service, personal merit, nor fitness for the place avails a superintendent anything. Through this control the directors or any one of them can wield all the influence and patronage of the infirm- ary in his own behalf, and keep himself in the background; if anything be wrong, the superintendent is censured ; the director reaps the benefit.

It is this fact, and not party discipline or party fealty, which impels a superintendent to take an active part in party politics, and use the influ- ence and patronage at his disposal to further the interests of his party's candidate for infirmary director, that prompts him to seek influence in the party councils, so that the right man (to him) is nominated. These are facts, indisputable facts. It does not necessarily follow, however, that because of these facts either infirmary directors or superintendents are mercenary, or corrupt ; as a rule they are all honorable and upright men, who do their duty conscientiously. They are politicians from necessity and not from choice. The conditions surrounding them require them to be active in politics, so as to maintain their position and influence.

Local sentiment in this county is very strongly in favor of this state of a£fairs. Recently an influential party leader was appointed a director of the workhouse ; in this capacity he voted for a member of the opposite party for superintendent. He was promptly denounced as a traitor to his party; his motives were impugned; his removal was demanded from all parts of the county ; the central committee of his party passed strong reso- lutions to that efifect ; his influence is gone, for the time being at least ; petitions are now being circulated and extensively signed to have his office legislated out of existence, and not a single voice is raised in his behalf, not even among the opposing parties.

While public opinion here concedes partisan influence in the control of penal and charitable institutions, it does not tolerate extravagant, corrupt, or dishonest management thereof. The party in control is held responsible as strictly as the officers. Corrupt or dishonest practices on the part of an officer will, in this county, insure the defeat of his party as surely as it will insure his own defeat.