Carson daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1873-1877, 1875-09-19
THE STATE PRISON TROUBLES.

~ sA~S >AAs>AAA, s~AS kSP ~ ~
is q kind OF virtuous protest against the
vice, iniquity and utter profligaey of our
maternal parent, the State Of California.
We are, as it were. a community who
have fled to the protecting nights Of
mountains to escape the tainting atmos-
phere and miasma Of q psstilence-laden
valley, and in the fervor of our determi-
nation to avoid the contamination of
evil communications, have put an entire
chain of mountains between US and the
influences and things from which We
have made haste to effect safe deliver
rance. But our escape, successful in
many respects as it has proved. is not
entirely complete. We brought with us.
unfortunately, the materials and posi-
bilities of prison system scarcely less
vicious than that of our unnatural pa
rent, while our prosperity has tempted
an influx of the outlaws and rogues from
the hotbeds Of crime and depravity
which are planted in every rood Of the
soil of California from Siskiyou TO San
Diego. These spawning places of in
iquity have found a TOO ready outlet in
these mountains and plains. The plague
OF hurtful inheritanee-our sorry pris-
on syssem-has been sadly supplement-
ed with the ready made materials of
crime from the parental breeding places.
r.,
anever-ceasing source of trouble. Even
before that year, and under the Terrific
rial regime, it was burden and sore.
The system, as we have in,ima.ed above,
was unsoUud from the start On top of
this unsound system came the crudities
Of inexperience. Our first Warden,
Lieutenant Governor Crosman, a good
man in the main, was by temperament,
training and notions almost entirely unit
for the chief executive officer Of a prison.
In 1867 Crosman was succeeded by
Slingerland. man with many pleasing
traits of character but entirely, nay, SIN
gularly and markedly UNFIT to take charge
OF any institution where business quail
fcations and the habits of discipline |
rian are indispensable. In Denver,
Slingerland's successor, the institution |
went from bad to worse, until Governor
and Legislature and sll hands rose up
and compelled q G. arms, a surrender /
of the keys and the Wardenship. Since
Denver's ousting, Mr.. P. c. LYMAN, a
Democrat, selected by Democrats, has
been at the head Of affairs. It is enough
to say that he has done what seems the
very best possible to be done under the
defective system which governs him and
the Prison alike. We have no hesita-
ton in saying that anybody who is at all
acquainted with the Prison as it used to
be, will pronounce tine present condition
OF that institution admirable, by COM
parison II admirable in the highest ds-
gree. Hyman brought to the discharge
of his duties first rate business mind
and habits /; a singular aptitude for sys-
tenn an orderliness and discipline of
the very best and most practicable and
effective description. In short, he has
brought order out Of chaos, and placed
the institution very much nearer . self
basis than was judged posi-
BILE by those who were familiar with its
affairs. The we'll worn phrase Of the
right man in the right place was never
more justly applied than TO Lyman the l
Warden. {
But atop of all this widely, almost {
acknowledged competency,
and right in the face of Hyman's most 1
admirable administration of affairs. I
comes q most strange aad urrelenting G
opposition to him from the leading men t
Of his own party. For months before C
the meeting of the last Legislature we \
heard the rambling Of the gathering il
storm. Dark hints we're thrown out {
against the Warden. and mysterious in il
filed the air. When the Legis- c
lature had met, perfect avalanche of c
was hurled upon him. So 1
strong had been this current of damag- I
ing charges. and so silent had been Hy- !;
man all the while, that we could not but y
believe that he was to be crushed under b
\ resisfleaa veipht Of evidenee and | Z