The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-08-05
ASOCKDOLAGER.


recklessness adopted the following as
part of its platform of principles, at the
Parkersburg Conventions:
81. tile Democratic party] has extort-
ed large sums of money from the people
and spent the same in the construction OF
II penitentiary unnecessarily large, that
it might ill it with importations OF con-
victs found guilty by the federal courts
IN other states, whose compulsory ana
cheap labor should be brought into COM
petition with the honest toll of our
mechanics and laborers, thus reducing the
already diminished wages OF this class OF
our citizens, and swelling the profits OF
contractors and jobbers."
Recognizing the base untruthtulness
and hypocrisy of this declaration, we
promptly characterized it in the editorial
columns of the REGISTER. But desiring
to refer to it more explicitly, we ad-
dressed n communication to the clerk OF
the Board of Directors of the penlten.
tiary, putting 70 him list OF questions
which we desired him to answer, in his
official capacity, for publication. we
have received to all our lnterrogations
explicit and concise answers, and
to them we respectfully invite
the attention of the delegates to that
convention who voted without sufficient
information, as wcll as the public at large
This statement is so PLAIN, so straight-tor.
ward, so crushing upon the author of the
malignant misrepresentation in the plat
form, that we submit it without further
comment:
WEST VIRGINIA PENITENTIARY,
MoUNpsvILLE, August 3, 1876. !
Editors of the Register:
GENTLEMEN:-In reply TO your com
municstion of this date, L beg leave to
state from the records OF this institution:
lst. That no additional cells have been
erected since the Penitentiary passed out
of the hands of the Republicans.
ID. That no additions to the institution
have been designed by the Democratic
administration, except aplan for water
works, and not all the original designs
of the Republican directors completed.
Sd. The amount expended on the con.
struclion of the institution, from the
time the Republican administration de-
signed it until the management passet
into the hands of the Democrats, was
$2l2, 2,5SG.37.
4th. The amount expended on the
construction OF the institution from the
time the control of it was obtained by
the Democrats, up TO the present time, Is
S1l0,3772O.
5.h. Under Republican control for
four wears and ten months, the ordinary
running expenses of the institution was
sl49,23S. 81, including Sl6,OO9 80 ex-
pended BY their commissary during the
YEAR 1867. which does not appear on the
records of the institution, but only from
the records in the Auditors office, oi
which | have an official copy on file, or
An average per month OF S2,4l7.9l, and
a dietary per capita OF 30 55 cents per
dsy for the same period of time.
9Th. Under Democratic cortrol for
five years and three months, the ordi-
nary running expenses have been
S92, ,327.O4, an average of Sl,465.5O per
month and dietary per capita Of 1873
cents per day for the same period oi
time.
7th. At the time the Republicans ceas-
cd 10 control tho institution, the dietary
per capita was "A cents per day, with
l07 prisoners.
s.h. The per capita under the present
administration at this time Is ll.~
cents per day with ia prisoners.
9th. We have received twenty.three
United States prisoners, thirteen OF
whom were sentenced without hard Ia
Dor; four are employed at manu-
featuring, and six are employed exclu-
siyely for the Institution.
10th. When the institution came into
the hands Of Democratic officials, the
euter-wslls Of the Wsrden's house were
psrtisllv built, and it was under roof,
but no attempt had been made to finish
the interior. The south cell building
was nearly completed, and one OF the
towers had been built-a part of the
foundation of the outer-wall was laid,
and the main sewer had also been built.
llth. Under our administration the
Warden's house has been furnished, the
south cell building has also been com.
pleted, the entire wall around the prison
has been built, including three towers
and a gateway, the north cell building
exclusive of cells, Is finished, and the en-
tire yard has been graded.
Very Respectfully, your obedient ser
want FRANK w. BRowN, Clerk.
The National Monument Society hal