The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1880-10-15
THE PENITENTIARY APPRoPRIA.
TIoNs.


The Independent, referring to our re-
marks last week concerning Maginnis' fail
ure to secure an appropriation to enlarge
the Montana Penitentiary,say We "should
not expect impossibillties )" that Clagett
endeavorsd to get the appropriation and
failed that Maginnis has done all in his
power to secure tho appropriation and
failed; and that the United States does
not propose to build pom tientiaries for the
custody Of Territorial coavi cts.
When the Independent uses the tern
"URited States" in the above it certainly
refers only to the Democratic Congrsss.
We have been repeatedly assured that the
Department Of Justice favored the enlarge
ment Of the prison, and the indisposition to
increase its facilities must therefore rest
with Delegate Maginnis or Congress. We
donot expect impossibilities. We might
have thought from the tone Of the Demo-
cratic press Of Montana that nothing was
impossible to God and Msginnis We Ger
tainly had a right to expect the Delegate
who could smite the Congressional rock
and cause millions Of appropriations to is
sue forth At will, as Maginnis has been
claimed TO have done, and almost solely on
which claim his friends demand his return
to Congress for fifth term, could, with the
favor Of the Department Of Justice, secure
$780, or $4,000 appropriation for one
Of the most important and urgent objects
in Montana. The fear we have is that Ma
ginnis has not tried. We hope We are mis-
taken. The Independent says Clagett tried
and failed. When Clagett was Delegate
there were only from II to 90 prisoners,
and except for new tier Of cells there was
not urgent need for appropriation, which
was obtained by Mr.. Clagett. In eight
years the demand upon it's capacity has rap
idly increased and the most urgent appeals
have been made by the Marshal, officers Of
the Courts and Territory, Grand Jurors and
others, without securing relief. As stated,
We have fears Delegate Maginnis did not
give the matter heed. 1t was only few
weeks prior to the adjournment Of Con-
gress that Marshal Botkin applied for new
copies Of Grand Jury Reports, ETC., stating
that the originals forwarded to Delegate
Magiunis had been mislaid. Copies were
forwarded, but we failed to see or hear of
any effort being made by our Delegate to
obtain favorable lie, islation.,
We do not think it can impossibility" to
obtain this appropriation. A Republican
Congress set apart sufficient portion Of
the Internal Revenue derived from Mon
tana to construct the present wing, when
the government was in much worse fnan-
cal condition than it is now, and has sncs
appropriated direct to increase the number
of cells to ten times that required for
United States prisoners. The present
building is only a "wing," and the plans
and specifications were furnished by the
United States for the entire building. 1t
is never the purpose or design of the gov
eminent to put up part of a building and
abandon it. 1t was designed for United
States Penitentiary, and the portion erect
ed is no peuitentiary at all-simply four
walls, with two tiers of cells inside, while
the officers and guards are driven to ref
uge in temporary log cabins in the enclos-
ure, and even the cooking has to be done
outside the penitentiary. There seemed
to be 10 difficulty in securing the compile
ton of the United States assay Office IN
Helena, and abundant appropriations for
ornamenting the grounds. There should
be no more difficulty in procuring the COM
pletion of the penitentiary, and We venture
to say that, if elected, Sanders will secure it.