Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-01-10

g desirable to adopt for the office. We have
: plenty of proper persons, perhaps, for all
the subordinate positions, and those who,
g under correct training would eventually
" develop into frst-class prison officers
50 but no one, | think, now, who is fitted
:" to take charge of our Prison, as its head,
and do with it what needs to be done.
There are those, however, elsewhere on
American soil, who have proved their
qualifications in this direction by their
success in the administration of prison
affairs-one of whom I have no doubt
e" could be induced to accept the position
"of Warden of our State Prison. To test
"this matter somewhat, l recently wrote
'"to Colonel Louis D. Pilsbury, Super
"intendent of Prisons of New York,
"under the reformed system of
"prison management introduced in
that State two or three years ago.
50 His reply was short and terse, but
Fright to the point. Said he: If your
"' Board want an honest, capable Warden,
=" I can furnish one, when the time comes,
60 who will fill the bill in every respect
:" He added, If l can be of any service to
''you in reconstructing your State Prison
'' or system, l shall be gratifed' 1 want
" to say, on my own responsibility, that l
cam not sure but that if the proper eff
"forts were made, Colonel Pilsbury him.
"self could be prevailed upon to accept
"the position" We regard this statement
as of special Importance because it proves
that the right kind of men for the position
can be procured, if the State wants to re-
form the State Prison management
1t should not be necessary to say that
if Colonel Pilsbury himself could be in
duced to accept the position we should at
once have complete guarantee for the
success of the reforms to be established,
provided the Board of Directors had sense
enough to refrain from improper interior
ence with him. For Colonel Pilsbury is
penologist who has had life training in
the work. He is the apt pupil of his
father, General Amos Pilsbury, one of the
most enlightened prison superintendent of
the time. Colonel Pilsbury has proved his
efficiency in the most practical way. He
took hold of Sing Sing Prison when it was
costing the State $500, 1000 year, and in
three years he brought it up to within
$4,000 of being self-supporting at the same
time introducing reformatory elements of
the highest value into the system. Such
man is the kind of Warden needed here,
and if he could not come himself, an officer
who had been trained under him would
undoubtedly be the next best recourse.
And we know now that trained officer of
that kind can be had. Would the State
be justified in neglecting such an oppor-
tunity when it is presented? This is
business question, and it is one which
must not be evaded or ignored. The State
Prison has too long been abandoned as
prey to office seekers. The truth must
now be realized that it is no proper subject
for that kind of bargain. The State of
California has already incurred a very
heavy obligation in this connection. 1t
has most unpardonably neglected its plain
duty. 1t has maintained barbarous,
brutal, shameful condition of things at
the State Prison 1t has exceeded its au-
thority in wantonly brutalizing and de-
grading its criminals. 1t has al
lowed politicians to fatten on system
which bred crime and increased taxation
in about equal proportions. 1t is time to
insist, in the name of the People, that this
abuse should be abolished, and that gen.
uine reform should be introduced to the
prison system. We have shown how
this reform can be established. We have
indicated a sure way of efecting it. We
have given the evidence that the man for
the position is to be had whenever he is
wanted. And if, in the teeth of this show
ing, the old, bad methods are adhered to,
and all hope of reform is dashed at the
outset by an unfit appointment for Warden,
those who are responsible will entail upon
themselves very serious accountability,
and one to which we shall assuredly hold
them until the public are made thoroughly
acquainted with the merits of the case.