Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1881-01-15

the penal systems Of Mississippi and Al
ALBANIA, and We hope that surs will not
degenerate to such a plane.
There are. Of course, some idle msn
in the prison just new, because they have
been engaged in building = new shsp,
and like all other persons 10 employed,
they cannot work in extremely cold
weather. We are not ready to believe,
however. that the prfsoa management
is 10 poor that these men cannot DO SUI
iciently employed to give them the *
sreiss necessary for their health. It il
perfectly proper to sndsavor to make
the prison sslf-sustaining. We desire to
see It 10. and We have Nc sort of doubt
that when it 10 properly equipped with
buildings aad motive power, it will be 20.
The state Of Missouri il not = pauper.
There has net been, 50 far ~ We havs
heard, q single complaint regard
ing the appropriation made BY the last
general assembly to erect q building for
the saddle tree factory. With improved
shops and greater motive power. the
contractors will b able to absorb the
few men new temporarily idle.
There is wsrk, too, to Do for the
state. The kitchen and dining.rosm OF
the prison should be in enc building,
with high ceilings and COED ventilation.
The present kitchen 10 altogether mad
squate, and it, Inconvenience makes 1t
expensive. 3
There is another great need, which few
members Of the legislature will learn un-
less they take pains to investigate it. In
the upper story Of the hospital arc sever
al insane and idietie prisoners. The hos
pital lsa coed building. but it was never
intended and il not adapted to insane
patients. There should be q building
erected. especially a an asylum for thsss
people, within the walls OF the prison. 1t
Wal only neglected by the last general
assembly because OF matters thsught to
be more pressing. It will hardly do for
the pround state of Missouri to say that
she has not employment for convicts In.
side the walls Of the prison, while these
u%afortunates are grinning cut their hell
upon earth IN a condition far less com.
fsrtsbls than they might DO placed In.
1t nay b urged that insane prisoner.
should be sent to the state asylums now
In existence. This has been tried and
found impracticabls. The patients ia
these Institutions are a. sensitive regard.
ing their associations a. IL any one
owing to their nervous condition gener,
ally more se-and the introduction o.
convicts among them alw ays disturbl
them to such an extent, and retards th,
recovery Of those whs have any chance
that it has to be gwen up. The only
place for the asylum for insane convict.
is inside OF the prison enclosure. Auoth
er thing. II the state had such an asy
lum, a law might be enacted that when
ever a man is adiudged to have commit
ted 8 murder because of insanity, b,
shall be sentenced TO Imprisonment IL
its walls, as, clearly, if he is insan,
enough to kill mi man he is Graz,
enough to kill another, and. should b,
under restraint.
We hope the legislature will not agar
open this question OF working convict.
cut, upon which We have merely touch
ed. and throw it like q hand grenad,
into the politics of the state. 1t Is sur,
to do harm, and can do no good, - sv,
cry time 1t becomes an issue before the
people. II will bs concluded ~ It Wal
after the canvass sf 1s7s.