Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-12-14
THE DEMOCRATIC ORGAN AND TIE
STATE PRISONS.

The San Francisco Examiner has for the
past two years INDUCED in general denun-
Citations Of the administration of the State
Prisons CT this State. These denuncia.
tons have been SO vague and unspecitic as
| to justify doubts of that Journals general
intelligence of the matters it SO freely
i criticises. Latterly it has evidently been
preparing the way for Democratic clean
sweep of prison officials, and when that is
| accomplished nothing more will be heard
through i.s columns of the maladministra-
ton of prison affairs. In fact the Er.
aminer has not at any time had any fault
TO find with the misrule and misgovern-
ment of the State Prison under the Demo-
cratic administration of Governor Irwin.
It pretends to ignorance of the fact
that the worst features of penal
discipline existing to-day are legacies of
the administration which paid one convict
in single settlement 81, 700 for woik done
while serving sentence to hard labor for
crime which contracted for tie further
service of the same convict at 500 per
month, including barter for the exercise
of Executive clemency, and allowed that
same convict liberties wholly at variance
with proper penal restraint and discipline.
The Eranline, has found fault with prison
management as it has existed under Re.
publican administration. 1t makes no spe.
cific allegations against the existing penal
administration, because it is not well enough
informed to formulate such charges, and it
lacks the address TO conceal the political mo.
tive which underlies the bald dogmatism of
its ill-informed criticisms. In all this the
Examiner is illustrating the difference be-
tween loose-tongued sccld and respon-
sible journalist, and Emphasizing the dis
tInction between reformer and vilifier.
Recently the California Prison Commits.
zion, benevolent association, through its
Board of Directors, issued report, in
which will be found some complimentary
references to the general administration OF
the State Prison at San Q1entin. The
Commission is a voluntary benevolent asso-
citation, organized in the interest of penal
reform, and for the further worthy object
of aiding discharged convicts to return to
tie paths of industrious and honorable
manhood. The commendation accorded the
management of the prison referred to by
this charitable body was not at all to the
purpose of the Eeaminer. That paper has
evidently taken a contract to prepare the
public mind for transfer of all emolu-
ments arising out of prison patronage and
prison official position to Democratic
benefciaries. The commendatory re.
marks of the benevolent Commission were
therefore asssiled, not by any intelligent,
candid showing OF facts, which would
prove the Communications undeserved, but
by that species of ill-bred unsupported as.
sertion which is forever the resort Of
stupid malignity. We intend by this nt
defense of the prison administration of the
State. We have heretofore presented
specifically the offenses for which it is in
dictable. But it is altogether toe
well known that with all its faults
the existing prison management is better
than any under Democratic rule, to en-
courage any hope of improvement through
Democratic ascendancy, or TO make its fail
ures the basis of successful assault upor
Republican administrations. It is also
only too evident that complaints agains
the prison management are now being
brought forward for the purpose OF sup
planting one political partisan management
by another, a change which promises moth
ing OF good to genuine Prison Reform.