Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1882-11-23

FrlSOH WdrOenSnIp pTOIlIScS u
be quite an issue with the COM
ing Legislature. There are two
factions in the fight, one is
to make the Lieutenant-Gov-
ernor ex-officio Warden, and the
other advocating the character
Of a new man. The Reno Journal
publishes the following:
Some of our State papers are
advocating the re-enactment
of the law making the Lieuten-
ant-Governor ex-otficio Warden
Of the State Prison. Others
persistently oppose the propo-
sition. Those who favor the
movement are probably infiu-
enced by desire to provide
observation-disclosures Laughton
with a comfortable position dur
ing his term of office. The only
compensation now allowed by
law to that gentleman is the SO
per day while presiding over
the State Senate and SI4 per
day in case he may be called
upon to act as Governor. For
the past eight years Lieutenant
Governor Adams has been draw
ing $500 performing but slight
service, in order that because of
the position he occupied he
might have living provided
for him. But the State is not
now in a financial condition to
provide living for any simply
because they are in office, and
the last Legislature wisely de-
cided, in our opinion, to relieve
the Lieute nant- Governor from
all duty, except such as
contemplated by the Constitu-
ton. This idea was departed
from at an early period in the
history of the State Government,
and the Lieutenant Governor
made ex-officio Warden. After
the experience had with Sling
erland and Denver the Legisla-
ture conclud d to delegate to
itself the power Of electing the
Warden of the Prison. 1t then
attempted to provide for the
Lieutenant Governor and made
him State Librarian and Adju-
tant General. Mr.. Adams en-
ployed a clerk to attend to the
State Library, and the State had
to pay the sum Of $4,000 for
that expensive luxury. The
Supreme Court Justices were
then entrusted with the man
agement of the Library. and the
last Legislature fixed the pay of
the clerk at $1,000 per annum.
During this period Lieutenant
Governor Adams has been earn
ing his $500 per month by at
tending to the insignificant
duties connected with the
Adjutant Generals Office. In
the first place Nevada has no
need Of a Lieutenant Governor,
and the office should be abol-
ished. In the second place the
office should not be continued
simply to make the officer ex-
officio Warden Of the Prison.
Mr.. Laughton would make a
good Warden, and while the
power of selecting that function
airy rests with the Legislature,
the Journal has no objection to
that body choosing the new
Lieutenant Governor to manage
the affairs of the Prison, being
perfectly well satisfied that he
would conduct the institution
with credit to all concerned.
But what the Legislature
ought to do with the Warden
ship is to place the Warden in
the hands Of the regular Board
of Prison Commissioners as
named in the Constitution. AS
the matter now stands the Board
has the constructive, tut the
Warden the actual control Of
affairs. From the moment the
Legislature adjourns the War
den is supreme. No subordi-
nate officer should have that
power, and if this policy is to
continue the people should elect
the Warden and not the Legis-
la'ure. The Governor, Attorney
General and Secretary of State
are the Constitutional Board of
Prison Commissioners. The ap-
poin tment Of the Warden End
the general management of the
prison should be in their hands,
A