The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1886-02-02

pTDFtmtULN anu ErphlIHJ anu SDUltiilbk
on the Superintendent Of the Peniten
tisry aud the Governor, the power q
contract for such repairs and improve
ments. IL is very probable that the
Governor intended, in his message, d
mention this Act, instead Of the Act oil
1877, as the one under which the con
tracts were approved, but ne was moi
wrong in giving the Act Of 1877, as thai
Act WAS 10 force, by virtue OF the terms
Of the contract or lease; or he m ghl
have given both the Act of 1877 and OF
March 10, 1894, as the authority under
which he acted, and nave been right II
is true that Governor I.Owry's reputa
ton AS a lawyer bears no proportion "a
his well-kno~n and justly earned repu
tation as a high minded, honorable man
and an upright Christian gentleman
but he has strong legal knowledge
knows his duty, and all know full well
that be would not have approved con
tracts for work unless he had known be
iOrehand that the official sanction FOR
such was full and ample; and TO ques
tiun his honesty Of purpose or intention
in the matter would be an insult 10 an
hOnored and useful career. Such charge
would do violence to all knowledge Of
the man, and his character and standing
in the state, which has 20 highly honor
ed him, and here is exposed the "cloveu
foot" Of Junius. There are two route,
10 Natchez can 90 to Vicksburg and
down the river, or can go by the rail
road, but after getting to Natchez,
would he there no matter which route
selected. so the approval of the con.
tracts. whether done under the Act
OF 1877, or the Act Of March IL
1884, are right aud in accordance
with the law and cannot be made
otherwise. Such Is the fact and must
80 remain until the end of that lease.
The writer in question seems to be la
boring under the impression that the
Superintendent and Governor had nc
right to contract for repairs AID i'm
provements, and strangely enough, h.
quotes himself the language of the Act
comforting such authority. had any been
needed. He quotes the Superintendent
~ saying in his report: "ln approving
contracts with the essees" etc, and adds
"it seems from the report of the Super
intendent that he, too, like the Governor
approves contracts with the lesseesT
aud asks, "whO makes these contract,
with the lesseesf' Such clubbing
is hardly worthy of reply, and
il calculated to produce smile
rather than serious reflection on the part
of one who reads the article of Junius
II is difficult to answer seriously such 8
nlmsy effort ut argument. The law au
thorizes the superintendent, with the
approval of the Governor, to contract
f rsuch repairs and improvements, and
we hope Junius knows better than tc
suppose that the Superintendent would
contract for repairs and improvement,
under such law, without approval. W.
don't suppose the difference between
making contract and approving con
tract in this instance, is very great
Surely the approver of a contract is
party to the making of it, and it is equal
y reasonable to suppose that the make
Of n contract approves il. In makinl
and approving contracts with the les
sees, the Superintendent of the Peniten
tiary has simply discharged the dut,
which the law devolved upon him, anc
the spiteful fling that IAN officer with 4
salary of $1,000 n year" should have con
tracted for $4,000 worth of improve
ments, is uHwo thy OF notice. The da,
has passed in this country, when az
anonymous communication can cast q
slur upon an upright gentleman and {
faithful public servant.
1t is true that the essees would hav,
been due the State ON January 1st.
1886, $50 400 90 for the lease of 1885, bu
if Junias had examined the law, h,
would have learned that the Iessees wer,
authorized and emp ,wered to transfer
their lease to the Gulf and Ship Island
Railroad Company-that the Gulf and
Ship Island Railroad Company assumed
all the liabilities on account of said lease
and that the lessees turned over to them
property relating to the penitentiary
amounting to over $40 100000, and in
Guiding the property belonging to the
State of about $4,000. 1t looks a.
though the article of Junius wa,
prompted more through the spirit OF
malevolence than an honest effort to
Inform the public, as he is incorrect in
his statement of the law and the facts
For the ten and half years previou,
to the lease, the penitentary made hoi,
in the Treasury of Mississippi of $40l ,
600. Since the lease to Hamilton &
Co, in 1876, to the pgesen.-nine and d
half years---it has been run without q
dollar of expense to the State or the
imposition of a dollar of taxation, aud
has filed a hole in the Treasury to the
extent If $l96,00000. Or, in other
words, Hamilton & Co. will have erected
800 900 worth of buildings, when present
contracts are completed, put in $4,000
worth of machinery, and paid S5S, 500
cash in the State Treasury, and paid all
exp, nses of every kind relating to the
pcnitentiary and convicts, toithout cost IA
The State. Such has never occurred
before in the history of the Mississippi
penitentiary or-wi,h one exception
in the history of any other penitentiary
in the United States; and we venture
the prediction that our grand children
will have grown gray before it again
occurs to an equal extent,
Crime and It's punishment are costly
to any State or people, and our wisest
legislators have always found the dispo
s,tion of the criminal class the mos
difficult of all legislative problems, anC
the general conclusion and the bes
that can be hoped for, is to so utilize tn,
convict labor as to relieve the State oI
the burden of expense, aud at the sam,
II ma moi nr,nir 1 Ia rnnntinn. ~ .,.,r; l.