The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-12-06
A UNITED STATES PRISON.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FAVoRS
ITS ESTABLISHMENT

The Time Fast Approaching When
Every State VIII Refuse to Receive
Government Convicts Federal
Reformatory Also recommended
Violations of the National Election
Laws.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 5.--The annual re-
port of the attorney general was made pub
lie to-day. 1t says that the penitentiaries
where United States prisoners are confined
are in good condition, and the convicts are
well cared for and humanely treated. The
attorney general says that at the present
time there is not single institution in the
country which will receive United States
prisoners free Of cost. The number Of peni-
tentiaries which will receive United States
prisoners from outside at all is becoming
limited. and in some cases the transfer of
government convicts from one penitentiary
to another becomes necessary in view of the
vacillating enactments of legislatures in
several states. When all the states in which
suitable penitentiaries are located enact
laws to the above effect, the government
Will be compelled to hire quarters for its
criminals or to designate institutions whic
are in no way proper places for thei con-
finement. He, therefore. recommends that
provision be made for United States peui-
tentiarysand United States reformatory,
the latter being intended for the confine-
IN ent of milder classes of criminals. 1t is
also urged that prison bureau be estab-
lished in the department of justice, where
could be gathered, collated and recorded in
permanent form criminal statistics of the
United States,
FRAUDS AT ELECTIONS.
In a chapter on law business, the Attor-
ney General says:
Very soon after March last it was brought
to my attention that at the then recent con-
gresSional elections there were very numerous
and far-reaching violations of the federal laws
relating to such elections. 1t was charged that
by intimidation of voters, by sezing and de-
stroylng ballot-boxeS, by the substitution of
false ballots, by false returns, by bribery of
voters and election officers and by various
other means well known to those engaged in
this nefarious business, the popular will was
stified and falsifed and returns obtained wholly
at variance with what would have been the
result of free and fair vote, honestly counted
In every case where such charges we're brought
to the attention of this department, instruc-
tions were given to the district attorneys to in-
vestigate and prosecute to the utmost of their
power every person implicated in such viola
tons OF the federal laws, and | am happy to be
able to report that in a number of states such
prosecutions have been successful A. large
number Of indictments have been returned; /;
upon some of them trials have been had;
in number OF cases convictions have been OBJ
tained, and, in some cases, the culprits have
pleaded guilty and asked for mercy at the hands
of the court. A large number OF these cases
are still pending. and the instructions to the
district attorneys are still to push them to the
end.
1t is proper to say that in some cases efforts
have been made, some of them very recently,
to prevent and cripple these prosecutions by
attempts TO- intimidate marshals from serving
process and witnesses from giving their testi-
mony. such intimidation going to the extent of
actual assassination. But it must not be sup
posed that the hostility to the United States
courts and United States officers is confined to
election matters. On the contrary, the records of
the department OF justice show that in some dis
tricts the civil proceedings of these courts, and
criminal prosecutions wholly disconnected with
the elective franchise cannot proceed because
the lives of the necessary witnesses are in such
danger that it would be simply inhuman to en-
force their attendance and the giving of their
testimony; while evidence is abundant that in
certain localities no occupation is so dangerous
as the faithful performance of duty by United
States marshals. OF course such lawlessness
cannot be tolerated. In every case the instruc-
tons to prosecute have been coupled with as
surance that no means within the power of this
department will be spared to protect officers
and witnesses in the discharge OF their duties,
and to bring to punishment every man who
lli0QallY attemntq fhWart alCh DrOSacutiona