St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-08-25
Old and Competent Guards
Displaced to Make Way
for BummepS.
E. G. PAIL, Of New Ulm, May
Be the Next State
Treasurer.
Congressional Conventions
Will Be the Feature Of
the Week in Politics.

to be fought OH that ground, l know OF
thing or two that might as well be
ventilated now as later. am Repub-
lican, but believe the best way to help
ones party is to expose its abuses of
power, and by reforming things prove
that you are entitled to the confidence
of the people. No party is greater than
the people who give it power, and when
the representatives of a political party
fail to perform the duties imposed upon
them faithfully and honestly, | believe
in teaching such party useful lesson
by retiring them for time"
"But what has all this to do with the
present business administration of the
srate?' asked the GLOBE man at this
jnncture.
Considerable. my dear sir" was the
reply. II have in measure tried to
explain the reason for me, a Republi-
can, speaking as l shall about one of
our state institutions over which Gov.
Merriam has full control and which was
in splendid condition when he became
governor in January, 1889. l refer to
the state prison at Saltwater. When
the present warden, j .Randall.a Vino
IA pOliticion, was appointed to the of
flee he now holds, those not acquainted
with him expressed their fears as to his
being competent man for the place.
and their worst predictions have been
more than fulfilled in the last year and
half. The Saltwater prison Is
Utterly Demoralized.
"The convicts snap their fingers at the
guards and do exactly as they please.
ic nnonfifU
Prisoners work how and when they
like, and the guards seem to be unable
to place things on different basis"
us not the old force of guards still
on duty?" asked the reporter.
"No, SIR" was the response, "and the
fact that almost an entire change has
been made in the guards goes far to-
ward explaining the demOraliZed con-
dition of affairs. When Warden Ran
dali took hold of things he at once be-
gan the systematic removal of the old
officers. The most important positions
were first made vacant, and were filled,
it is said, with new men dictated by
the governor himself. For instance, S.
A. Langum, of the Preston Times, was
made deputy warden in place of a man
who had been there long time and
was thoroughly acquainted with the
duties of the place."
"How did they manage to dismiss the
common guardS?"
Easily enough" was the answer.
'sAt the time of the opening of the st.
Cloud reformatory about 100 cOnvicts
were transferred from the prison to the
reformatory. This was at once seized
upon by the powers that be- at Still
water, and made the pretext for the re-
moval of number OF old and expert
enced guardSmen. Economy was the
watchword at that time. A week or
two later, however, judge of the dis
charged guardSmen's surprise when
they saw Warden Randall filling their
places with new and inexperienced
men,"
SIS it fact that there are more guards
at Saltwater now than there were when
Warden Randall took charge of the
prison." asked the GLOBE man.
Yes, SIR" responded the gentleman.
81 was about to remark that to-day,
with 100 less prisoners in Saltwater.
there are i've more guards. This fact
effectually disDoses of the claim that re-
movalS have been made on the score of
economy. and the most casual observer
can note from the general air OF inSub-
ordination around the prison, that these
removals could not have been made on
the ground of securing more efficient
men for the positions"
''But this is not all. Among those re-
moved have been several old soldiers,
some of whom are partially disabled
from wounds received in the late war,
but all were competent and firSt-cIasS
guards. Their removal without cause,
and apparently solely for the purpose
of creating places for number of ward
heelers, has stirred I'D considerable
feeling among old soldiers, and, in fact,
all who are acquainted with the Sltua-
ton as it is. The Saltwater prison is
to-day the worst mismanaged prison in
the United States. 1t is political ma
chine pure and simple, and an inveStl-
CATION of affairs there would cause
Chairman Heatwole to study up some
other campaign cry than state issues"
This is terrible arraignment of an
Institution which until lately ranked
among the best-managed prisons of the
country, and it comes from man who
knows whereof he speaks. What has
the present business administration to
say as to these charges?
A few days ago the GLOBE mentioned
Col. Francis BaaSen, of New Ulm, as a
probable candidate for the Democratic
nomination for state treasurer. 1t now
appears that Col. Baasen's health will
not permit him to make the campaign
he would feel bound to make. and his
county will present the name of E. G.
PAIL, of the same city. for the place.
Mr.. PAIL is one of the veteran Demo
Gratis of the Second district, and has al
ways done valiant service for his party.
He has the confidence and respect of all
who know him, and his friends claim
that if he is placed on the Democratic
ticket he will be the next state treasurer
of Minnesota. From present indications
Mr.. PAIL will be nominated by acclama-
ton.
This will be star week in the way of
congressional conventions. no less than
three of which will be held in the state
between Tuesday morning and Satur-
day night. Two of these will be Demo
cratic conventions, while the third will
meet for the purpose of placing the vet
eran ''Sand hauler" of Owatonna again
in the field for congress in the first dis
trict The three conventions mentioned
will be held at the following times and
places:
First district Republican congress
slonal convention, at Austin on Tues
day. Aug. 26.
First district Democratic congress.
sional convention, at Winona on Thurs
day, Aug. Is.
Fourth district Democratic congress
sional convention, at Saltwater on Sat
urday, Aug. so.
The Austin convention will be COM
posed of seventy-four deleg ates appor-
toned as follows among the nine coun-.
ties of the district:
Dodge ....... -. 6IWabasha. .......... 6
Fillmore 5000. -. ~ Olmsted. :. ...... 8
Freeborn. -. 8 Winona -. ..... IL
Mower. ............. 81 Total. ..........74
OF these Congressman Dunnell has
captured every county except Fillmore.
OF course there will be a scattering del
egate here and there with anti-Dunnell
sympathies. but there will be practi-
cally no opposition to his denomination.
j. M. Diment, of Owatonna, will call
this convention to order.
k,;o a.