St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-04-14
And Only a Third Of the Con-
vietS Will Cut Stone
for Sale.
The Prison Managers, Five in
Number, to Be Made
Elective.
Senator's Spend an Evening
in Discussing Prison
Legislation.

when, after long and hard fight, the
senate recommended bill to pass that
will employ only 33115 per cent OF the
convicts IN the st. Cloud reformatory in
the cutting and dressing of stone for
sale. When this measure passed the
house it was considered as well nigh
impossible to get it through the senate,
the members of the latter body wanting
in many cases as high as. rs per cent Of
the cOnyicts to be employed in cutting
stone. When the bill was first
taken up on the special order last
evening an amendment was carried
fixing the number to be so employed at
80 per cent. This set the Stearns coun-
ty senator at work and before the COM
mltee arose the vote had been recon-
sidered, the amendment defeated and
the bill recommended to pass. This re-
quired some live work on the part of
the Sank Center senator, but he did get
there.
Senate Makes q Record.
Shortly after o'clock last evening
nearly forty of the fifty-four Senators
repaired to the Capitol prepared to dis
euss and dispose of all bills relating to
the states prison and reformatory upon
the special order. The first measure
taken up was Representative Searle's
bill, amending the law relating to the
establishment of the st. Cloud reform
atOry. This measure provided that not
over 1873 per cent of the prisoners
should be employed in cutting granite
for sale. All the prisoners. however,
could be set to work cutting stone for
public buildings of the state.
The reading of this bill was followed
by the offering of an amendment by
Senator Kelly Increasing the proportion
of prisoners to 50 per cent. Senator
Keller made vigorous fight for the bill
as it came from the house, but the fight
was of no avail and the amendment was
adopted.
Senator SanborD's bill providing for
the appointment of commissioner of
prisons and reformatOries was taken up
next. This bill provides for the con-
tract system, and is a general act for the
entire government of the states prison.
The bill was read by the secretary and
the discussion opened.
Gen. Sanborn made brief, but able
and convincing, argument in favor Of
his measure. He thought the statement
that the board, as at present conSti-
tuted, was out of politics, is incorrect
The authority should be centralized,
and the place of the board of five filled
by one man. Above and beyond this he
felt certain that the contract system
was the best, both as regards matters of
economy in the conduct Of the prison
and on reformatOry grounds. With the
exception of few instances of bad
management the contract system had
proved the most satisfactory to the
state. OF course there might, and GER
tainly would be, difference of opinion
oil
will look at this question from different
Standpoints.
Senator Donnelly made
Vigorous Onslaught
on the bill. The cost of the states
prison from the year 1861 down was
stated and the receipts compared with
the expenditures. The making of twine
at the prison was proving a success,
and the farmers were demanding that
the convicts be employed in the manu-
facture of Irvine. The bill before the
senate was simply an attempt to re-
habilitate the old ring. The farmers
were demanding a change, as they had
right to do. In closing he said:
"Can the senators of the Republican party
afford to have it said, The Republican party
is the friend of the farmer only at election
time? Can any party afford to go on record
against the agricultural interests of the
state?'
Here the senator from Dakota offered
an amendment providing for the cleo
ton of the prison board by the people.
IF the senator from Dakota would confine
himself to a statement of the facts said
Gen. Sanborn, Il would not object to allow
ing his remarks to go uncontradicted. When
he says there has been gross Encouragement
in the affairs of the prison the committee
agrees with him, but this should not be used
to discredit the system. In regard to the
manufacture of Irvine, the committee has ut
tered no word of encouragement. If it can,
by competition, reduce the price, there may
be some advantage in it; but figures do not
lie. and the manufacture of Irvine cannot be
made a financial success. Now, it is beneath
any senator here to impugn the motives of
another senator. If a false sentiment has
been created throughout the state, it is our
duty to set the people right. But, above all
things, let us kee p this matter ont of politics.
When the senator advocates throwing the
commission in the hands of a political con-
ventlon, he is making declaration full of abb
surdities. If the people still want TO go on
with their experiment. let it cost what it
may, say let them go on; but have always
made it point 10 oppose any project that
was doomed to failure, even if all the people
were in favor of the scheme in question"
Senator Mott thought that the state
could make success Of the manufac
ture of binding Irvine. Senator O'Brien
said that the price of Irvine might be
higher later in the year. As it is now
the Irvine is being offered at almost any
price, in some cases even lower than
the bare cost of the raw material.
Senator Leavitt opposed the Sanborn
bill because he thought trial should
be given the twlne industry, and for
this reason he should oppose the bill
before the senate. Senator Wood fay-
ored adding new Irvine machine and
the giving of the experiment fair
trial, Under the American form of gov
eminent the election of all officers
ought to be by the peple, whether all
were agreed that the best officers were
secured in that way or not.
Senator Morse offered an amendment
relieving the state of
Any Responsibility
for reasonable shop ROOM" All the
old contracts and the way in which Sey-
mour, Sabin & Co. ran things was re-
cited. The mistakes in the old contract
were pointed out, and the way in which
the old contractors had beaten the state
was detailed, the senior Hennepin SEN
ator seeming to have thorough knowl
edge of the entire history of the prison.
The amendment of Mr.. Morse was
adopted, and after a lengthy discussion
the previous question was ordered. The
roll call was ordered on the amendment
offered by the Sage, making the prison
board elective. When the name of SEN
ator Barr was called he took the floor,
and, in manly, straight forward
way declared that he was in
favor of neither the amendment
not the Sanborn bill. As the amend
ment came nearer his views he would
vote AYE" on the amendment. Sena-
tor Craven was the next to explain his
vote. He was satisfied that the binding
Irvine business could never be made
success. The present plant would cost
! $780, 900: to extend it would make the
experiment too costly.
because we have made mistake in
the past" said the Carver senator, lis
no reason why we should plunge the
state into untold expenditure. 1t is not
the sentiment of all the farmers that
we should make lavish appropriations