Arizona weekly citizen., 1893-07-22
UNJUST CRITICISMS.

For some time past there has Deen
6isposltion upon the part OF several OF
the newspapers in the territory to Kick
at any and everything that pertains TO
the penitentiary; Of late this spirit mas
become chronic. The entire expense,
the mismanagement and everything else
that could be was laid to the b-ame OF
Yuma. The writer's of the squloe r.
ferred to seem to forget hat there Is
not a prison in the United States where
II costs SO little to feed the prisoners as
it does in Yuma, so at least says the re-
port of the prison officials. The papers
also forget that. while IN session, under
the last administration, the expense per
day for each prison commissioners was
500. Under the present administrator
it ls probably more from the fact taat
all three commissioners come from al
most the farthest points IN the terri-
tory. In addition to this there is a
superintendent who gets $1,000, ana an
assistant SUPERINTENDENT at Sl0OO, sec
rotary at $500 per year, who has ABOUT
three hours work in month 10 per
form. physician at $500 per year, who
probably has an hours work to do per
day. and from thirteen to eighteen
guards at 1920 each with rooms fur-
nished. Now, if the authors OF these
kicks will stop and do little figuring
thew will find that there Is no place 10
the territory where tho prisoners can De
kept as in Yuma. The fault is not lii
the town bat rests, 1irst in the law, tnen
in the appointing power, both OF when
are sadly at fault. Remedy these, cut
off the useless board Of prison commits
sioners and reduce or wipe out the
needless expense, and the expense or
running the prison Will be greatly re-
duced, and satisfactory to the taxpayer
and the best interests OF the territory
Sentinel.
Thanks for the foregoing information.
1t is just such statements that will,
sooner or later, kill off such useless and
foolish expenditures of the peoples
money. But the fault of this drain
upon the finances of the territory does
not lie with the town nor with the peo-
pie of Yuma, but with the administra-
ton in power. The CITIZEN may be
classed as one of the kickers, but GER
tainly we never kicked against the loca-
ton of that costly institution, hut on
the contrary the files of this paper will
show that it kicked at Governor Muir
phy when he recommended its removal,
and will continue to kick at anybody
else that will attempt the same thing.
The prison is as advantGgeous!y located
in Yuma as il would be elsewhere, and
the question OF its disturbance is not
factor at issue. The shortcomings of
McInernay have been paraded the
country over, frogs have swollen to the
size of oxen, mice to kangaroos and
mole hills into mountains, and for what!
To make political capital for the demo
Gratis and allow them, while they cried
stop thief, to work still deeper into the
territorial treasury. But why are the
facts not given and why was the special
report suppressed? Because, forsooth,
the shortcomings of democratic super
intendents had found their way into
facts and figures and the shortcomings
of McInernay looked pale and little be-
side them. We have no excuse fer Nc
Tnernay but we DO not propose that he
shall suffer alone when others worse
than he are to be hidden under the
bushel of forgetfulness. Treat all alike.
Judge men by their actions and not by
their politics, and the couCtry will have
no complaint to make.