Morning journal and courier., 1893-05-19
WANT THE GOVERNOR

WANT THE GOVERNOR
70 Have Power to suspend the
Warden of Our Prison-The quo
warranto Bills Cut Down-The
State Prison Hearing - School
Teachers Must Instruct the Schol-
afs More Fully About Alcoholic
Drlnks-The Senate and House.
HARTFORD, May 1S.-[Speoisl Sen
stor Pierce and Charles e Raymond, edi-
tor of the Bristol Herald, the man who
first agitated through the latter paper the
stories of the alleged i'll treatment OF Pris-
onsrs at the state prison and resulted In
the present investigation, appeared before
the regular states prison committee this
afternoon. They were present to urge the
passage of bill before the committee, CIV
ing the governor power to suspend the
warden, and taking the matter out OF the
hands of the board of prison directors.
The bill provides that the governor shall
have the power to remove the warden OF
the state prison for cause. That the direc-
tors shall have the sole power to remove
subordinate officers, but the warden may
suspend subordinate officers, pending an
application by the warden to the directors
for the removal of such officer; also that
every prisoner shall have the right to COM
municate with the governor in writing In
a sealed envelope, free from the tnspec-
ton or supervision of any other person or
officer.
Senator Pierce explained that the
present bill was not in just the form he
desired it, and that he would early next
week present substitute bill. He, how
ever, favored the governor having the
power Of suspending the warden and dur
ing his argument said-This bill was
framed In view Of the law Of many other
states which give to the governor the all
-soiute power to remove the wardens Of
prisons. In the prison at Charlestown,
Mass, we have had a recent example
of the benefit of such law.
What do you suppose would have been the
result in the latter prison where most of
the prisoners were found to have knives
and revolvers had the governor been
obliged to wait for the action of board of
prison directors until the warden could be
suspended. Why there would have been q
serious riot and under Connecticut law
might happen at any time. 1t seems to
me, however, that this Massachusetts, law
would not quite be the law for Connecti-
cut. We should give the governor the
power to act promptly in these matters,
but not finally.
If things are going wrong at our state
prison we should not be allowed to con-
tinue, while a non-partizan board which
may get tied up over some party Question,
on deciding whether they should suspend
the warden or not. In the second place
the warden ought to have the absolute
power to remove subordinate officers, but
the appointment of these -subordinatss
should be by the board of prison directors.
don't see how you can we'll run pris.
on otherwise. Some will say that this
makes of the warden an autocrst and
would cause his officers to fear him as well
/ as the prisoners. But this danger seems
to me to be not so great as it would be not
| to give the warden this power.
Have a non-psrtisan board pick out 9
good man for warden and then give tc
| the governor the power to suspend hin
| Immediately pending an investigation, OF
| otherwise leave the law as it Is to-day.
| should also approve of the governor having
the power to appoint temporary wardsr
| when necessary.
Charles E. Raymond in advocating tn,
| bill said: In most of the states, will So,
| first that the governor is ex-officio q mem
Der of the prison board of directors, whicl
he ia not in this state. I also understand
the suspension of subordinate officers, an,
there is nothing in the statutes which GOV
ers that point, although I understand tn
warden now suspends and the board of di
rectors discharges.
I think the directors should have tn
power of removing subordinate officers, a
we'll as the appointing power. There
less difficulty about the prisons of Main
than of any other state. In Maine the warde
10 appointed by the governor, as we'll q
the prison inspectors, but they can hol
Office no longer than four years unless r,
} appointed The sub-ofdceTs are appointe
and removed by the warden and Inspector
{ | and where the warden and inspectors di
agree, the governor has the say. The IL
| spectors may also remove the sub office,
for cause without consent of the wardel
9 and they may also investigate the doinl
b of the wsrder, officers and prisoners.
think 1t should be the same way in th
state.
Senator Crandall after a hard fight t
J. day passed through the senate bill whit
g | will interest nearly everyone, and whit
| provides that the nature of alcoholic drinl
' and narcotics and special instruction as
their effects upon the human system,
4 / connection with the several divisions
q the subject of physiology and hygien
shall be included in the branches of stut
taught in the common or public school
and shall be studied and taught as 9TH
| like required branches, by the use
graded textbooks in the hands of pupi
| where other branches are thus studied ar
orally in the case of pupils unable to rea
t and by all pupils in all schools supportt
q | wholly or in part by public money.
q The act also provides that one-ffth
the space of books on these subjects shf
. consider the nature of alcoholic drinks al
q narcotics.
@ Also, that no certificate shall hereaft
be granted to any person to teach In Il
public schools of Connecticut who has n
+ passed satisfactory examination in ply
n ology and hygiene with special referen
q to the effects and nature of alcoholic drin
r and other narcotics upon the human sy
=, tenn.
In the house to-day the majority a,
l minority reports of the committee on q
= preparations in the quo wsrranto cas-
O was the order Of the day. The minori
report was adopted after much discussie
Z by vote of 100 to 70, and an amendmel
by Mr.. Gum, paying 81, 600 each to &c
eral Merwin and the heirs of Joseph
Alsop, and So, 900 each to Secretary Of Sta
4 Phelan, ex-Secretary Walsh and Treasur
t Sanger, in lieu of salary for 1892, W
q | also passed.
The majority report gave $44, 658 80
the lawyers, while the minority report Gu
1t down to $29, 908 80. The minority +
port reads as follows:
1 Resolved by this assembly:
. Section /. That the comptroller be and here
| is empowered and directed to draw his order
!, the treasurer in favor OF Henry Stoddard for t
/ | following amounts to pay the expenses Of the
lators IN the quo warranto election case, as f
/ lows: -
For expenses, including court, sheriff,
witness fees, printing, etc.. ......,$ 1898
l. For legal services of Charles R. Inger-
q For legal services Of Triton e. Dooiittiis SO
o | For legal services of Henry Stoddard.. 5000
4 / For legal services of Lynde Harrison lbs
y Sec. 2. The comptroller is further au-
u / thorized and directed to draw his
4 order on the treasurer 10 favor of
Henry G. Robinson for the following
sums on account of the expenses In
the quo warranto election cases for
cash expenses, witness, sheriff fees,
rde s legal services rs Of Henry e. ROBIN. "'o'
~ For legal services Of Charles j. Cole. ESQ
3 | For legal services Of William G. Case. $500
. Total. .sas, Ns
4 The state prison investigation commit
i met this afternoon at $50 at the prise
]. | Hon. Francis Wsyland, chairman of d
board of directors, was the first witne
called to the stand. Senator Root ask
him how many times he visited the prise
4 n ST 4-1A -