Omaha daily bee., 1895-09-06

WHEN WILL THE SCANDALS CEASEf
The Nebraska state penitentlary has
been the source Of more scandal, job
berry and corruption than all the other
state institutions combined. 1t was con-
ceived In iniquity and born in fraud.
Its projectors absorbed 10000 acres Of
land and hundreds Of thousands OF dol
lars have been expended In the con-
struction Of an aggregation Of combus-
tible buildings and fire-trap extensions
At every stage from the laying of the
corner stone to the $4,000 cell house,
from Stout to Mosher and from Mosher
to Dorgan, there has been a succession
Of penitentiary scandals that have
smirched the regulations Of state Off
GERS and debauched our legislatures.
The penitentiary has done more to de-
moralize the republican party and to
bring 1t into disrepute than all other
agencies, excepting alone the interfer-
ence of railroad managers.
The penitentiary contract was at the
bottom of the Mosher bank failure, rs
1t has been Of the very latest treasury
raid perpetrated under the auspices of
dishonest penitentiary appraisers. The
only possible excuse for this bare-faced
fraud was the abolition Of the convict
labor contract system and the
restoration Of state management
and control of the inmates of
the institution. Here, at least,
the late legislature was supposed
to have inaugurated a reform long de-
manded by the people. When the bill
to authorize the purchase of the Mosher-
Dorgan claims and chattels was pend
ing in the legislature the supporters of
the measure came fortified with a
statement of Warden Beemer that by
abOlishing the contract system the state
could save fully one-half of the money
which was being paid to the prison con-
tractor Mr.. Beemer went so far as to
assert that there was no doubt that he
could make the prisoners self-support-
ing.
In the face of this assurance and the
more recent statements that the state
was paying no less than twice what
victs in idleness, the four state officers
who constitute the State Board of Pub
lie Lands and Buildings have taken it
upon themselves to let new contract
at the old price of 40 cents a day for
each Convict with his labor thrown in.
DOrgan for $500 if the contract sys-
tenn is to be retained? What object is
there in having two sets of taXeaters in
the same institution-one set under a
$1,000 warden and one set under
$4,000 superintendent? If, as is as
serted, the contract with Mr.. Beemer
is not a lease of convict labor, but
merely a contract for salary to be
paid to spurious contractor, then 1t is
nothing more nor less than the creation
of a supertluous office. Where is the
authority of law for creating such an
office? If Mr.. Beemer's bid of 40 cents
per day and perquisites is merely a
blind, why all this jugglery? Why not
hire him as manager to do certain work
at stipulated salary and be done
with it?
To the uninitiated the whole proceed
ing appears to be another piece of job
berry. Is it not about time for republi-
can state officers to wash their hands
OF. all penitentiary scandals, which must
force the party to make defensive
campaign in 1896 when it should be
aggressive? How can the party gain
anything by throwing sop to any man
or a dozen men in the shape of salaried
SinecureS?