The Saint Paul globe., 1897-10-24
TIE PUBLIC AROUSED.

The story of shame related in yes
terday's G o b e concerning the man
agement Of the state prison at Still
water is the theme of every tongue.
The people of the state of Minnesota
are justly indignant and outraged at
the secrets of the conduct of that in
stitution. which have been laid before
the public gaze. Nothing tends and
nothing deserves to inspire a deeper
loathing, a stronger desire for imme-
date correction and punishment than
a revelation of barbarity inflicted upon
the helpless creatures whom their own
errors have placed in a position that
incapacitates them for self-defense
What is done in penal institution of
the state is necessarily, for the most
part, known only to those charged
with the conduct of it's affairs Occa-
sionally a legislative or other investi-
eating committee makes a pilgrimage
to Saltwater, and the time of it's ad-
vent and departure are well known.
Periodically members of the board of
managers and of the board of charities
and corrections may visit and inquire,
but it is rarely that they go with such
searches so minutely as to disclose the
whole facts.
In the everyday routine of the lives
Of these hundreds of people who are
scores of opportunities for wreaking
petty revenge and for making life un-
endurable. No one can tell what goes
on within those forbidding precincts
unless he watches the inner life of the
prison day by day and hour by hour
The burden of proof is always on the
prisoner. The presumption is always,
and must be, against him. He has for
feited the right to be believed, and too
many of those paying the penalty of
the law are ready to fill any ear with
lying inventions for their words to
carry weight. All these circumstances
tell against that complete publicity
which is the only safeguard, and if
those who are in charge of prison ad-
ministratien and the execution of
prison discipline fail In their diligence
or their duty, a. penitentfary may be-
come a living hell. They are, there
fore, rightly to be held to more than
ordinarily strict accountability; and if
it is shown that, either by intention
or neglect, they permit savage wrong
to be done to the human beings turned
ever absolutely to their mercies, there
can and ought to be no place of for
giveness for them.
What has Warden Wolfer to say OF
the facts that have been set forth and
supported by abundant evidence con-
cerning assaults and outrages upon
convicts at Saltwater? What has
Deputy Lemon to say Of the charges
of personal participation brought
against him by many eye witnesses?
What have the board Of prison man.
ayers to say of a conduct of this great
institution under which such things
were possible? These are questions
Minnesota to the other, and an answer
must be forthcoming. Our people are
not of a spirit to sit down and let the
fair name of their state suffer, nor
are they such worse than beasts that
they can contemplate the indignity, the
wrong and the suffering endured by
men who, though under the ban of
the law, are also under the protection
of the law, and demand no remedy and
no punishment. Not one moment
should be lost in investigating the
charges that have been made public