The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-09
WHICH WAS so STRONG THAT THE
PARTY GOT FIGHTING
OVER 1T.
OLD BUT INTERESTING HISTORY.
The Reason why Even a LegisIa-
tive Committee Couldn't Jar
Lemon in 81.

| now aDSurQly lnapI the lQea OIL the
| party organ was, the G o b has only
| to reproduce a communication from S.
! A. Langum, which appeared in the
| G o b Of Feb. 10, 1891. This commu-
nication is as follows:
To the Editor of the Globe
l have waited long and patiently in the
| hope that some one whose motives would be
| less open to criticism, and whose abilities
| would entitle them to more recognition, would
| make it a duty he owed the people to place
| before them the facts and circumstances of
| the case which is the subject matter of this
| communication and which, from one-slded
point of vantage, has occupied the atten-
| ton of the public for the past few months.
But, finding that ex-Warden Randall himself.
we'll as his numerous friends, has treated
| his malignant prosecutors with silent con-
| tempt, | venture to ask for a little space,
| and l deem it my duty to let the people
know little Of "the other side,' as it were,
and call their attention to as contemplate
piece of executive business as was ever per
petrated in this or any other state, when, at
| the dictates Of the prison ring, Gov. Mer-
| Ram decreed the official sacrifice Of Mr.. Ran
| dall-One of the best and most honest or pup
| lie servants.
Ex-Warden Randall, at a meeting of the
| prison board held in December last, handed
| in his resignation which was tabled for the
time being and which he afterward withdrew.
but which at the following meeting the board
| took up as If withdrawal had been made,
| thus virtually dlScndfSlng MIN WlIHOuI OHG
atom of cause for the act.
l have it on the authority Of the ex-warden
himself that Gov. Merriam demanded his
resignation. By what authority, l ask, was
empowered the board Of prison managers
alone to deal with the warden. This is the
law, clearly laid down, and the governor
overstepped his duty and trampled upon the
law when he made this audactous and high
handed request Where is the necessity OF
representatives for making laws for the guld-
| TO Il ;- hfoh and 1iyhfT
monarch of all he surveys is to laugh their
deliberations to scorn?
The cry of lack of prison discipline which
Gov Merriam has had the audacity to chorus,
and behind which he endeavors to protect
himself from the rising tide of public lndlg-
nation, is all clap trap, gotten up Tor the pur-
pose of hiding the real cause, which Is the
odium of the contractors and the old prison
ring that has fattened so long at the pubic
crib, and whose everlasting enmity Mr.. Ran
dali incurred by his stubborn resolve to pro-
tect the interests of the state.
In 'S3 or 'S4 when TarboX & Co., OF St
Paul, under the contract system, offered 6lB
cents per day for the services of the convlcts,
the ring which was then the ruler OF the
state land is now, to appearances) stepped in
and got them for 10 cents. In olden times
the ring did all the state work, mostly at 40
this was not permitted. Let the inVeStlgat-
ing committee now at work look over the old
contracts and the bills for work done by the
ring Then compare the prices with like
work accomplished by the state itself. and
people will not wonder at the frenzy and mad
desire to get rid of a warden who has wound
ed them in their most tender spotIthfeiir
pocketbook. Look over the prices for build
ing the walls, the cell building, shops. laun-
dry. kitchen. everything. and publish your
conclusions to the world.
Doing his duty is the alpha and omega OF
the ex-warden's crime, and for this the board
Of managers, obeying the crack OF the mas
ter's whip, hurl him from office in the race
of the fact that the rules and regulations for
the guidance of the institution, which they
approved May last, have been adhered to
to the very letter. not to mention the fact
that the present house, by practically unan-
imous vote requested that he be retained.
Gov. Merriam has the unblushing effrontery
to assert that no such thing as a prison
ring exists. 1 tell him it does, and further
more he knows it, and has participated in the
star chambers at which Warden Randalls
head was officially decapitated. In support Of
of letter addressed by F. H. Lemon to Mr..
Thompson, of the st. Paul Dispatch, the
recognized organ Of Gov. Merriam, which
speaks for itself:
Thompson. Editor Dispatch. st. Paul
Dear Sir: Since seeing you 1 have had a
talk with Mr. Sabin and it looks to me as If
the board of managers will need stirring UP
some before any change will be made here
at the prison. Mr.. S. said he could not find
you when over the last time. Don't you think
it would be good plan for you to get Mr..
eSabin over some day and meet the governor
before the meeting of Dec. 3. l am quite sure
that it needs some work to be done before
next meeting or things will fizzle out entire
ly, if postponed for another month.
l hope that you will look favorably upon
my suggestion. Yours truly,
+. H. Lemon.
Mr. Lemon is the son-in-law of Mr.. Sey-
mOur, of the firm of Seymour, Sabin & Co,
and has now secured his share of the bar
gain-that of position of deputy warden at
the prison. If the ring, writhing under the
pecuniary loss which it sustained by Warden
RandalPs honesty to the state, has not been
the guiding light in his dismissal, and if
the scheme has not been incubated at the
capitol hatchery for some time previous,
why.I ask, does Lemon write so trembingly
to Thompson, telling him that Sabin had been
to St. Paul and failed to see him and begging
him TO hurry UP and see the governor be-
fore the December meeting or the scheme
would 'fzzle Out?' The scheme has ''fz-
zled" to- Lemons, the governors and the
whole gangs entire satisfaction, but it is
one which has made people foam and unless
all signs fail the entire combine will feel
the wrath of outraged public opinion.
Again the misstatement is made that the
ring had nothing to do with the appointment
of Warden RandalIs subordinates. Permit
me to say that it had and again supporting
my assertion | give a letter addressed by
d. NJ. Sabin to Mr.. Randall. which will en-
tighten the public to the fight the ex-
warden had to make to maintain the dignity
and honesty OF his position:
saltwater, Aug. Is, 1SS9;-Dear Rand
Yours truly D. NJ. Sabfn.
Here is man. an outsider, writing to the
head of a department, not polite request
but a command. The man. who in the pres
ence Of such evidence, denies the existence of
a prison ring, or that it is not encouraged
and assisted by Mr.. Merriam in the running
of the prison is little better than an idiot.
Again, Gov. Merriam has repeatedly said
that he would not interfere in the appointing
of the various minor officers at the prison.
Now I happen to know that George NJ. Sey-
had q DartCular whom he tad
appointed as assistant deputy warden. Hav- |
ing lost all influence with Warden Randall, |
he had to appeal to the governor and here |
is the way he the goverHcr) refused to in
terfere.
ST. Paul, Nov. T. 1881. J. Randall Esq, |
Saltwater, Minn.-Dear Sir: Will you have
the kindness to talk over some matters with
the governor before you make the appoint |
ment of assistant deputy warden? I write
this at his request, and he will be glad to see
you when he returns. R. c. Elliott,
Governors Private Secretary
And again Gov. Merriam has thought well |
to hold Warden Randall responsible for GER
tain prison errors, notably the escape of the
two convicts in October last, and has had |
the ungodly gall to use this TACT as an excuse
for his actions. I respectfully suggest to the |
governor that perhaps it would have been to
his advantage to have kept silent in this mat
ter. but here is another letter:
st. Paul. Oct. H. 1S90.-Hon. J. J. Randall |
Dear Sir: Will you please grant Andrew Nee
han and Alex Mckay a leave of absence for |
couple of weeks or so. We desire that they |
should visit their homes and do little work |
for the party in this campaign.
-Tams Bixby,
Secretary Republican Central Committee.
Mckay was one of the wall guards at the |
prison On the very morning of their de- |
parture Ito do little work for the party
which had to be permitted at the behest of
Mr.. Merriams inner circle, signed by Tams
Bixby. now the governors private secretary:
the convcts, noticing the vacated guard
house were over the wall before any of the