The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-07


hind closed doors, but let them also hear
both sides, in order that exact and impartial
justice be done. If the accused officers are
guilty they should be summarily discharged,
If innocent, they should be set right before
the people. The commission however, will
make small Roadway if its investigations be
not removed entirely from the reach of out
side influences or threats.
EDITOR DREBRIET. TOO.
The same idea runs through the
comment in many of the other state
papers. F. T. Drebriet, one of the old
and conservative editors of the state,
in his paper, the Chatfield Democrat,
has the following editorial under the
caption Of Investigation In the Still
water Scandal" says:
Gov. Clough has appointed a special COM
mittee to investigate the brutalities alleged
to have been perpertrated upon the prisoners
at Saltwater. The committee is composed
of citizens of the state who are unobjection-
able They are Judge Charles E. Flandrau,
of st. Paul; Stanley R. Kitchel, of Mime
This is much better than referring the mat
ter to the prison board, which was suggest
ed in some quarters But Gov. Clough has
imposed a condition upon the committee
which, to say the least, is njudicious He
requires that the investigation shall be pub
lie. While this requisition appears to be
very fair and impartial at first thought, yet
a little consideration Of the situation Will
show that it is calculated to hamper the
committee and prevent the thorough and
searching investigation that is demanded.
Under a public investigation employees or the
prison Will not be free TO give testimony re-
fecting upon the conduct of their superior
officers, because they will be actuated by
the very reasonable fear that in doing SO
they may lose their positions. AS the Demo-
crat does not pretend to understand Gov.
ClCughs motives, it will not say that he re-
quires ain open investigation for the pur-
pose of causing present employees to give
favorable testimony, but it will assert If that
was not his intention he has shown little
The gentlemen appointed to make the in
vestigation have the confidence of the people
in as great a measure at least as the gov
ernor. In ability they are far his superior;
two OF them being eminent lawyers, ana
the third a business man of wide reputation.
Gov. Clough should withdraw his restriction
and leave them free to conduct the investiga-
ton according to their own Judgment:
The cutlery has already been raised, by
those inclined to defend the prison of1cials
ex-guards who have been discharged and are
actuated by malice, or ex-convicts. But the
stories are too many and circumstantial for
this objection to have weight. To suppose
that so many OF these eX-guards would all
at once form conspiracy to defame the chief
officers of the prison. one must conclude that
those selected for prison officials are taken
from only the depraved and vicious class Of
society. But some of these eX-guards left the
prison years ago. A part of them occupying
positions Of trust, while others are men OF
business, respected in their communities. If
ex-guards or even ex-eonyicts ara to be
wholly diStrusted then there Is no source
from which evidence can be obtained and any
dark deed may be committed behind the prison
walls without fear that it will be brought
TO light. The ex-guard and eX-convict sneer
will not serve! The credibility Of witnesses