The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-01-13
THE PENITENTIARY.- ONE
CENT TILL CONDITION is
KNOWN.

the employees of the penitentiary their
salaries for the months of October, No
vember and December of last year, and
SG54.79 for freight bills due railroads.
This resolution was introduced upon the
representations of Capt. Day, the new
superintendent that he desired to change
some of the employees, but that he could
not do SO without paying them their
salaries, which are in arrears for more
than three months, and that unless the
outstanding freight bills are paid the
railroads would decline to haul more
freight for the pen.tentiary.
These are the considerations which
prompted the introduction of the resolu-
ton. Are they such considerations as
ought to cause the Democratic majority
to vote money to pay a portion of the
bills, when the next week there will be.
five times as many quite rs pressing? As
to the desire to displace Republican en-
places, we have stood the Republican
employees two years, and we can stand
them a month longer. If the railroads
refuse to haul more freight until their
bills are paid. the penitenSary can quit
patronzng them for two months without
the worlds coming to an end. The rea-
sons urged by Capt. Day, therefore, are
not such as onght to cause the Legisla-
ture to pass the resolution.
The motto of the Legislature ought to
be: I'VE will not appropriate one cent
to the penitentiary until 1t has been
clearly ascertained exactly how much
the institution is in debt. 1t ought no
to depart from that course, no matter
what the pressure from any
source, however influential. Suppose the
Legislature should appropriate the
S9,32S.12 asked for the employees and
railroads, what would be the result? To-
morrow the owners of the rented land
to whom money is due for rent, would
demand an appropriation for the sums
due them, the merchants who have sold
supplies, and all others holding claims
would come forward day by day with
resolutions, and the Legislature would
be doing by piece-meal what it must do
in the end by wholesale
There is not so much reason why the
Legislature should be in hurry to pay
the railroads, which can wait without
suffering, as those who are actually in
commoded because their rents and debts
are unpaid. The following private letter
from Il lady, who is part owner of farm
rented by the penitentiary, which we,
take the Liberty Of printing, illustrates
the point:
Il see very often in the papers state
ments of debts due by tho nenitentiary,
and never any mention mnde
rents. 1t certainly is great hardship
that they have had the use of our lands
and so far have declined to pay even
their own note given in July. They now
owe us for the whole year. and in three
cases the lands are rented from women
who depend upon the small income for
support. ;. When the rent be-
came due in July the management asked
if would take q note due in November
on which l borrowed some money When
due, they simply said they had no money
and now the rent for the next six months
is over due. So you see we are in quite
as bad fix as the employees who are
asking relief / hope YOU
can do something to right the wrong.
Just now l feel that / am one of the
suffering people, for whom vo, battle"
We do not think that with the lights
before them, the legislators will be in g
hurry to pay the salaries of incompetent
Fusionists, even to get rid of them be-
fore next month when provision will be
made for their speedy departure, and to
pay the railroads, and leave unpaid the
widows who need the rents due and
the merchants who are embarrassed be-
cause they cannot collect their claims.
If the bill introduced passes, there will
be new one every day this month for
claimants quite as deserving. and the
iioucs W pay tue Uis hepuDIlcdH ueuclL
will be given an such fashion that peo-
pie will never know how much in debt
the institution has been run by the Flu
sion management.
The only wise thing to do in our judg-
ment, is to refuse to appropriate single
cent for any purpose for the pen.tentiary
until the experts appointed by Capt. Day,
and the investigating committee, to be
named by the Legislature, have finished
their work and made their reports. When
the report of .the legislative committee
as to Indebtedness is before the Legisla-
ture, the time will have arrived for con-
sidering how the deficit, made by the Re
publican management, shall be paid. But
until the sum is definitely and officially
ascerta.ned it would be most unbusi
ness-like procedure to be paying any
claims, or trying to determine which is
entitled to priority.
When the Legislature is in possession
of the balance sheet, showing whether
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