The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-12
Wolfer Wins.

err country is g. little one-horSe state
known as Connecticut 1t has a popu-
lation of about 10000, about one-half
of that of the state of Minnesota. 1t
has state prison, known as Wethers-
field, which is the laughing stock Of
students of penology. Even its inmates
are wont to smile at the methods of
its management. 1t needs a manager
the very worst way, and what more nat
ural than the authorities should, as the
Associated Press report alleges, offer
the job to Warden Wolfer, Of Stillwa-
ter MINI. Connecticut has no farmers,
unless it be admitted that the few
hardy yeomen who raise cabbages and
bad tobacco, both in limited quantities,
are strictly qualified for the title. At
all events. Connecticut has no farmers
who use binding Irvine, and therefore
are entitled to annual supplies Of this
particular product from the state insti-
tuition at Wethersfield There being,
then, no binding Irvine plant at Weth-
eIsfield, no possible need was there Of
Warden Wolfer as a manager and
manipulation of a binding Irvine indus
try. Clearly what was wanted, was an
expert in penology, and as such we
must assume that Warden Wolfer was
invited, and we have no knowledge
that he was not invited to manage the
Connecticut institution. It was I'M
doubtedly because of his deep insight
1Eto convict character, his sympathetic
nature, his love of reformatory meth
OBS, and who shall not say his political
shlil IN the employing and supervising
or those great moral forces of these
institutions, to wit: The prison guards.
the CLERKS, the scullions, the great BODY
OF employees known as the prison per
sonnet
That the warden has given singular
satisfaction to Democrats. Republicans
Fopullsts and what not, In Saltwater
anu 81 Paul, goes without saying. AS
Tor the farmers and his dispensation Of
pihulng Irvine In the proper season,
that is another matter. These hono-.
arie members of the body polite may
1aslSt that their orders We're not filed
as promptly or as properly as were
those OF certain astute laymen. deal
ers IN binding Irvine, for instance. and
POSSIBLY they may add that they voted
Iof a change in the administrative, of
the states affairs under that tmnras-
Sion They must be mistaken. becauso
II the esteemed MINNEAPOLIS Jo,,rna1
be correctly informed. our warden has
convinced our governor, honest John
Lind that there was nothing in tbase
charges, for the governor urged him
not TO change so profitable a base %
saltwater for that other Institution
favored as the latter may be bv betno
located In the very heart of g. district
oedlcated to skunks and cabbages
indeed, our worthy governor Is ouo+-
ed by the same high Journalistic ~,
thorlty as being not only desirous +bot
our warden should continue to cor
quot the states binding-twine indus
try but also as pledging himself IN nso
ms influence to secure an increase in
MS present salary of $1,000 per annum
1000 and lodging and washing thrown
In. II it be true that our governor bas
oone all these humane and charita HE
acts, we must conclude either that ha
mas been so harrassed by the prevail
ing political Appetite as to have given
little thought to the Saltwater institu-
Ion, or that he has been hvpnotized
by the saltwater Student of Penologv
III the former is the case, time will
right what seems to be a great wrong
to the people of the state. If the lat
ter, then, indeed, are we farmers and
laymen undone
In the very nature of things the nuh-
lie can have no exact information az
to what has been going on in still
water, If, indeed, anything has been
going on derogatory to the interests
of the same patient public. We should
like to believe that the proposed in
vestigation, spouted by the mercurial
Jacobson, will give us facts in regard
to the following points, but we doubt
if it will:
First. How many guards, scuIions and
what not have been appointed by the eminent
penologist in charge of the saltwater instt-
tuition, upon the request or Recommendation
of Saltwater Democrats or Saltwater Repub-
licans.
Second. Ditto and ditto, as the book
keepers put it, upon the recommendation of
st. Paul Democrats and Republicans.
Third. Whether there is any foundation for
the story prevalent during the campaign that
the said guards, solutions and what not re-
Inquished, either voluntarily or otherwise.
any of their good coin, paid monthly by the
state, in order to help or hurt either the
Democratic the Republican candidates for
the state ticket
Fourth. Whether it ever happened that A,
who might be on the most favored terms
with Penologst Wolfer, ever received binding
twlne, when B, who had driven over from his
farm in Washington county, had already been
informed that no Irvine was left and there
fore he could buy none of the coveted article
Fifth. Whether all books of records in the
twine department of the Saltwater institution