The San Francisco call., 1899-03-24
Plan to Seize the Patronage Of the
State PenitentiarieS.
Special Session Of the State Central Committee Urged to
Instruct the Prison Directors How to Vote
for Warden Of San Quentin.

It has been a custom for many years
in this State for the Democrats and
the Republicans TO divide the patron
age of the State penitentiaries. The
Warden and secretary of each institu-
ton are appointed by the Prison Direc-
tors. The Warden, in his turn, select
all of the other employees from the
highest to the lowest. The Prisor
Directors, however, have for many
years, no matter what the politica
complexion of the majority has beer,
chosen a Democrat as Warden of one
prison and a Republican as Warden
of the other Warden Hale. for eX
ample, is a Republican. and WardeI
Aull is a Democrat.
The Democrats declare that they viii
violate this precedent and teach Gov
ernor Gage a new lesson in the gentle
art of practical politics. Cages in
struction may prove to be a costly OBJ
ject lesson to many Republicans. The
affair is made doubly interesting by the
fact that Governor Gage has already
selected the man who, he says, shall be
the next Warden of San Quentin. This
protege of the Governor is Martin G.
Aguirre, an ex-Sheriff Of Los Angeles.
Governor Gage is so deeply interested
in the election Of Aguirre that he has
made 1t is claimed, a personal appeal
to at least one of the Democratic mem
bers of the Board of Prison Directors.
These seductive whisperings Of the
chief executive it is said, have not yet
met with that response which one Of
such high degree has right TO ex-
pect. Politics is politics, the Demo
Gratis reply, and tit for tat is sweet
revenge.
The Governor. therefore, is doubly
concerned. 1t is bad enough to be
burned in taking a lesson in fire, but
to be burned twice is asking too much
even from a novice in the game. The
Governor is likely to lose the warden
ship of San Quentin for his proteEe
Aguirre as we'll as the entire patronage
Of both prisons In this game of the
politicians Warden Hale does not seem
to be a factor Of the slightest conse-
quence He fiirted with the powers
that be for a while, but his attentions
at Sacramento were repulsed with
scorn.
His term as Warden expires on April
90 and on April the Board of Prison
Directors will elect his successor. It
is at this meeting that the Democrats
intend to carry out their scheme of
grabbing all of the patronage of the
prisons AS a matter of course all of
the employees cannot be removed at
once as decentralization might follow
in the prison. The officers, under the
conditions of the scheme, will be re-
moved gradually.
AS yet the Democrats have not dis
cussed the name of any one to sue
ceed Hale, but there will be no dearth
of aspirants. There are scores of Dem
ocrats for every place, and when the
time comes the Prison Directors will
be overwhelmed with petitions, big and
little.
The prospective conditions in refer
ence to Folsom State Prison are diff
ferent. The term of Warden Aull will
not expire until January l. 1900 The
term of 3. 2. Smith, clerk Of Folsom
prison, will not end until October l of
this year. The Directors are not con-
cerned, therefore, with the election of
the successors to these men at this
time.
While every effort has been made to
keep this Democratic scheme a secret
the facts have leaked out and Republi-
can leaders, soliCitOus for the welfare
of their party, are wondering where the
Ouixotic, blundering political methods
of the Governor are going to lead them
next.