Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1900-10-27

ans. ]. +. Baymiller was among
the first in this vicinity to accept
the doctrines of populisn, and as a
reward for his labors was appointed
chief turnkey in the state peniten-
tiary at Walla Walla. But Mr..
Baymiller was not populist Tor OF
fee only" and the methods of the
ring in power became too much for
him, and last week he filed his reg
ignation with the governor, his rea-
son, as expressed in his letter of
resignation, being that he could not
longer conscientiously support the
present state administration.
In a letter addressed to the HER
AID Mr.. Baymiller sets forth at
length the causes that led up to his
remuneration of the Rogers admin
istration. The letter is published
below:
II Joined the populist party because believed
1t true reform party, and l have consistently
supported its nominees from its inception and
have worked necessarily for the triumph of the
principles ii represented. Indeed, l believe / can
truthtuly claim the honor ofbeing one of its first
advocates and organizers in that hot-bed of pop
ulism, Whitman county. But have reached ''the
parting of the ways" and decidedly refuse to be
party to the corruption which I know is being
practiced by the coterie of politicians seeking
election on the democratic state ticket-headed
by that chief corruptionist, John Rankin Rogers.
II the democratic ticket is scCcessful at the polls
1t VIII give the RogersTurner combine license to
continue their questionable methods and heav-
Ter burden on the people will be the result In
order to perpetuate their power they are hlching
money from the state treasury under the specous
plea OF an advance of wages to employees, but
which increase is promptly claimed by their chief
financial agent, George Hazard. In order that
others may know why it is impossible for me to
support the ticket, and thus enable all honorable
reformers to vote intelligently to prevent a con-
tlnuat1on of such Infamous methods, give few
OF my reasons to the public. 1t pains me to be
compelled to acknowledge that reform has come
to such a pass i'll Washington, but desire to aid
IN rebuklng rottennesS under the cloak of reform
is my excuse for so doing. In the following
state facts, and the reader can judge for himself.
The U ). government appropriated about $780,
oOo TO build an additional wing at the Washington
state penitentary and the secretary of the inter
Tor the contract last August to the Pauly Jail
Co., OF St Louis, Mo An officer told me that
Catron said Our appropriation for maintenance
OF the penitentiary is running short and we must
manage some way to get some of that appropria-
ton to help us out, and we must do all the work
we can with the convicts, but this must not go
outside of the family
Consequently the convicts are making the
brick for the new wing, and have actually done
the eXcavating and laid the concrete foundation
and have done half the hauling and are going to
do much more of the work
Thus the Rogers administration is contra citing
out the convicts to private parties for work which
rightfully belongs to free labor The admins
tratlon is also requiring guards to work long
hours overtime without extra pay when there is
no emergency, in order to make record for
The convicts have made and painted all Tor
nearly ALL the banners and transparencies Is or
20 i'll number, for the local democratic, club and
some hG%est painter was deprived of job, not
tremendous campaign fund is be-
ing raised but none of it is for honest labor APP
1T is not lawful to sell anything from the pen
itentary which comes into competition with free
labor, except iuts fabrics and brick and the brick
yard was abolshdd over a year ago by the board
OF control. The hides from the butchered stock
are sold to the tannery for something like $50 per
month and hide fund" is created which can
not be legally accounted for but is used by the
warden for his own Injuries, etc, a very small
portion going to the guards table. Notwithstand-
ing this, the warden's subsistence amounts to
over Sl.OO per day additional, while the guards
subsistence only costs the state a little over 25c
per day each, and the subsistence of one convict
for each guard is charged to the officers mess.
Thus any great saving which the Rogers admin
istration may claim is due to niggardliness and
robbing the tables and over-worked officers.
An officer who knows told me that last winter
Catron sold l}5 NJ. of brick which, at 500 per NJ.
would amount to $50, which in itself is not so
very strange, were il lot for the fact that he
turned the proceeds into the hide fund so the
officer says.
Rogers a friend to the laborer? | tell YOU MOI
He or his board will hardly notice speak to a
pen guard or working man except when he
wants their votes or contributions.
Rogers had the salaries of Lister Catron and
John Scott raised to d handsome figure from
year and a half to two years ago, but he never
ago, when all the subordinate officers salaries
were raised 10 per cent. And now comes one of
Rogers 'gratters, George Hazard by name, and
demands the full amount of the 10 per cent raise
for ii months the same being about one month s
salary, 1t looks like they had deliberately
planned to raise salaries to pacify the officers
grafters.
Rogers has pardoned about twenty convicts,
and has extended clemenCy to about twenty-six
more. Altogether about forty-six, and out of that
number there are only very few who deserve
cemenCy. Among his very best acts in that
line, was the pardon of w ]. McCauley, ex-
treasurer of Tacoma, convicted of receiving inter
est on public money. Through the untiring eff
forts of McCauley's faithful wife tremendously
large petition for clemency was presented to
Rogers, signed by many of the very best citizens
mouths. Finally McCauley received letter.
which read from party stating that unless a
certain snm of money was forthcoming nothino
could be done for him; to which McCauley de.
INJURED for long time. But the party kept after
MN and he finally got McCauley out, and George
Hazard told me he was the one who secured he
release. McCauley paid S425 for his pardon.
Was Rogers looking out for the best interests
OF the public when he pardoued seven or eioht
professional criminals who have done two or
three other sentences? There are at least three of
his acts OF this kind that are perfectly ridiculous,
VIZ, No. 100 George I. Stevens; No. 12l1, Thos
Williams, and 177s, {. +. Jameson The stor,, of
how Stevens obtained pardon, by protesting TO
know OF fabulously rich mines i'll Alaska, and
promising to locate parties on them in return for
a pardon, is familiar to many, as il has aIread,,