Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1902-02-08

While we have neither time nor
space for a full discussion Of the mat
ter of the "penitentiary investigation"
now in progress before joint COM
mittee appointed by the House and
Senate to investigate the affairs Of the
penitentiary and it's management, we
feel constrained to give 1t brief men
tion in these columns, despite the fact
that every newspaper reader in the
State is familiar with the matter,
through the publication reports Of the
daily sittings of the committee. More
than a little bitterness has already
oeen engendered by this matter and it
is spreading daily. Nor is this un-
happy state of things confined to
those directly concerned-their friends
and kindred, employees and acQuaint-
ances even, are taking sides, and it
bids fair to spread its baleful influence
to the utmost confines of the State.
Just who is right and who is wrong
and how far along these paths the ac-
cused have travelled no man is pre-
pared to say, and unless things hurry
up little it will be some time before
opinions can be formed with any de-
gree Of accuracy. There is one thing
as sure as that the sun rises and sets
each day, and that is that the men
composing the committee mean to do
their duty, their whole duty and moth
ing but their duty, regardless Of in
jury to themselves or their political
futures. They are among the States
best men. Most of them are men of
extraordinary ability, of deep learn
ing and of wide experience; of incor-
ruptible integrity. 1t would be a rash
man who would dare to appeal to them
for anything save justice Their po-
sition is exceedingly difficult, the du-
ties are unpleasant, the labor onerous
and the responsibilities great. No
money could pay some of these gem
tlemen for the painful experience of
serving on this committee. And yet
they must do 1t, at their States be-
hest, and they must do it well. They
have no desire "to prosecute or perse-
cute" any man. But from careful in
vestigation last summer thar aro con-
,ri-,e->l li-s.e --rnvre is something rotten
In Denmark" (or the penitentiary) !.
and they are determined to trace it to
its source. No men in Mississippi re-
gret this state of things more than the
gentlemen of the committee. we feel
assured, because the honor of their
State is precious to them, and they
would join in universal rejoicing to
find things straight and clean, and
ready for the light of day, in the Mis-
sissippi State penitentiary. That the
entire blame for the present unsettled
state of affairs does not lie with the
present management alone we, in
common with many others, feel con
ildent. Things have too long been run
in Mississippi as though we were all
one great, big, happy, careles family.
Such management, whether in big or
little families, usually brings dire re-
suits in its train. The writer believes
another cause of confusion and com
plant to lie in the fact that for so
many years so much of the PRISONS
clerical work was deputed to such
convicts as were found competent to
assist in Office work. Strict business
methods should be the rule in all State
institutions. 1t will save, in the end,
much labor, possible loss to the State,
and certain embarrassment to those in
authority at these various places man.
aged by the State. The Senate and
House, fully recognizing the import
ance of these investigations, deter
mined last week to hold no more after
noon sessions pending the investiga-
tion. so the public sittings of the com.
mittee are held each afternoon in the
Senate chamber and are heard by an
interested public. The sergeant-at.
arms spent most of last week in Jour.
neying on highways and into byways
to serve subpenas on two or three
score Of witnesses who are needed by
one side or the other.
The Grenada Sentinel tells us that
English -sparrows continue to multi
ply, despite all efforts at the extinc-
tion, and when they prosper other
birds are dying out or are driven out
by them. An Illinois sparrow hunt
has just ended, and as a result four
tons of sparrows were killed. The
hunt was indulged in by two parties
of farmers, twenty men on each side.
The victorious party brought in 49,.
100 birds, while the losers bagged IL
600, a total of $4,000.
The State has lost a great physician
and good man in the death at his
home in BroOkhaven of DR. ]. Wesley
Martin on the 25th of January at the
age of so years. An immense concourse
Of those who loved him, and the third
and fourth generations Of those whose
physician be had been followed his re-
mains to their last resting place in the
town he had loved so we'll and served
80 faithfully.
On Monday, May q. Yazoo City add
ed one more cause for rejoicing to the
long list that has already placed her
so far in the front of the advanced
towns Of the State, when her splendid
new cotton mills were thrown open to
the public with all the machinery in
operation and the hundred employees
at work The button was pressed"
by little Miss Barnwell, daughter Of