The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1903-10-13
THE PRISON GRAFT
The Governors Idea Of Being
Self Supporting Peculiar.
Ehey Have Lost in Five Years Over
aQuarter of a Million
Dollars.
FIGURES FROM THE BOOKS

A fair sample of Democratic men.
daicty in the present campaign is af
forded by the statement made in re.
gard to the state prisons. Governor
Beckham, in his opening address, de.
clared that the prisons were self-sup.
porting. He is in q position to know
il he did not know, and 1t follows
that il the prisons are not self-suppors
ing, he has either deliberately attempt.
ed to deceive the people Of the state,
or else he knows nothing about the
management Of the institutions under
him. II the former he 10 guilty of an
undignified attempt to impose on the
oredulity of bis constituents. If the
latter, he shows An almost criminal
unfamiliarity with institutions he
should be thoroughly informed on
that is, Of course. II his statement
about the prisons Is not correct. It
will be shown here, if possible, that
he was In error. and that the De mo-
cratic papers that have iterated and
reiterated his statement, have been
misled
he 10 quoted in his own paper %
having said:
"The two prisons, instead Of being
. great drain upon the revenues of the
STATE, - they used to be under the old
management, are now, under the bust
ness-like control of Democratic off,
cials, seif-supporting, and am in.
formed BY the commissioners. that this
year they will pay small revenue to
the state instead of being . tax upon
it, % was the case before the present
system was adopted. Let rs make q
comparison upon this question Of pris-
On management ana see the difference
between the Republican and the Dem
ocratio administration. During the
years of 1896, 1897 and 1898, in Gov
ernor Bradley's administration, 20 run
the two PRISONS cost the state $780,.
767.0i. During the years 1901, 1902,
and 1908, under this administration,
they have cost the state only sl2. 1888. :
81. This makes saving to the state
in the three years Of 1907, 1913. 81.
These figures speak for themselves.
Investigation Of the books shows
that the prisons, instead of being self.
supporting and despite the reduction
Of expenses BY Wholesale pardons and
paroles, were operated at an aggregate
Loss Of S446, 478.23. II deductions are
made from this amount for permanent
improvements. some of which are IN.
doubtedly maintenance Of plant, $780,
0s9. VI for the branch prison at EDDY
vile and s75. s4s.31 for the Frankfort
prison, there IL still deficit Of $780,
b45.73.
The figures herein used are all taken
from the auditors books to August 81,
Of the present year. By the act Of the
people in 1895 the control Of the pris-
ons was given toa board Of Republican
sinking fund commissioners. When
the Democrats secured q working ma.
jority in both branches of the legisla-
ture they passed the prison bill which
took the prisons away from the sink
ing fund commissioners and gave them
into the charge of an executive board
of prison commissioners.
The prison board took charge August
1, 1898, and the financial statement Of
these prisons is herewith submitted:
EDDYvILLE PENITENTlARY.
Expenditures Receipts
From Aug. 4.
1898. to Jan.
1889 s9.451.70 tl2,616.7I
Year 1899 62,S4I.72 24.768. 50
War 1900 66.B54.7l 26,043. 80