The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1906-02-16
SCANDAL MONCERS
HAVE NO CHANCE
Seasatienal Report Of Penitenfiary
lnveshSators will not Mater.
ialize
STRONG CARD OF MNCANNON
Courts All Light on any Connection
and Denounees Certain Yelled
Insinuatl0nS.

Jackson, Miss, Feb. Ii, Spe
cial News Scimitar. The house
penitentiary investigation com
mittee win finish its labors with.
in the next ten days and submit
its final report. During the past
ten days little or nothing has
been accomplished by the body,
and the witnesses summoned to
appear and give testimony have
not been able to reveal the SEN
sations darkly limited at, lut
which exist chiefly in the minds
of violent partisans who are
seeking to carry out their own
peculiar projects.
z It can be stated as coming
from a source Of unquestioned
authority that the investigation
has thus far brought forth nc
disclosures of a damaging char
acter concerning any present
official or employe of the Missis-
sippi penitentiary. The commit
tee will make a report somewhat
criticaliin tenor, closelyIfollowing
the ideas of prison management
advanced in the governors S mes.
sage, which is made up largely
of the governors close personal
and political friends, and that
four new members were added
ct the very beginning Of the ses-
sion in order to make this major
ity absolutely certain.
The committee was originally
composed of seventeen members
and only one vacancy occurred
during the session. This was
filled in the regular way and
four new members added. 1t is
worthy Of remark in this connec-
ton that the four new members
have been the persons most ac-
tive in the present investigation.
The older and more conservative
members have taken little or no
part in the proceedingf, being
frequently absent from the star
chamber sessions a week or ten
days at a time, and a majority of
the meetings have drawn barely
, quorum.
No SENSATION IN SIGHT
The reportc.of the committee,
unless samething is developed
prior ia the drafting Of the :inal
report, and which does not now
appear in prospect, may be some
what critical of the judgement
shown by some Of the prison
officials, but those who are ex-
pecting q report that will be the
greatest sensation in the his
tory Of the State" are going to be
sorely disappointed.
It has been known for some
time that the committee will re-
commend the change in the sys-
TEN of management formulated
by the governor and inserted by
the code commission in the dunn
my volume now under considera-
ton. This in fact could have
been predicted with accuracy
prior to the first meeting of the
committee. There are conserva-
tive members in the body, how
ever, who will submit a minority
report, and on the floor of the
house they will earnestly oppose
the proposed change as radical
illogical and visionary, unwar-
ranted by the present condition
of prison affairs. and certain to
proye unsatisfactory when sub
mitted to q practical working
test.
It is more than likely, however
that the committee recommends
ton will be adopted by the hou Sc.
AS one member expressed it, the
body Is hog wild" on this par
ticular subject and prison politics
IS everywhere rampant. Over in
senate, however, where the pro
ceedings are usually more cain
an deliberat We, the innovation
will be prom pity knocked in til
head. A po Of the memb srshiL
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