Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-02-06
Former Warden Jones Back Of
Criticisms of Warden Sanders
and Control Board
JONES WANTS cowNlE's PLACE
Ex-warden, Relic of the Old Pol't-
ioal System, Resortins to Trickery
to Satisfy Ambition = Legislature
GETTING Wise to the Real Motive in
the Attacks.
a. Tines-Republican.

Snec;al TO Times Republican.
Das Noines. Feb. 6.-The cat Is out
OF the bag with which some persons
have been walloping the head of the
new warden Of the state prison
Ex-Warden N. N. Jones is to be on
the state board of control. supplanting
the first member whose term expires.
That first member Is John Cownie.
The fact is not new, but not until the
past week has 1t come to be generally
talked about in political circles. Now
it is acknowledged that the political
programs includes elevating the eX-
warden to one Of the most conspicuous
pIaces in the state Incidentally 1t viii
be warning which could hardly go ~
needed and would have the effect OF
changing the tone and policy of that
board in many ways.
Reason for o'NeiiI's Attack.
Tor some time, in fact ever since the
first week in November, it has been
an open SECRET liletl Ii poiitiSeti
was to be made for the place on the
board which John Cownie fills. Imme-
diately a doctor of Fort Madison. who
had been an unsuccessful applicant TOR
the position Of prison physician, COM
naenced to fill the newspapers of the
state with sensational matter about the
way things were going. Warden SAN
ders was under fire. And it was not
long until it was plain to the discern
ing ones that the fight was really
against the board of control and being
tslrashed out. over the shoulders OF the
new warden.
Jones Relic Of Old System.
Ex- Warden Jones was almost the
last relic of the old political system in
state institutions. He was sheriff aud
1t was formerly the custom always to
pick sheriff for warden and pick the
one who had the biggest political pull.
Jones was thorough politician. He
was thrifty He had brother on the
payroll and rs son came home from
college one day and the next day went
on the state payroll His relatives
sometimes enjoyed remarkable privi-
leges as to vacations, etc. But Warden
Jones believed in the old theory thar
the sole purpose of a prison was to
infiict dire punishment and send a man
out into the world so that he would
never forget his experiences. However,
under the old system, he was an eff
ficient warden.
What Sanders Has Done.
But when his second or third term
expired younger more active and
more modern man was picked to han
die the old prison. Warden Sanders
set out to do just what the board of
control wanted done and to thoroughly
modernize the system with view to
making good citizens out of bad ones.
That he has done some good was
shown when on recent visit Of the
board prisoner after prisoner called
upon the members and personally
thanked.sthem for having effected such
an improvement at the prison. And
what is this improvement? That there
is greater variety in the diet, that
their clothes are little better made,
that the men are encouraged to black
their shoes on Sunday, that an orches-
ira furnishes music, that a chorus OF
prisoners sings the hymns at chapel,
that good church women have taken
an interest in the prison Sunday
school, that the night schools are i'm
mensely more popular than before,
that fire brigade has been organized
and these men are trusted, and in
general that the prisoners are treated
more like human beings than ever
before.
A;% Ro.rd Thu, Warden
4 But whatever may be the truth as to
this undermining process being too
much for Iowa. it has been evident
some time that it is not SO much
Warden Sanders that is the object Of
attack as the board of control; and
the fact that the line Of attack has
been directed largely by a disappointed
applicant for place, shows what is up.
Several of the senators and repre-
sentatives are getting wise to the sit
uation and are saying that they do
not believe the state ought to be to
any expense to make an "investiga-
ton" the sole purpose Of which would
be to pave the way for a job for
some one. And this partly explains
why it was that the senator who halls
from the county which was for years
the home of Warden Jones, and in
which he is still politically strong,
tried to have the senate require that
the visiting committees to the state in
situtions should go into investigation Of
the management as well as look into
appropriations. 1t also explains, in
part at least, what was meant when
the senators got into seemingly I'M
called for discussion about alleged
scandals in the state institutions.
1t is not known whether John Cow
ME would care to remain on the board
of control. He has never said any,