Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-01
'SOLONS ORDER PROBE
West Virginia Penitentiary
Board Under Fire.
INQUIRY BY LEGISLATURE
Allegations Made of Graft, Misman-
agement and Cruel Treatment.
VETS AND DRYs TO CONTEST
Prohibition Fight to Be Waged in
the Senate-Gov. Glasscock
May Call Extra Session.
VETS AND DRYs TO CONTEST
special Correspondence of The Star.


WHEELING, w. Va. February ]. 1909.
The state penitentiary is holding the
boards for a second week as the
leading political attraction in West
Virginia. The charges preferred by
| the seat of the institution, threw life into
wise prosy and conventional, and the
probe is to come next
An investigating committee was APP
pointed two years ago to look over the
state institutions and report This COM
mittee did not have a report ready at
| the opening of this session. and it cannot
do business now, according to the genaral
sentiment, consequently a new committee
will have to be named to go to Mounds
Vile. This was what Delegate Moore
contended for in a resolution which was
| turned down because others members
argued that she sOuld wait the report of
| the old committee and appear before that
body and hand in any special information
| in his possession.
The outlook is for new special in
vestgating committee which will journey
to Moundsville and examine into the allie
cations of mismanagement, graft and
harsh treatment of prisoners. The terms
of the board of directors will expire in
interest in the selection of their successors.
Problem to Solve.
There is a delicate consideration in
volved in selecting the directors. 1t is
pointed out that to appoint new board
would be the only way out of the difficulty
unless all of the old board were reap
pointed, since to name again some of the
old directors and turn down others would
suggest that the directors who were not
reappOinted were blamable for any of
the things complained of by Mr. Moore
The house and senate nave been wrest
ling with the legislative probe feature
for some days and have got the situation
SO tangled that it is impossible to pre-
dict whep a way out will be agreed on.
Gov. Dawson took cognizance of the
Moore allegations by asking for an in
vestigation. Unfortunately there is poll
tics mixed up in the affair and politics is
being played in its handling to date.
There have always been two factions OF
the republican party in Marshall county,
divided by the penitentiary, just there
is in every other town in the state which
boasts of a public institution, with the
exception that the fighting has been ex-
tremely bitter in MoundSvIlle, due to the
larger number of jobs and patronage gen.
orally.
The prohibition question is coming to
focus and all eyes will be directed again
sition to submit the constitutional
amendment to the people year ago by
one vote. 1t requires twenty -one o. the
thirty senators to pass the amendment.
Gov.-elect Glasscock has polled the senate
and claims prohibition will have twenty
two votes, with a possibility of one more
The best the liberal element has claimed
is eleven votes, or just enough to defeat
it.
Senate Bears the Burden.
The liberals will wage a warmer war
fare in the house this time. but the uti-
mate results will not be satisfactory to
their side, as the house has a habit of
putting all ticklsh questions up to the
senate and keeping its title clear in the
meantime In other words, the house
will pass a measure considered popular,
at the same time praying for the senate
to put in the knocks the house had not
the courage to inf1ict.
The house judiciary committee submit
ted majority and minority reports on pro-
hibition. The minority fellows will put
up a hard fight and hope to make their
influence effective, but he administration
forces and the legislative organization
are on the dry side and the best the vets
can hope for Is county option COM
promise.
Several weeks ago the statement was
made that a special session would be
called by Gov.-elect Glasscock after he
took hold March 4. This statement Is being
repeated now. and there are reasons for
believing such call will be made in the
event of the failure to pass strong tenn
.perance legislation. for Glasscock holds
that the republicans should make good
their platform declarations on this ques-