The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-12-30
State Politics


Acting Warden Stone OF Jackson
prison, In an interview gives his YER
sion OF what's the matter with Jack
son prison" The warden says the
trouble is politics and favoritism TO
| contractors-who are allowed To ex-
plot the prison labor for their own
gain. He furthermore says the trou-
BILE is not OF recent origin. but prac-
tically the same conditions have exist
ed for years, and stone ought 10 know
| for he has been very close To the pris-
on management for practically thirty
years
According to this expert testimony
the Jackson institution has been
political hotbed. with the working
force from deputy down. out of har-
mony with the warden because OF the
political pun that secured the men
their places; contractors enjoying
special privileges because of the same
the convicts themselves. To the great
detriment OF prison discipline and at
great cost to the taxpayers.
According to Mr.. stone there are
instances where wardens have been
wardens i'm name only, with practical
ly no authority over the deputy and
many of the guards because of political
interference.
That the trouble at Jackson is deep
rooted and needs heroic treatment is
generally conceded. Ii seems to have
been handed down for a number of
years until it about reached the limit
with the grating Mr.. Armstrong.
AS cure in a measure for the ills
that beset the institution MIR. Stone
recommends that a warden be selected
who is big enough for the job and
whose chief recommendation is not
political pull. Such a man, he says.
should be given full authority and be
allowed To select his assistants because
of ability rather than friendship or
pull. He further recommends that
prison contracts and prison contrac-
| tors be swept out of the institution at
the earliest possible moment, and the
prisoners employed at some occupa-
refers to the Irvine plant as one of the
best things ever installed at the pris-
on, the convicts being well paid for
their labor. at the mercy of no con-
tractor and the state at large a big
gamer.
Gov.-elect Osborn evidently knew
what he was talking about when he
said Jackson prison was about the
worst and biggest job he had to tackle.
He has since said he don't care much
how the job is done or who does it.
If the present board can tackle il sue
cessfully he wants to work with the
members If not, he indicates he will
start something quick. One thing
is certain. In the man that has just
been appointed to the board, Mr.. Os-
born will find just the kind of a man
he is looking for. Haggerty has about
the same opinion of Jackson prison
that Mr.. Osborn has, and he is just as
big a fighter. II the two men can be
brought to know each other well, and
will work in harmony, they can lift
jackson prison out of the mire hole il
seems to be in almost up to the second
story.
Since 1878 Jackson prison has had
six wardens, Gen. william Humphrey,
Henry +. Hatch, George n. Davis,
William Chamberlain, Alonzo Vincent
and Allan n. Armstrong. and the sew
enth will soon be appointed. Also, it
has had in the same period two acting
wardens, John Wenger and George r.
Stone There has been not a year, in
all this long period of years that the
institution. by reason of politics. has
not been in a foment. The warden
that was in has been kept busy holding
his job and the numerous men seeking
the job have kept the political trail hot
trying to get the other fellow out.
Since the Armstrong exposure the
board of control has been hopelessly
divided and unable to agree on any
man to succeed him. Gov. Warner at
one time considered very seriously
taking the same step that Gov.-elect
Osborn decided to take and name a
board that would do business.-Lan-
sing Republican.