The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1913-10-02
REASON WARDEN Nc
CLAUGHRY RESIGNED
Says He is Convinced That the System is
Wrong. Has not one Word Of Com
plant to Offer Against Administration.
He 6iyes Mighty Sound Reasons for
Resigning. Does not Believe in Con-
tract Labor.

Resigning. Does not Believe in Con-
tract Labor.
Warden r. McClaughry is the
best known prison man" in the
United States. For the last four
teen years he has been the warden
of the Federal Prison at Leaven.
worth, Kansas. He has resigned.
In the Leavenworth Times he states
his reasons.
After having spent forty years
of my life in the management OF
prisons and fourteen years constant
ly in charge of the Federal Prison
at Leavenworth, / am convinced
that the system is wrong.
am retiring from this position
because of the system. | want 1t
understood that / have not one word
of complaint to make against the
present administration. cannot
say have ever been mistreated by
an administration.
But the system that places the At
torney General of the United States
in direct charge of the Federal pris-
ons is wrong. His other duties are
so important that he should not be
taxed with the petty management "f
these prisons. And yet he is the
only person who has real authority.
The system is wrong from anoth-
er viewpoint. The theory of the
law is to punish the culprit. AS a
matter of fact, in the administration
of the law it is not the prisoner who
suffers nearly SO much as the inno-
cent wives and children left hehind
absolutely at the mercy of the world.
When the bread winner of fam
lily is convicted in the courts and he
is sent TO Leavenworth to lay the
penalty, his wife and children are
left helpless.
The scientists are taxed to pro-
vide the most improved facilities for
guarding his welfare. The food he
is given is always wholesome and
scrupulously clean. The task of the
management is to provide tasks for
him that will fit him to battle with
the world when he energies.
But not one thought does the gov
ernment give to the respondent wife
and the daughters who may be en-
tering womanhood and who until
the head of the family came in con-
tact with the law may never have
had to struggle for livelihood.
Work should be provided in the
prison walls for all the prisoners, so
that they could earn something.
The earnings, of course, should not
go to them. The earnings should be
cared for by government officials,
and form fund that should go to-
ward the support of the families of
the men.
Thus while the man was serving
his time he would know that the
fruits of his toll were going to pro-
vide for his family. deprived by law
of his help. He would know that
not one cent would go to enrich the
Golfers of the man, who because of
his influence makes profitable con-
tract with the State or national gov
ernment and for ridiculously small
sum owns the output of the prison
er's labor.
Of course such plan would meet
with disproval of demagogues. But
honest labor would not object to
competition such as this. when the
fruits of prison labor went directly
towards alleviating actual want and
did not go to create the fortunes OF
those contractors who wax fat on
the prisoners labor.
The Federal government proudly
proclaims it does not tolerate prison
labor. The institution at Leaven-
worth is an example. Not one PEN
ny's worth of work done in this
great Institution comes in competi-
ton with honest labor. And this is
true.