The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1913-12-04
Blight of Buurbonsm on thsistate Prison.

for the orderly punishment OF criminals.
The law so designates and SO regards
it. The controlling thought Of all pub
lie officials is that :onvlc's are sent TO
the penitentiary to be confined, with
but few personal privileges, as a pun
ishment for crime. Some are specially
sentenced to hard labor by the courts
convicting them. The idea that a
penitentiary is primarily a reformative
institution has been advanced in late
years and has taken strong hold on
many able and distinguished men who
have studied the prison problem.
But there is no excuse for infictlng
upon helpless prisoners cruel punish
ments not anticipated or provided for
by law. 1t is not sufficient to say that
such punishment is essential to disci'
pline. No Missouri law ever contem
pleted, for instance, the suspension OF
prisoner by his thumbs or hands for
twenty days-or for twenty minutes.
There is no law authorizing the whip
ping Of prisoners, or any oil several
forms of punishment used at the Jefter'
son City penitentiary for many years
These extraordinary and extreme
modes Of punishment are authorized
by the board Of prison inspectors the
state treasurer, the state auditor and
the attorney general-who are supposed
to inspect the prison once month,
to provide rules for the guidance OF the
warden and his assistants, and to ex'
ercise general supervision over prison
management and prison affairs. The
governor has no authority over the
prison except to appoint the warden
and few subordinate officers, all Of
whom are under the direction Of the
board Of inspectors.
Only once in forty years has the
penitentiary been committed to the
hands OF republican warden. From
1909 to 1918 Henry Andrea of Jefer
son City was the warden, appointed by
Governor Hadley; but the inspectors
were democrats - Messrs. Cowgill,
Gordon and Major-and the republican
was limited closely by these inspectors
He managed 10 institute some notable
reforms, however. From 1905 TO 1909
the inspectors were republicans -
Messrs, Gmelich, Wilder and Hadley--
but the governor and warden were
democrats, and the democratic state
senate was in the way OF every subStan
tial reform the republican inspectors
desired to introduce; SO, even when
under republican inspectors for four
years, the prison was virtually controlled
By the democrats.
The parsimony Of the legislature,
especially the niggardly policy Of the
state senate, always democratic, has
prevented any radical changes or
improvements in the penitentiary
for more than forty years. Every
PRACTICAL effort at reform, at en-
largement, at improvement in condi-
tons affecting convicts has been met
in the senate with an objection to the
cosr. Tee democrats have been afraid
10 appropriate money for the prison
that is the root Of the evils now com
planned oil. The institution has been
evercrowded for years. The cell houses
have been unfit for the incarceration Of
human beings. The whole institution
is hardly extensive enough for half Of
the prisoners confined within its walls.
After years Of persuasion and appeals
an appropriation was recently made ior
one new cell house, which is to hold
all the prisoners now held in two old
cell houses it will be crowded to
the limit as soon as it is opened.
The convict leasing system, abo''
ished when Hadley was governor, and
re-established under Governor Major,
was originally established to give EN-
ployment to idle convicts In late
years the contractors have been paying
enough for convict labor to meet the
main expenses of the institution, and
they have consequently dominated Its
management. II convict assigned to
the work Of contractor does not fulfill
a daily task given him, even though