Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1853-05-26
afulofratit Statr NonllHatiolI
FOR GOVERNOR,
Andrew johnson,
OF GREENE COUNTY
The Mechanic Statesman

Inc "MtcndhiG Dlditeuhdh' !
This is the very. happy and appro-
priate title given to Andre~ J01sa-i
son, by the editor Of the Nashville
Union. No man is better entitled to
the appellation, than Mr. j. A me-
chanic himself, he has ever been the
working mans true friend; of every
measure calculated to advance the
interests Of the lab prer, be has been
steadfast champiOn . Unlike many
who have s rung I'd distinction from
the humber walks of life, he has ev'
or been proud Of his origin-as every
true man should be-aud might well
have pointed to it as one Of the beau
ties of a government, under which
every citizen, however obscure, by
energy, honesty of intention, and
perseverance, may aspire to emf
nenee. Many instances Of his sym
pathy for the laborer, and his efforts
in his behalf, might be given, but
for the present, reference to one
subject will be sufficient. The Peni-
tertiary system, in one or two par
ticulars, is one Of the worst insults
to the mechanic, that ever was car
ried into effect. By it the thief, the
murderer, the burglar, the incendlary,
in short, he who has committed the
most revolving crimes know n to hu-
man nature, that are punished BY
any penalty short of capital, is placed
in position to come in competition
with honest mechanics, after the term
of confinement is closed. No one
man out Of every hundred who is in
carccrated is ever reformed. No
matter what his offence may have
been. it is natural for him to consider
the penalty as disproportioned to the
crime. lie is prone to believe that
he is punished too severely, which
engenders spirit of misanthropy,
and determination to be reVenged
This feeling, on his release, he IS the
better able to crafty, because while
in prison he was taught all the mi
nutie of a respectable mechanical
occupation, and he is now thrown in
to the company of honest working
men, whose eallings are brought into
disrepute, in some degree, by the
acts of I'll Gelon. Again, the Peni-
Tertiary G an and does have delete
rio US effect upon the prices of labor,
by executing work at such price as
would bring "blear-eyed acant' upon
an honest citizen. These are some
of the objections, and they are by no
means small, to the present Peniten-
.iary system. They we're seen by
aIr. johnson, while member Of the
Tennessee Legislature, and with
promptitude Characteristic of the
man, he went to work to remove this
incubus from the working masses
lie spoke and acted as one who
had fell this legalized system Of de-
grading honest labor. In 1916, in
the Z. s. House of Representatives,
he introduced the following preamble
and resolutions, and supported them
with all his energy. We invite eve
ry man, who has to earn his bread
by the sweat Of his brow, to give
them an attentive nerusaE
Whereas, the permanency Of a
Democratic form of Government de-
pentls, to very great extent, upon
the perfect equality of the citizens
and the responsibility of labor aud the
laborer.in all classes, and no distinct
ion ought to be recognised in theory
or practice in pure Democracy, ex
eept that which may be brought
about by high moral worth and su,
nerior intellectual attainments: And
whereas, most if not all the States
composing this Confederacy have
erected prison-hOuses, commonly call,
ed penitentiaries, and nave passed
erisainal codes furnishing alb -offdnces,
- c,w avcentions. at hard labor
and confinement in said prison+hou
cos and The penitentiaries: And
t.rass the various branches Of me-