Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1853-11-17
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THE STATE PENITESTIARY.
tors Of Tie UaiOn and A'ae'fc'in:.

Of our State Prison, have yielded to their wish;
feeling, however, my neompetency to do justice to
subject Of such vital interest," 70 at least portion
Of our fellow citizens ..
shall only alude to SO tnuc of the operation of
the present system as deem of most importance,
and only in a brief way, f,.l ,t,,..,5s..
have carefully examined the Hreports on the
Penitentiary, A" from 1913, to the present, and l
would respectfully solicit careful examination of
those reports. That for ls43 and IA, SETS down
heprofts at S6696 4s; but let US take 4 peep be
low the surface, aud see what this is composed of
or in what it consists: First, debts due; second,
finished work on hand third, unfinished work;
fourth, lumber and materials; fifth all the tools and
machinery. The question naturally comes up,
would the S6696 4s, pay for these2 The sequel
will answer
The net gain to the State in the report for the
years As and 46, is about $4,000. But in what
does this consst2 Not in dollars and cents, but,
just like that FOR 43 and A m debts, good and bad
tools, &c. Still no money comes into the Treasury.
In AZ and '48, net gain of Sll ,S47 is reported.
Out of this large sum- youmght reasonably calculate
that something would be realized to liquidate the
large yearly drains from the Treasury for the sup
port Of the institution but no, not dollar finds its
way there. Embraced in this, is charge of $751;
600, for labor done by the hands employed on the
Capitol; also charge of steam Engine, at $4,000.
Astonishing as it may appear to him who only
gives these reports superficial reading, the snug
little sum of $4,000, is asked and granted to help
this aourishing q y institution out of debt. -
Thereported net gain for so and 81, is S3l, 1854,
but lol this sum is all swallowed up by charge of
$4,000, for work on the Capitol This same En-
CINE at So, OOOis again arrayed; as also, these
debts good bad, &c.
These reports represent the affairs of the Peni-
Tertiary to be in healthy and fourishing condition.
Thanks to wise administration for it say the tax
payers" But 10! again the Treasury is depleted to
the tune of $4,000, to help this Aourishng QD con-
| Germ out Of debt.
| Wecome now to the report for 80 and SO, which
is the best have seen. do not to say, that
any of them are unfairly made out / think they
are made out with candor and honesty, but I ex-
anime them upon their own merits In this report
we have net gain or profit of $4,000 20
Surely something can be spared ont of this large
amount to reimburse the Treasury for the con-
slant drain upon it from this source. Be not
too sanguine, you patient tax payers, but look
to the end. That same old engine set down to
your account twice before, another batch of debts
&c. must first be taken into the account before the
balance is struck, but without troubling yourselves
| to know the how or the why, it viii be some COM
fort to know that only $1,000 is now asked to be
| forked over for the benefit of the concern. Just
| : L -. III. "a Il.
the affairs of the Penitentary always represent
ed to be in ourishng condition, and yet at every
sitting of the Legislature asking for money by the
thousands? The report says "it could not be ex-
pected that the 100 hands employed in mechanical
work within the walls should make enough to
vctua and clothe the other 100 employed on the
State Capitol" Here let US make supposition.-
A. has 240 negroes that cost him but triAe, in his
lenity of his disposition he says to one half of his
negroes, have park, inclosed with strong wall
around it into which you may enter. will feed
and clothe you comfortably, and all ask ofyou
is good behaviour The other half he employs at
some profitable business. AT the end of a yearhe
posts up his. books, and finding himself in debt
! $4,000 would he not if a prudent man. aban-
don the scheme? Most assuredly. Why not the
| State of Tennessee do likewise
But let us see if such would be the result of the
case we have supposed. The l20 who labored
ought to make 500 each this makes the of
$4,000, sum surely sufficient to victual and
clothe the 240. If so, better far not let the
victs raise hammer than to work them hard and
bring the State in debt l can't conceive the mo-
tive to persist in system Of conducting our State
prison, which yearly abstracts large sums of money
from the treasury and what is worse feature, OPP
presses and degrades portion Of our citizens, and
portion too having just claims to respect and sym
pathy especially as the system could tie so easily
changed aud be lnadeto bring into the put
lie fund and at the time Cypress and degrade no
one to which ! will advert presently. By reference
to the 9th page Of the last report it will be that
an appropriation is asked to purchase ground for a
grave yard and the very best of reasons are given
why it should be done, namely That those having
charge of the public cemeteries will not permit the
dead conyicts to be buried in their precincts. Ger
tainly no one having proper regard for deceased
relatives would consent to have convict buried by
their side Yet, by the operation of this system,
the released and pardoned ones are all foisted on
the necnanlC placeu awe py MS Sue WlUn an THEIR
vices clingng to Them to associate and mingle with
them in business. ...
These outlaws are gathered from all the avoca-
tons of society, but all return to one. Has not
this one a just cause Of complaint Justice says
yes But even suppose the Penitentiary did yield
a revenue to the Stale it is sabtracting that much
from the honest mechanics families, and disabling
them from afording the of education to their
children-or else compels them to remove from our
city to places where this evil does not exist.
1t may be justly argued that these convicts must
be employed; certainly they should but this can be
done-the State Treasury be made to receive, in
stead of all the time paying out and the evil we
complain of be remeded.
There are persons who would fain remove the |
Penitentiary from the State, pay bonus and agree
to employ the convicts so as TO interfere with
mechanical trade conducted in this State, men, too
every way responsible. In the name then of all
reason should it not be done? On the score of
economy, it were better to employ some one to feed