Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1875-01-13
4 LAW WE ALL NEED.

The recommendation of Governor
Brown TO the Legislature. that a large
sum could he annually saved TO the
State, through law establishing in
each county, or as least in our largest
counties, warehouses;, where persons
convicted OF minor offenses could be
confined ami made to work, is am ex.
cellent one and worthy Of special at.
tentiou- The cost of convicting and
Furnishing criminals in Tennessee. is
beyond all reason. 1t surprises us,
that the taxpayers have so long and
SO patiently borne ii. A man steals
a side of bacon, or "a pair of boots and
it costs the county and State in many
eases five hundred dollars to prose.
cute him. He is then sent to Nash.
vile 10 the penitentiary, where he is
Of value to the lessees, but none
whatever tn the State.
We have repeatedly urged upon our
people. the necessity for building bet
terpublic roads. The want of them
Is one Of our greatest drawbacks.
Our articles on this subject. have been
approved by many citizens whose
Judgment, is Of great value. Two
years ago We agitated the subject and
were the means Of sending TO Nash
vile petitions from the best counties
OF East Tennessee, asking the Legis-
lature for better public road law.
The result was the passage Of an act
leaving it optional with Copnty Courts
TO enforce it or not. OF course it fail.
ed, We are now again urging our
readers every where to get up new Pc
titions and send them TO Nashville.
demanding law that will reach the
case. Our roads are worse than none
at all. They are an embargo upon
the producers Of the country. The
cost Of wagoning Il good crop TO mar
ket, is oppressive. Our farmers feel
it, and our merchants feel it. Good
public roads connecting Knoxville
with Sevierville, cambridge, Nary
vile, Loudon, Kingston. Rutledge and
other adjoining county towns, would
be worth 10 the merchants and man.
of Knoxville thousands of
dollars annually. One of our leading |
merchants, only yesterday, urged up
Oh US the Importance of impressing |
upon the Legislature the necessity of
this law.
One way TO secure good roads, in
addition TO tax for that purpose,
would be convict labor from the peni.
.entiary and county warehouses;.
Force our worthless criminals to paw
back 10 the public, what it costs TO
convict them, in work on our roads.
Il would not only give US good roads,
lut would lessen crime. These fel.
ows, VINO live by petit larceny and
hstu-b our people with drunken
'prees, hate to work. a ball and chain
md ten houcs day on the public
Dads, where their crimes would be
iaily advertised and serve as a terror
o their associates, would make
ay abiding citizens Of them
sooner than comfortable cells and good
fare in jails at the public expense.
Dur convict labor thus employed in
the larger counties would give us in
tel years system Of roads that would
greatly enhance the value of every
farm III Tennessee, and give our far.
mers and common carriers by land,
cheap, convenient aud comfortable
transportation. We have only nj. /
tempted to direct public attention TO ,
the subject. Let it be canvas-ed. |
Let public sentiment on the subject |
be expressed Ut Nashville bv private !
letters and petitions TO our legislators. |
Let them prepare the details of law |
TO embrace this general plan, and |
Knox county will get something sub
stantial in return, for the $4,000 |
or more, she annually expends in her
Criminal Court.
IHE bill introduced in the Tenne-. |
see House of Representatives last |
week by Hon. II. r. Gibson, involves /
a very important change in our Couu.
~ Court system, and one which re- /
duces the costs Of holding the County |
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