The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1875-07-03
Texas C0nyicts,

The State of Texas has adopted the
leasing system, or u plan which may
be more appropriately styled the farm
ing-out system, for the disposal of a
large portion of its convict labor, and
II has not been found to work well,
AS far as it has been tried. We have
no extensive and reliable information
by which to judge of its profitabeness
to the State, but there can be no ques-
ton that its effects upon the convicts
have been anything but salutary. I'm
der this system the convicts are dis
trlbuted over the State In squads, work
ing upon railroads and plantations. and
public and private improvements, UNI
der the charge of sergeants and guards,
and entirely beyond the control of the
Penitentiary officials. During this
period of outside service they are
housed In camps and railroad ears, and
the lessees alone are responsible for
them, under their agreement to treat
all eonvicts with care and humanity.
Complaints have been made from
time to time of the bad treatment of
convicts under this system, and state
ment which the Globe copied from a
New Orleans paper, some months ago.
had an extensive circulation. These
complaints increased until IL became
necessary to appoint commissioners to
investigate the charges that were so
freely made. The report of the COM
missioners was recently completed and
presented to the Governor, and II sus-
tains most Of the accusations of cruel
and inhuman treatment, presenting n
spectacle OF barbarity that Ia disgrace
to the civilization of this country, 1t
should be promised that the com mis-.
sioners see no cause to find fault with
the law regulating the penitentiary
ana prescribing its discipline. The
law, Is judicious, humane, and, If pro-
perry enforced, calculated to promote
the temporal and spiritual welfare of
the convicts. The acts that have been
so loudly complained of were done in
direct violation of the law, some of
them while the penitentiary was un.
der State control, but great many
more after 1t had passed into the hands
OF the lesses. Nor do the Commission.
ers discover extensive occasion for GEN.
sure IN the management Of the prison
Itself. Inside the building the work,
food, clothing, sleeping accommoda.
lions, care for the sick, etc., although
not what they ought to be, are hy no
means as bad as they might be, and
the punishments, although In some
cases unauthorized by law, are not so
unusual and excessive as to call for az.
we're denunciation.
II Is among the gangs that are dis.
tributed over the country under the
farming-out system that the great
abuses are found, and 1t Is not too
much to say that the evils which the
Commissioners discover in this connec-
ton are to a great extent lnseparable
from that system. The food, although
plentiful, is not always suitable or Of
good quality; clothing and bedding
are often insufficient the sick are moi
properly cared for oonvicts are put TO
labor for which they are not physica.
ly adopted, and general condition
OF filth and neglect Is observable.
But these are minor evils, compared
with the barbarous and unlawful pun
lshments that have been resorted to by
those who have had control of the con-
ylcts. The stocks, the horse and the