Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-02-20
MEMPHIS APPEAL
SUNDAY. FEBRUARY 20, 1870.
PESTrENTIARY CoNvICrs.

PENITENTIARY CONvICTs.
Nesr,y all the States have large-sizeC
eIeuhants on their hands In the way o
penitentiary convicts. Several State
have leased out their peHitentisrles, bu
the sy.tem does not seem to work well
IS the lessees are generally composed o
ring Of rascals who care nothing fol
the interests of the State so they gel
their pound of flesh. What can be done
with the convicts, lie the problem which
many Of the States are lsborlng to solve.
This question has attracted the attention
Of the people Of Illinois. The Chicago
Tines in discussing 1t, says:
The members Of every trade protest
against their engagement in their par
ticular occupation. Since the Illinois
State penitentisry was located at Joliet,
the c0Opers, blacksmiths, shOemakers,
printers, tailCrs zinc-workeEs, carriage.
makers, furniture. cigar
makers, and we know not how many
other kinds OF artisans, have protested
against having the convicts work at the
business in which they were engaged.
In several instances, candidates for
Office have made pledges to the various
TIA ie-uDioDs to help them prevent CON-
victs working in their particular fields
Of labor. Such pressure was brought to
bear Oh the peDitentiary authorities that
q few years ago the experiment was tried
Of allowing few o. the convicts, who
were skilled ia the business, to work in
fields and gardens adjoining the prison,
for the purpose of raising vegetables for
the supply Of the numerous family
within the walls. Scarcely, however, had
the seeds been planted in the soil before
the free and enlightened farmers and
gardeners Of Will county held meeting
and protested against the procedure
IS an outrage to their honorable occupA-
ton. They believed that convicts should
be kept where they belonged-within
prison wallE. Most of the peniteRtiR-
Ties in this country are located in the
immediate vicinity of stone quarries, as
they afford the kind Of employment de-
sired for male convicts. Our peniten-
tisTy was located at Joliet chiefly on &C.
count Of the stone quRrries and the near.
ness TO this city where the rough and
cut stone could be marketed. 1t wSs
thought that the location was good one
for the reasons just given. The stone
cutters Of this city, however, are not
favorable to having convicts work, or at
least to having them work at their bust
neg. AT the last meeting Of the city
fathers they presented the following Pc
titiUn
''To the Honorable the Board Of Council:
"We, the journeymen stone-cutters of
this city, through their committee, do
most respectful y pray that your honor
sble board will take into consideration
the interests of the iourneymen stone
cutters Of this city, many of whom are
tsx-psyers, and concur in the action Of
the board Of county commissioners In
reference 70 the letting OF the work for
the city portion of the new customhouse,
especially the cut-stone work, viz: that
prison labor be barred from competing
for said work, either directly or indi-
rectly; and that your honorable board
instruct the board of public works, In
advertising for bids for the eut-stone
work, that they specify the above con-
ditiOn."
This petition elected much discussion |
in the board of aldermen, and it Is evil |
dent that the convicts in the Illinois
penitentisry will not be allowed to cut |
stone; and since they cannot practice
law, set type, edit newspapers, make
barrels, horse-shOes, boots, coats, car
riages, furniture, harness, or raise corn
and cabbsges, it is difficult to utilize their
labor. We sgree with the farmers Of
Illinois that "convicts should be kept
where they belong-within prison
walls" Were convicts permitted to
practice law and medicine, lawyers aud
physicians would be consumed with in
dignatioD. Have not farmers, mechan.
Ice, artisans aud laborers the same right
10 complain when they have to compete
with thieves and murderers? Besides,
he system of farming out the peniten-
.iRry is prolific source Of corruption.
L has been so in other States, and it lie
so in Tennessee, which we
propose TO ventilste so soon as certain
acts can be procured. 1t is notorious that
General Forrest would have given more
or the lease Of the penitentiary than
the State is receiving. But fsyoritigm
was shown the ring, and it struck a
profitable contract at the expense Of o
ak ridden people. 1t is a relief, how
aver, to know that the convicts are to
be sunk in the bowels Of the earth.
That great and good man, A. S. Colyar,
{ is generally known, has extensive
cal mines ia Middle Tennessee. He
las pulled them into stupendous impor-
ance. He describes their wealth in
language as glowing and eloquent as
hat used by John Law in dilating on
lis Mississippi bubble, which exploded
nd brought widespread financial dis
ress and bankruptcy. Colyar is as en-
husiastie rs Mulberry Sellers" in de-
laring that "there's millions In IT." {
ut it remains to be seen who will be /
be ssSi Hawkins" After hearing one 1
( John Law-Colysr's harangues about
is inexhaustibls coal mines, the lessees {
Z the penitentisry frantically rushed
pom him, and incontinently made the {
ockets which the sheriff 30 long found 9
mpty 3 cornucopis blossomiDg with {
ANAAgf NhN AOH AAC NOANAOs4 SAS
o be rushed TO the Sewanee noun I
aims, where the American flag viii /
,roudIy wkye, Colysr and his company 9
Constituting the stars and the convict '
the stripes. There's mill j
ions in it," bat 1t is q million Of curses l
md disappointments. The people Of E
Tennessee, disgusted with the corrup- b
ions connected with the lease Of the t
'enitentiary, will see to 1t that the State v
AXE charge OF the convicts and make 9
hat profit which goes into the pockets v
d the ring. The Taxpayers are stag s.
yerlng under tie burden Of taxation. ri 7
Mulberry Sellers" can make money Il
ou, Of convict labor, so can the STATE v
There are eleven hundred conyicts in O
he penitentiary Of Tennessee. They v
IAN be SO employed ss to earn nearly Il
half q million Of dollars to the State. a
which with the present rate Of taxation 0
would more than psy the interest on the d
state debt Tia tsx-ridden people Of o
Tennessee ahOui8 make this question 4
the ntzt Slectlon for members to the /
egialatzre. We shau continue the dis =