The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-12-14
Convict LnhOr.
TO tbc Ed,fnr of the HERALD.

n n Y
In YOUR isspa If tho 18th instant you have
suggested plsn which '"hen adopted, will,
in your opinion, prevent the b.. 'e'nS Oh con-
vict labor in competition with free sOer.
This has long been favorite subject Of dis
cussion in our state, and especially with our
politicians, who are always ready to promise
reform without having any clearly defined
ideas Of the mode and manner Of securing
change for the better,
AS this is the age of free discussion, sugges-
tons from privste citizen, who is rs much
interested in the prosperity of this grand en-
pira state as any political asprant, will not
pvt Of order.
It 80 shonld be thorough revision
,,,ut.'nal code. Too many ofIenses are
,.as. - colonies.
. d. t"1vido for Che punishment of felon-
les, WHORE the term of Imprisonment docs lot
exceed two years, in the county where the
crime was committed, and let that punishment
be hard labor upon the county roads, and in
chain gang whore the convicted party can
not otherwise be prevented from escaping.
Such change would, probably, relieve the
penitentiary of one-halt Of the conviets.
The building Of factories in which to work
convicts, as suggested by you, brings the
labor of the convict directly in competition
with the labor of free men, and helpless and
needy, but honest and industriously disposed,
women and children.
The Texas road law is . System of slavery
es ;,otine, - ct opposition to, and in
ton ofo1 ~ That law was passed by
the sam w. that passed the labor law in
1866, wL.'., his excellency, j. W. Throck-
morton, so readily approved on the first OF
November Of that year. 1t is the same kind
of legislation that made the confederate con.
gress of 1852 eternally infamous, and the
road law WAS passed to make the poor men
under forty years of age work the roads,
allowing those who are able, to furnish sub
stitutes to do so, and exempting from tax all
over that age.
Sos Bill OF Rights sec, 8, IS 10, 26, and %,
also art. VIII sec. l, ., and 3, of the consti-
tuition.
Abolish the present road law and let 6
tax equal and uniform DO levied upon prop.
orty 10 raise funds to work the roads, with a
provision that any party assessed may, at his
option, pay the Tux in money or labsr, but
| force no freeman of Texas to work upon the
public roads until no shall have been cen.
victed of some oflenso against her laws Il
will require only s. small nd vslorum tax
added to convict labor to put the roads il
fair condition in thickly settled counties
Tho punishment of convicts in the countie.
where convicted will save the expense O.
transportation. If there ia any place
where the seeds of reformation CAR
DO planted in the breast of convict
it is tho neighborhood of home and friends
The law should provide for lesseniug the
term of punishment if the convicted party.
conduct showed disposition to reform
There are mon who are not degraded by
being convicted OF felony, but there are
others who, having some lingering pride o1
'""se Of shame, to whom confinement within
20 pententiary is worse thar
death. The5 feel that they will always be
Pariahs indeed.
To sum up in brief what should be done
to relieve the crowded penitentsry, let the
1 next legislature commence tho work OF re-
form by repeating the road law. that in
famous system of slavery that was psmod Ia
catch the black man but enslaves tho Door
whits man at the same time.
I'd. Punish convicts in the counties where
convicted, as above suggested.
Respectfully,
DALLAS, Dec 10, 1880.