The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-01-28
FoR THE CLsR1ox.]
Reply to " Scribe"

NhS~s ~ aIAAnUs
The Comets correspondent Scribe is
mistaken. Experience" did not "devis.
and write his entire article" solely for a.
n purpose of ringing in" the views contain
m the paragraph quoted by "Scriboo ID.
TINS paragraph, IN the opinion of "Scrib1
R Is the gl>t OF the whole matter. be IA co.,.
, tmniy entitled to credit for giving It entir
! before replying to it. Nor did "Fxpsr
j ence' believe that be was violating in u
Z slightest degree the rights of any one. or E..
! any way doing wrong in publishing lis a..
ticlc. lie is a citizen and voter, and feels
deep interest in all that concerns the we.
fare of the state, and especially in the suI.
preston of lawles~neSs and the preseryatio.
of the peace and good order of society: and
the Comet having invited a thorough ven
tilation' of the subject, he supposed that
would be agreeable to all concerned for him
or any one else 20 dissent from the views u.
the Comet, and set forth in the CLARION
the grounds Of such dissent Judgiue
however, from the temper of "Scribo's" Re-
ply and his gratuitous insinuations as TO the
honesty and good intentions" Of expert
ence,' it Is not unreasonable to suppose
that he, or some special friend of his, has
an interest in the subject not common Co
citizens at large. But this, should it bc
true, is no matter of complaint since per-
sonal interests do, or may insensibly innu-
encc our judgments, and, after all, it is TO
be hoped that ''error ceases to be dangerous
when reason is left free TO combat it,"
Al
prison is leased, serbs" asks; 'Then who
is this fresh discovery that the leasing sys-
TEN is wrong, and this cry of protection
against crime p 1t Is because, after full
trial, the leasing system, wrong in principle.
has proved an utter failure in practice
With 1910 cenvicts in the State, and their
number rapidly growing, lawlessness pre-
walls and crime abounds to an extent that
is without precedent, and that suggests the
inference that the fear of punishment has
ceased to operate as a restraint upon evil
doors. scribe indeed, treated this subject
as though it were only dollars and cents
but in our judgment it involves the entire
question of the wise, just and and eficiacouH
administration of our penal laws
Laws are necessary 10 the good order Of
society and Courts are established for their
due administration, and, without adequate
penalties for every violation, laws become
nugatory and lIWlcssuess follows. Recent
" single county in New Jersey paid out
about S33 600 for the discovery, arrest aud
punishment of the assassin of citizen and
hough this sum was large the result
ttaiued was well worth the outlay There
vas not citizen of the State who did not
eel that an additional safeguard was thrown
round his life and person by the stern, en-
rgetlc pursuit and execution of the murder
r. The policy Of Mississippi however, and
ne one which scribe would have perpet-
ated, Is rather to save dollars and cents
nan afford protection To the citizen of an
is rights of person and property al an nee
ssary cost If ScribOs principle is right.
ny not abolish courts and iails and peni-
'ntaries and taxation itself?
Taxation is the price which tho citimu
justly called upon to pay for the protec-
OF and benefits of civil government and
overnment is a failure when the price is
aid and the consideration not received.
Many atrocious murders and other
rmes have been committed i'm this State
nd the criminals have been permitted 70
scape all punishment, by going 20 Arkau-
IS or Texas. In a large number of the
Asses no reward was offered for the arrest
t the fugitives, and in some cases, when
heir place Of retreat has been discovered
nd au oller made TO arrest ADD place th5w
J the hands of the proper authorities fora
aasonabe reward. "a mistaken economy has
ven theG caused them to be left unm0lest-
4 This was no fault ofour excellent Gov
NOR, but a defect of the law which failed
} place in his hands a fund adequate TO
lch purposes
''Scribo' states that under the leasing
stem fewer COuyicts escape than ever be-
re. kfOm facts within our knowledge we
ave been under different ifurtraaaf.rI
Within the last few years quite q Nun
ar OF convlcts sent from North Mississis-
ppi, have been known in 4 short time 10
: back in their old noighborhoods
The counties Or P0ntotoc, Union, Tip
IN, Bel.0u, Marshall and Lafav-
e, nave certainly had cause for com
amt ON tins account. In one instances
)torious criminal escaped three times, and
now q. large ] find h0 fault with the
resent lcssees of the Penitentiary. They
ldeavor, / believe to fulfill all Of their
to the state. 1t is the system
hich ( regard as inherently vicious One
eat objection 10 10 certainly Is the in
quality OF The punishment inflicted under
1t is the duty of the State equally and
npartally to punish all violations Of lave
proportion to their guilt and 10 this end
puulshments should be- administered by
s own immediate agents who are directly
sponsible % tine state itself. Many con-
cts, it is understood, are now having am
lay time AS clerks or guards or in some
her position which secures them privi-
ges to which no convict is entitled and
hich makes their punishment more uomi-
Il than real. Others, hired out as farm
borers, are well clothed and moderately
orked, and in n better condition generally
IAN when they were free. On the eKpirs-
on Of theig terms Of sentence, these give a
p0lG OF convict life so favorable as to de
oralize their associates. Some, again, fan
TO the hand OF hard task-masters, By
HON they are cruelty neglected and over
orEed We have been told by eye-wit-
ssses that about the close Of the year 1878
train Of cars brought to the depot at
lckson a number cf eonyicts who had been
red out for the year, and who, though the
Gather intensely cold, we're
poorly clad that portions Of their
lked bodies were exposed TO view, and
the freezing blasts Of winter They
oked Oh, they said, with pity and disgust.
nd were finally Mortified at seeing two or
lTee uncotined dead bodies put of with as
title care or respect though they had
cen blocks Of wood or stone. One Of our
lformants is now a State Senator ia Jack
N and the recollection Of the same win
oubtless influence him in dealing with the
inject. EXPERIESCE
ExODUsTERs.
SUFFERING EXODUsTERs.