The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-04-22
A CRUEL SYSTEM.

In the Waco ExamineSof recent date we
notice short commentary upon the county
convict system of this state and reference
to what is popularity known as Brown and
Herndon's peaitentiary" in Robertson
county, and We heartily agree with the Ex-
amncr that it is high time the governor
appealed to the legislature toput stop to
such a system. These county conyicts are
not in the common sense of the term crinl-
nails. They are neither burglars, nor rob
bers, nor thieves, nor murdereis, but simply
multitude of poor uniortunates whom
strong drink most generally has reduced
to poverty or led into rows, or armed with
a pistol, or caused to commit some other
misdemeanor by which, while society has
not been much injured, the guilty party
has faller into the hands of the law
fine is imposed and together with costs,
amounts generally to fifty or one hundred
dollars Just here great defect in the law
commences to operate. The compensation
allowed these poor creatures, who are UNI
able to pay their fines otherwise than
by work as public conyicts, is so
paltry that the fine and costs
keep them at hard labor for six months or
a year-a term equal to the imprisonment
often of u iclon in the states prison. The
well-to-do young boods in the meantime,
guilty of the same ollcnse pay the fine at
once and laugh at the light punishment
with which they got off. But this is not
all. AS our exchange remarks: "The vic
tim is compelled to wear stripes, labor hard
and serve sometimes longer terms OF inn
prisonment than the state imposes on fell
ons and if he rebels he is lashed and if he
attempts to escape he is hunted down with
boodhounds." A system so severe and by
which, under the hort-sightedness Of the
law and the popularity of the convict's sit
uation in life the punishment is SO grossly
disproportioned to the oilense, ought GER
tainly to. be corrected. Humanity of the
broadcast possible character to all prisoners
and particularly to those who are unlortun-
ates rather than criminals, would seem to be
at all times dictated by the spirit and en-
lightcnment of modern charity. To sell
men to individuals who work them for
double the price the convict is allowed by
the state, who is worked and guarded like n
wild beast by shot-guns and blood-hounds,
is degrading TO the prisoner, injurious to So
ciety, and grossly unjust on the part of the
state. 1t is a subject indeed Which calls for
an immediate consideration, and practices
which ought TO be at once discontinued. If
tho present law us to compensation and la
Dor is maintained, the county authorities
ought to retain their cOnyicts within their
proper counties, or under their immediate
guardianship and control. If private indi-
viduals and lessces can make money out of
them, certainly the county authorities
may. Then again excessive labor and the
lash should be abolished, and the proper
parties should see to it that they were.
But the real reform should be reached by
Legislative enactment. The allowance upon
tic convicts fine for his days labor, is en-
tlrcly too small, and is the essence of the
disproportionate punishment to which he
is subjected. II is but right and justice
that he should be paid what such character
ofwork as he may do, ordinarily brings,
after dcducting the actual cost
of the support given him, and
he should bc made only to labor
as other and free laborc,s do, There is
great room for improvement over the pres
ent management of county convicts by in
auguratlng and conforming to even the two
or three simple propositions OF natural .us-
ticc just suggested. If the various coun-
ties of the state then, would keep ana
work their own county prisoners upon the
highways and ON public works, under such
regulations and provisions as above stated
the convict would not only be Justly and
humanely treated rs well as punished, but
the county would derive incidentally more
benefit to itself than as at present man
aged, We therefore hope to see The miscr