San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-03-22
Convict Labsr.

LATTER 10 conunao VIZ
e' ~ leasing the penitentiary or for
in IT. " 10 assume control of it. We
hss.'tb that quite a number of strong
' est;ons have been presented to the
su ayIt asking that the leasing
.% be abandoned and the state
gs charge of the matter. We are
sa. rs in favor Of this measure,
fel .re also opposed to the hiring
Anu M - conyicts. When q person is
0aaa'v C of crime and sentenced to
Co ,n,snitsntisry for a term of years,
tb;pk the sentence should be car
~ ont to the letter, and that such
Nv .r,on should be confined within
a ~ nr;son walls until his sentence
.,1;r., or no is pardoned out. Un-
, ~ The present system persons cen
=. ..tsd Of minor offenses and sent up
y, sv hort terms, spend very little of
mir time in the penitentiary, but are
s;,.a ont as farm hands, railroad Ia
.i,rsr,, etc. W.are oppose to this for
'1 In the first place it gives convicts
rood opportunity to escape, and
.Sen once free, with price for his
b.ad, the convict becomes desperate,
tnowing that any act he may commit
,,n only conagn him back to the
ssm. punishment he has just escaped.
Then a number of guards are required
n look after these men while at work,
and to the shame of the state be it
vaid that too little regard for the live
# these poor unfortunates has been
manifested by those who have been
.pployed to watch over them. Con-
yicts have been shot down without
invocation by brutal men who were
rnlaced over them, and we have heard
IF no instance where the murderer
has been punished. The contractor
looks upon the con victs he hires as
so much stock" which he controls for
A time, and the more work he can get
ont of them at the smallest outlay to
himself the better. In consequence
Of this convicts are cruelty treated,
some times nearly starved, and when
the complaint is made no attention
is paid to it because the party max
ing it is "only convict"
Another reason why we are oppose
the present system is that this convict
labor comes in contact with the le-
climate labor of tie country, thereby
cutting down the price and creating
dissatisfaction. It has ever been said
that itoffers premium for crime, mas
much as criminals are frequently al
lowed the privileges offreemen, under
the "trusty" system as now practiced.
The champions of the lesser plan
claim that the number of convicts is
so great and prison room so limited
that it would be impossible to confine
ALL the state 'sprisoners within the walls
Of the penitentiary. This we do not
deny, buta reform in this part of our
government has long been needed.
ALI have acknowledged the wisdom of
Governor Roberts suggestion to es-
tablsh reformato1y institutions for
boys, women and minor criminals,
and there is no better time for carry
Ing out the policy than now. The
establishment of such institutions
would not only give more room in tho
penitentiary for long term convicts,
but would work a reformation in crime
that has long been prayed for. Be-
sides, the majority of criminals are
ldlers before conviction, and by keep
ing them within the walls and forcing
them to learn some useful trade, they
will, at the expiration of their terms,
be better prepared to gain livelihood
by honest labor than they did before.
It is our desire to incarcerate men in
the dark, unhealthy cells, merely to
punish them for crimes committed,
but we believe in making our state
prison self-sustaining, the labor OF
the prisoners furnishing means to
keep it up. By this we mean that
they shall be employed within the
walls, in manufactures, such as will
find ready sale throughout the state,
and not be bartered about to Tom,
Dick and Harry, to be butchered up
or allowed to escape, as is too fire.
quently the case under the present
system.