The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-03-17

uvuT ali the gences designed for protection
81 lip and iumb. rs well rs for security,
SHAFT ever receive my vote.
senator Iope-"Vill the senator permit
IN a. Interrupt him3'
senator Terrell-"ls II to ask CUES
tiou?"
| Sena or P0pe-"No, SIR
Senator Terrell respectfully decline
/ TO be interrupted | speak with pain, for
am unwell, aud Will soon close
/ II had no other reason TO condemn this
| lease, | would find IL in the fact that f. ON
1919 up TO 1870, period OF twenty one
| years, while the state controlled her crimi-
nais, only seyenty-tiye escaped while from
1873 TO lSS2, u period of only nine years,
2,OB peniteniiary c0nyicts escaped under
J this leasing system. Society suffers and
complains in vain ofpeaoeiui neighborhoods
terrorlzed by this infamous system which
makes man desperate TO escape at any risk
OF life, and which makes escape easy, and
still the senate hesitatea, frightened by the
ghost of resumption aud the fear that few
dollars may be needed to help the state dis
charge a solemn trust.
IL has been said that / was not willing t.
tax the people over 10 cents on the 500 for
schools, but was yet willing TO sustain n tax
for the penltentaries. ! fail to appreciate
the force of the reminder when we know
TINT of those sent to our penltentary the
number who can read and write and who
cannot is about equal. Crime is the oil
spring of bad heart ana Maynard i'm
pulses, and not of the intellect. Its pre-
ventive is the church and Sabbath school,
and the moral lesson at the mothers knee,
and is not afforded by the school teacher,
who instructs only the head, would have
| the state Just and liberal in the perform
ap ~ IL utt--ppnili IN and "a vi
CANT in none.
TnE LEAsE AUTHORIZES THE WORKING or
CoNvICrs ANYWHERE IN THE STATE.
| have left 10 ether senators the work OF
showing that the lease would place in the
| pockets OF the contractors nearly three
millions OF money and well have they
established 1t by facts and figures. No man
can deny their estimates yet, in the face OF
this, we are asked TO pass an act OF ratitiCa,
ton, which being the last act ON the subject
having the force of law, would invest the
esseos under the binding force of con
! tract with u right so long as they observe
the terms of the lease, TO work these con.
vcs where they please all over Texas fol
ten years, unless you adopt my amend
ment.
now THE coHylCrs AXE TREATED UNDER A
LEASE SYSTEM.
How these COuvict9 may be treated when
We have adjourned they will bQGuard
ed, rs ! have shown, by paid hlreliugs ol
the lossees, misCallcd state agents and
guards-we can guess from what was seen
by the visiting committee of the senate
When that visit was made we must suppose
the convicts were made to appear to the
best advantage for the visit was expected
Now see what the joint committee report
ION account OF the severity OF the
weather your committee were pre- yonted
from visiting any OF the convict camps eX
Ccpt one known as the Wynnc farm, near
| Huntsville. y On the Mynne farm
your committee found over sixty conyicts
being worked by Messrs. Cunningham 4
Ellis, lessees, They respectfully submit
that the prisoners on said farm are moi
treated and provided for as, in their Opin.
ion, they should be. They were quartered
IN too small n box house, The windows were
too small, with iron bars and without shut
tiers. There was only one small stove in Tho
house and so arranged 80 AS to make IL I'M
possible for more than five or six persons
TO derive any benefit theretrom at any onC
time. Your committee also found fou'
sick Convicts in said house confined t.
hunks without any medical attendant. w,
believe that all such cases should he re
moved at once 10 the hospital within tin
| vans - ihNiphhl NbutlllNluus L Htl
found that the hunks and bedding used by
the convcts were very filthy, and they SUB
NIT that in view of the condition of tho con
yicts, they are not provided for or treate,
as humanely Us the laws of our state de
mOnd, but they found that the officers au(
lcssecs had discovered the wrongs suilere,
and had ordered the sergeant to be rQ
moved before the visit of your committee.
Remember this Wynae farm is not only
operated by the lessee whose contract tO
ten years to come You are asked TO confirm
but is near Huntsville, almost within tn
sound OF q hOuud's bark of where the su
perintoudent and the lGssees 1--we. That i'm
spentlon was made III the most seyerel
cold weather you ever elt IN Texas. IN
visit was expected, yet sixty human being
were found packed together in one SINAI
box house, surrounded by filthy hunks am
bedding, ON which sick men made thei
+ lair, like beasts, without medical aid, an
one small stove afforded heat 10 only 81,
men Of all that shiyering crowd.
THE SERGEANT A sCApEGoAT.
The committee informs ua that 9Th
officers aud lossees had discovered Tia
wrong and ordered the sergeant To be re
! moved" This surely was merited punish
mcnt for that bad sergeant, for | suppos,
II was inflicted on the idea that he shout
have bought more stoves, built bette
houses, had clean quarters, and hired
doctor, instead OF the lessee of the penitci
= tiary, who owned the promises and cor
\ trolled all these things. Such was the COZ
ditton otthe only penal farm visited by Il,
committee, for 1t was too cold for them
travel. What was the condition of othel
r all over this state lessoonyenent for inspe
, ton We can only surmise.
DoYs ALSO ARE VICTIMS OF LEASING sysTr,
Remember that boys from fourteen u
are sent to the penitentlary-boyso on who,
, tender minds good impressions could |
made by the one chaplain allowed, an
who might be saved for usefulness. Sin,
A lSS-, twenty-seven boyshave been sent to Il
penitentiary who were under fifteen yea
n old, and 261 who were under twenty yea
/ old. They also can be farmed out in camp
/ worked on railroads. and the lease contra
aocords the gracious permission to relca
/ them for reformation, il reformatory /
. stitution is established,
4 This is but u repetition of the expericn,
q OF all times, and only teaches us anew ho
I dangerous thing II Is to invest any mi
4 with power over the bones and muscles
4 MS ielloWmen, i'll whose welfare he has
h interest except to make money. 1t is II
4 Old story OF human suffering. From II
/. time when the mad policy of England tarl
n ed out to the East India company the lab
r OF timid race-irom the time when u
' ayarice of Hastings replenished his cote
n with the Jewels aud treasures of the plu
!. dered princes and people until now
n darker blot on civilization appears than tn
4 which the convict leasing system EXHIBIT
!. In every state whore II prevails.
The statement made by the senator fro
l. Dallas, yesterday, of convicts shut up
NJ midsummer, at night, in hoN-Cars witho
"a ventilation, and dragged from thence de-
Il N the morning, exhibits here in Texas {
q Ca'cutta hole in miniature. 1t has be-
/, SAID that my remarks yesterday were
a reumcn'S. but appeals to sentiment, al
w humanitarian.
n Mr. President, have no apology to of
for being able,whie acting here as a scnat,
. to feel the humane impulses of man. \
!. objection to the whole leasing system
u that II Is u deyilish and uncivllzed viol
. ton OF the policy and object of peuitcnt
y scrvitudc, and now say that while wa
!, you to protect my town against this &C
T. Wet labor, modify and change this lease
y you WILL will never vote for it,
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