The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-08

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contract, whether good or bad. Ger
tainly l never will when senators
who have figured on its terms show
that it will realize in fifteen years a
profit to the lessees of over two
millions of money. But, sir, if the
state should make two millions in
stead of the leSSeeS / would still op-
pose its confirmation with equal
alacrity, for 1 detest and abhor the
whole leasing system as unstatesman-
like, irrational, lnhuman and barbar-
Gus. 1t was in its inception a make
shift to preserve the cash balance and
crystaliZe political majorities, when
there was no need on either account
for such resort.
But, sir, the law of 1881, bad as
it is, was violated in its spirit, uninten-
tional, l know, on the part of the
board by the terms of this contract.
That law authorizes the state super
intendent to assign convicts to any
camp or penitentiary he may think
proper. The contract we are invited
to ratify, by its eleventh section pro-
videS that 1.-THE lesseS shall by them
selves, their agents. etc, have the
right to direct the labor of the con-
victs," reserving only to the state the
right to prohibit their employment at
unhealthy work. 1t is true that the
tenth section reserves to the state the
right to say how they shall be worked,
fed and lodged, but not where. In
der this lease they may take thou
sand convicts to your town or mine,
sir, and crowd your streets with their
TRUSTEES. Nor is this all. We have
had many promises about continuing
convicts to the penitentiaries. Under
this lease, if you once confirm it, these
contractors may turn the key on your
state prisons and never contine a con-
vict in one of them. The only re-
quirement is to cOnfine at work with
in the walls, or at labor near by, and
incidental to the operation thereof at
least four hundred convicts, and to
increase until 1886, when it shall
reach eight hundred. This is all
What is meant by cor at labor near
by?" Is it d mile or two, or five miles !?
Ten miles would not be far for Texas,
though it might be for Delaware.
What is meant by outside labor sin
cidental' to operating the penitenti-
airy? 1t may mean either to cut wood
to furnish fuel. or to make
cash to run the establishment at some
late year in the fifteen year lease.
Sir, these leSSeSS can hire a thousand
of these convicts in the shops, hotels,
brickyards and outside factories of
Huntsville and Rusk, and under this
contract the state cannot help herself.
Still there would be one advantage in
that, for l see the lease allows but
one chaplain, who could not possibly
multiply himself to be at all the
camps over the state, but he could
herd and gather them, [ suppose, once
a week at Huntsville and preach to
them.
Section 80 of the act of 1881, bad as
it is, contained provision authoriZ-
ing a reward of 800 for an escaped
convict. This lease requires the
lessee to offer 500. With the whole
convict labor of the state in their
charge, if we except the profits of
their labor, twenty dollars is the sum
of their losses, when through their
system of hiring them all over Texas
they permit a horse thief or murderer
to escape. If more is paid, our taxes
must supply the money. The law
authorizes a reward of 500 for the
capture of convict, but it was form
erly paid from the lease money. Now
let the escapes continue as they have
been for two years, and if we should
be lucky in recapturing, on the hun
dred dollars reward paid by the state
we might find our general revenue
depleted instead of being increased
ten thousand year to catch laborers
for these leSSeeS.
have referred more than once to
the act of 1881, under which this lease
is attempted to be made, and l call at
tention to one clause in the hope that
this or some other legislature will
change it. In section IL the super
intendent is required to audit
all accounts connected with
the penitentiary. At one dash the
comptroller of the state is dispensed
with. Neither elected by the people
nor bonded as an officer, the superin-
tendent's approval or rejection decides
the claims to millions involved in the
penitentiary interests. Yes, sir, here
on my desk is slip just received
from the comptroller's Office, stating
that the accounting officers of this
state had no voice in passing on the
business of claims for penitentiary ac-
count, involving vast sums of money.
Your comptroller elected by the peo-
ple-the bOokkeeper of the state-is
ignored by an act which violates
the constitution and leaves the state
with no voice or check on the finan-
cial' settlements and decisions of the
of the penitentiary,
and under that law this lease contract
is authorized.
But, sir, the special object of my
amendment is to place some limit
upon a power which the lessees may
exercise over our induStrieS-mOre
despotic if this lease is confirmed than
men should possess in free country.
My object is to prohibit them from
working the cOnvictS in the towns or
cities of Texas or upon our public
works. L want new state house
here, but do not want it at the ex-
pense of a peaceful population of my
constituents, terroriZed and in con-
tinual alarm over the presence of 500
convictS cutting stone and doing me-
chanical work on that edifice. / do
not want my town afflicted with an
army of penitentiary TRUSTEES, to be
turned loose upon the capital of your
state as fast as their terms of service
expire. do not want their labor
brought here to compete with that of
honest mechanics who have families
to support and are willing to do faith
full public work without being
watched.
These convicts represent almost
every trade. Among them are TWEEN
ty-six blacksmiths, fifteen carpenters
and thirty painters. 1t is unwise, it
is criminal to paralize the honest in
duStrieS of our towns and cities by
permitting any one to import upon
them at will and pleasure a servile
labor like this. More than this, it is
unwise and dangerous to invest any
citizen with so great power by con-
tract with the state. Can you ina
CINE more develish deSpotism than
would follow the establishment of
these branch penitentiary shops in
our cities? Let these leSsees take
twenty-five blacksmiths to Dallas,
Houston or Austin, and what chance
would individual competition stand
against men whose labor is procured
for almost nothing? Cheaper work
would indeed result, but at the ex-
pense of the destruction and suffering
of honest industry. Such is not the
case when agriculture employs them,
and to that they should be confined if
we confirm this lease. Thousands of
acres remain untitled for the want
of labor, and there is yet no danger
of a mnnOnnlv in the nr0-