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

these convicts IN tue shops, hotci., bfifk-
yards and outside factories ol Hunisyi',
aud Rusk, and under this contract the slate
cannot help herself. Still there would be
one advantage in that, Tor | tee the lease
allows but one chaplain. whocouid not pus-
sibly mu tiply himself 10 be at all tie
camps over the state, but he could herd aud
gather them, ] suppose, once week at
Huntsville aud preach 10 them.
Section 80, OF the act Of 1881, bad as IL is
contained provision authorizing reward
OF 800 for an escaped convict. This lease
requires the lessces 10 offer $40. With the
whole convic, labor of the state IN their
charge, If We except the profits of their
labor, $50 Is the sum OF their losses, when
through their system OF hiring them all
over Texas, they permit horse thief o.
murderer TO escape. III more Is pad Our
taxes must supply the money. The law
authorizes u reward Of 500 for the capture
of convict but II was formerly paid from
the lease money, Now, let the escapes
continue as they have been for two years,
and il we should be- LUCKY in recapturing,
with the 500 reward paid by the state, We
might find our general revenue depleted
instead of being increased $4,000 year
to catch laborerS for these lessees.
CONSTITUTION VIOLATED AND CONTROLLER
DISPENSED WITH.
have referred more than once TO the act
OF 1881, under which this lease Is attempted
~ be made, aud | call attention to one
clause in the hope that this or some other
legislature will change IL, In section 10
the superintendent is required to audit all
accounts connected with the penitentary,
At ore dash the comptroller of the state is
dispensed with. Neither elected by the
people nor bonded as an officer, the super
intcndents approval or rejection decides
the claims to millions involved in the pen
itentiary interests. Yes, sir, here on my
desk il u slip, lust received from the comp
troller's Office stating that the accounting
officers of this state had no voice in passing
on the justness OF claims for penitentiary
account, involving vast sums of money.
Your comptro lor, elected by the people
the book-keeper of the state--is ignored by
an act which violates the constitution and
leaves the state with no voice or check on
the financial settlements and decisions OF
the superintendent of the pententiary, amt
under that law this lease contract is author
lied
THE LEASE DESTRUCTIVE or HONEST INDUSTRY
But, sir, the special object of my amend
menl ls to place some limit upon u power
which the lessees may exercise over our in
dustrles-more despotiC If this lease is con
flrmed than men g ould 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.
want new state-house here, but do not
want it at the expense Of peaceful popu-
latlon OF my constituents, terrori2ed and in
continual alarm over the presence of 500
conyicts cutting stone and doing mechani-
cal work on that ediiice. do not want my
town afflicted with an army of penitentiary
TRUSTEES to be turned loose upon the CAPT
tai of your state as fast as their terms oI
service expire. do not want their labor
brought here to compete with that of hon
ost mechanics who have families to sup
port and are willing to do faithful public
work without being watched. These con
victs represent almost every trade. Among
them are twenty-six blacksmiths, fifteen car
penters and thirty painters. ltis unwise. j, il
criminal to paraly2e the honest industries
OF our towns and cities by permitting any
one to import upon them az will and pleas
ure servile labor like this. More than
this, II is unwise and dangerous to invest
any citizen with so great power by con
tract with the state. Can you imagine Il
more devilish despotism than would follow
the establishment of these branch penteu
tiary shops In our cities2 Let these lesSeus
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 al
the expense OF the destruction and SUFFERING
of honest industry. Sucn is not the east
wnen agriculture employs them, and Il
that thny should be confined II we confirm
this lease Thousands of acres remain uu
titled for the want of labor and there is yc
no danger o monopoly IN the production
/ af al nj 4
locate u new asylum for the insane, ant
Dallas, Denison, Fort Worth or Corsican
may secure IL. No ono of thes
cities would feel happy in seeing so
conyicts working in their vicinity u
the structure; aud | appeal TO the senate
the oitter cup OF this lease contract Is 10 b.
forced on tho county, to adopt my amend
ment IN the interest OF honest, skilled labo
in our towns amt cities. Unless you adop
my amendment, rely upon it they will b
sought 10. on every public edihce We rear
and a peaceful community, now proud q
the presence OF state improvements, will il
bitterness OF heart curse the day that suCI
public works were ever begun.
RESUMPTION ny THE STATE A DUTY.
Let me say, once tor all, that resumption
by the state OF control OF these convicts Ia
no terror Tor me. IL is the duty of Tn
One great object of the government Is tn,
, protection of life and property and the per
iten'iary is one appliance TO effect this. Fo
no better cause than this can taxes b
gathered, and | stand ready to pay an,
vote whatever will enable the state to RI
sumo trust which she should never dele
gate, and, in my Judgment, which she ca
never speculate in without dishonor
What farm out like cattle this living
breathing mass of more than 1000 huma
, beings to men who can have no other nut
tive to govern their management than /
make money out of their bones an
musole' The recent history of Texas is III
OF evidence OF tho horrors of this system
what! delegate TO spectators the high an
, solemn trust OF penitential and reform,
tory servitude for fellow men, II tru,
winch society imposes on the state, and W
are unworthy guardians IL we repudiato
because II IL expensive, or weigh huma
: misery In tho scale with gold. Tell me n,
, that q state like Texas, free from debt, wit
. boundless resources and prosperous In n
ner borders, is unequal to the task of pui
, lsning IN her own name and under her ow
officers, the violators of her law. II yo,
penitentiaries will not hold them, and the
must he worked outside, let them be take
by officers OF tho state, aud not by speculs
p WIS, anu Wofkeu III HeluS now growing u
IN weeds for want OF labor. Then priso,
, may be built both for their comfort md \
curlty, and the humane purpose of thelay
which contemplateS reiormatory punisl
! ment, may be accomplished. A plant,
who works large force of them toll N
that the state could lease 1000 field han,
IN twenty DAYS, at fair wages, to men vii
. would build prisons aud work them o
plantations under state guards and sta
= THE LeAsE ruTs THE SUPERINTENDENT AN
1 GUARDS AT Tiis MERCY OF THE LnssREs,
|. And now lot me call your attention to Il
: fourth clause OF this contract, and point OF
j. a danger. II requires the contractors
!. pay all the officers and guards, il is tru
From this duty also the state is relieves
4 Thus you will have the mockery of office
Q and guards, put there by the state, il
n true, but dependent for the money viii,
buys their bread on the contractors, who
81 conduct they arc appointed to watch al
control, No voucher for salary or pay
Q these officers and guards can DO paid on q
s comptrollcr's warrant. From superinten
s emit down they are fed from the pocket
k the contractors. Beautiful guardians of ii
t,.lA At