The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1883-03-29


Lense BIn-ne rites Ossa Upon FELTON, Of
Logic IN support 81 Hls Position, and In a
Mastariy style Advances Arguments
Seemingly Unanswersble.
Mn. PRESIDENT: approach the discussion
OF the subject matter covered by the feso-
luton with feelings OF great em6auass'
ment. have not been free from doubts
and perplexity since first began to con-
slider the matter with serious thought and
attention.
That the leases were made on basis diff
ferent from what was proposed In the adj
vertisement by the penitentiary board al
will admit. Prior to the advertisements
for proposals to lease the two penitentiarie'
the board had, after due notice, made con
tracts with various parties for five years tC
take nine hundred convcts to be employed
on what is called outdoor work-cottor
and sugar farms. The total number of con
victs in the state at this time was something
over twenty two hundred. Here, after thss'
contracts had been made for nine hundred
men, for five years, there were still remain
ing on hand something over twelve hundred
convicts in or connected with the Hunts
will and Rusk penitentiaries. The boart
advertised for proposals to lease the two
penitentiaries, with the number of convict
as above stated, for period not TO exceed
fifteen years. The advertisement was silent
as TO the nine hundred men, already con
tracted for, to the farmers, Ior nve years, By
the state. Nor was it stated that partie.
desiring TO lease the penitentlaries could, i
they wished, have the choice or right To
take the place Of the state in the five years
contracts above mentioned. No bids OF
proposals were received by the board, but
it does not appear that the failure of par
ties to bid was caused by the non-mention
of the farm contracts for the nine hundred
men. The advertisement having failed 10
elicit bids, and the board seeing that 1e-
sumption stared them in the face, and
would soon become q fixed fact unless
something VAS done at once, the leases
under consideration were executed. And
as part and parcel of the contract of lease
the lessees take the place OF the state in the
contracts tor nine hundred outdoor men.
Herein consists the fact that the present
lease is on a different basis from the pro-
posals advertised by the board; and some
contend that Tor this reason the leases
ought to be rejected, because the silence Of
the board as to their willingness TO throw
in the nine hundred outdoor men pre-
vented competition in, and had the effect
to drive away bidders.
Let us see If this can be true. During
all time OF the advertisements and
re-advertisements, by the board for
proposals, no man or firm ever
made bid for either one or both of the
penitentiaries. No man who wished or
contemplated leasing the penitentiaries, or
either of them, could have been ignorant of
the fact that the 800 men had been con-
trac.ed only by the state for five years. IL
it was not known it certainly could have
been found out by the use OF very slight
diligence, and if the penitentiaries were
wanted, with the 900 men at outdoor labor
thrown in, why not make this proposal to
the board? Any one had as fair an oppor-
tunity to do this as did Cunningham d.
Handy, yet no one spoke; no one would
take the penitentiaries, even with the 9OO
men added, although correspondence was
solicited. Cunningham 81 Handy never
made this offer to take the penitentiaries,
even with the 900 outdoor convicts thrown
in; but the proposal. as | understand it,
came from the board. Here, l say,
that it is clear that the
action of the board did not stifle COMPETE
ton or draw any bidders; and the only
thing left for the board to do at that criti-
cal juncture was TO execute these leases or
resume control of the penitentiaries. For
one, am glad that resumption was pre-
vented then, and trust we may be able to so
act on this lease as to prevent 1t now.
Some of the advocate OF resumption seem
to see in it a perfect bonanza for the state.
Others boldly demand it Without giving a
fact or figure, except an occasional instance
of cruelty to convicts employed in outdoor
labor. Yet in the same breath they say let
the state take them in her own hands and
hire them out. Would not the conyicts BE-
as liable TO harsh treatment when hired by
the state as when hired by an individual
But let us see what 1t takes to run the PEN
ieneiaries per annum, with 2,21S conylcls,
in the walls and outside, all of which is to
be paid by lsssees;
Salary of state officers. .............. sls 6OO
Salary OF sergeants, at $50 per month";. 19,eO0
Naiarv of $50 guards nj SIS per month 75,UO0
Recaptures, per annum. .........,...-.'. ZVO1
stationery, per annum. .,..............,. LUZ
Repairs 10 grounds, etc .............. 5000
Estimaied costs OF feeding, clhthing,
medicine etc A., ETC.. for AIS convlcts,
al IS per capita per month. .......... 2lobaS
Total 1854, Oss
This does not include material for shops
in case manufactures are commenced, nor
the expense of mules, wagons, and 80 on,
which may well be placed at not less than
Sl25, 600 il manufacturing Is TO be gone into
on a large scale, making total expendi-
tuTe at the very start OF, say $50 600.
In this estimate l have not included the
expense to the lessees OF the discharged and
pAldOned oouticls, as provided IoI under
the act of March, 1881. Under this act each
discharged convict must be paid 50 in
money and furnished with suit OF clothes
and transportation home, while psrdoned
convic,s receive the sum Of so, Transports
tion, etc. For the years 1881
and 1882 the number discharged
amounted 10 $50 or 425 each
wear which, at S. per capita, would be
81. los per year, to.say nothing of the cloth
ing and transportation to their homes.
After the expiration Of two years, under
the lease, the state will save the cost OF the
transportation Of conyicts from the iails 70
the penitentisIios. which nov amounts to
SIS 600 a year. This sum added 10 the
expense for discharged conyicts, pardons, etc; /,
will sum up 10 something over $2D,OOO,
which togstnsr with she amounts herein
before mentioned will make an aggregate
sum OF over $4,000. All of which, under
the conditions Of TINS lease, is virtual
saving % the state, Ia addition TO which the
state will have 500 zach year from the
lease a. a GEAR gain. [ think that every
felon IN this state ought 70 be In the peni-
tentiary-in the walls and not in cabin
on a farm, nor In a car on railroad. The
Judgment Of the courts ought not TO be rem
dered meaningless. but should be carried
out, 90 long az the Law remains as IL IS.
But the serious question Is, how are we
gong % place them or coniiDe them IN toe
walls vita our present facilities? We have
not Sufficient room 20 Accommodate out
little over half the cOnvicts now on hand.
Therefore we are forced 70 hire or lease the
convicts out TO the best advantage. The
eases now under consideration are the best
that can be mads. in my judgment, taking
al things into consideration, and snail
vote lor il a. sought 20 be amended by the
senator from Shelby, thus making the pc
riod ten Instead Of fifteen years. Ny rea-
cons Tor thus voting are a. follows:
4. am opposed 70 resumption.
2. The rejection Of the lease me,-s re
sumption