Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-03-09

nioft conNlet~ on the outriuc ~ tilV VA-
piration Of fifteen years than are now
employed on the plantations.
| ann la favor Of confinement OF con-
victs within the walls, but know that
when we consider the character OF our
convicts that il will require ten years
To perfect system on this basis, which
will he self-sustaining
While we are perfeoting this system,
| want to see the convicts engaged in
that kind OF labor which Is most bu-
name, and completes least with the
honest labor Of the country, and be-
lieve plantation work In the secluded
valley OF the Brazos answers best
these purposes, and the demand for
plantation labor to cultivate planta-
lions now idle is greater than the sup
ply evcrwill be.
never want 10 see convicts leased
rs now provided for, SO that the policy
of working them on railroads can be
continued, for this character OF cm-
ployment facilitates escapes and rem
ders frequent inspection and due care
an impossibility. There have been
pro rata twice rs many escapes since
the practice of working them Oh
railroads was adopted. There. are
more escapes In Texas than in any
other state, even those working convicls
on the outside OF the walls.
Convicts are given opportunities to
escape and then shot down for obey
ing the dictates of humanity.
/ am not maudliIi humanitarian,
aud know that more or less cruelty is
incidental 10 prison management, but
the sentence Is to hard labor and when
II convict has performed This he has
satisfied the Judgment Of the court.
can't agree with the senator from
Collin that too much cruelty il not
possible. FOR crime, after all, Is gene
rally only perverted human nature,
and by ~ commission the criminal
only loses his privileges long enough
to pay the penalty OF the law. But, MIR.
there is another OBJ
lection to working convicts on
that don't apply to
on plantations. There is not
il man who travels in Texas, whether
in pursuit of pleasure or n livelihood,
but who passes these convict trains,
and this has the effect on Il certain
class of taking away the horrors OF
prison life. by frequently coming in
contact with convicts on trains, men
reason that the only material differ
tnce in the physical condition of
convict and free man is that the one
gets wages and the other don't under
ibis impression they commit crimes
which they would not commit il not
Injured to the sight of conVicts. Again,
many men come to Texas who have
been trained to railroad work, and
lon't know the difference between a
cotton stalk and a cokleburr bush.
These men find The gravel trains filled
Sith convict labor, and frequently be-
'ome themselves charges on the state
u criminals.
honestly believe that instead of
.wenty thousand year, that the state
IAN operate the penitentiaries on the
same basis as provided by the lease
md clear over Il million in the fifteen
years. OF course, the state don't want
10 run the penitentiary exclusively rs
A money-malting machine, but iftherc
IL any money in it the state should
have fair divide on 1t rs some com
pensa,ion for the great expense OF con
viction. Tho margin of profit to the
essecs IL manifestly too large to be sat
TO the people.
The friends OF the lease inside and
outside the senate say IL wont do To
reject the lease because the state can't
the penitentiary ms well as
Now, sirs, this il one of
.he most important functions OF gov
eminent and the senators say farm IL
lut because the state can't perform it,
II IT has come to this that the great
state OF Texas can't perform the duties
incident TO its political existence then
we had III pursuance To the same prin-
ciple, better lease out all the depart
monts of government and save the ex-
penses OF sessions Of the legislature
and the trouble aud political strife.
The senator says IL takes the ques-
tion out of politics for fifteen years,
and IN reply | will say yes, and II will
take the Democratic party out of poll
ties along with the question. The sena-
Tor from Hood has shown that the state
has heretofore and can now operate
II with profit and on more humane
principles.
IL IN extremely Jesuitical, hardly
more SO than the lease to say Tia ut the
smaller the amount of lease money
asked the more humane the treatment
which the convicts will receive. This
Is first-olnss "bosh,N for ii is human
nature for the lessees To make every
iollar possible, and they will do this
of any question of pay-
nents TO the state.
Again | will state that the amount
% he received by the stale Is chimeri-
nj, and very little any money ever
ias or ever will go,into the treasury as
the result of this Lease.
Turn 10 the comptroller's account
md you viii find that II shows that
he superintendent approves lessees'
accounts TO about as much rs they
promised the state, The report saws
hat this approval is of sundry ac-
counts.
Now, this Very thing is as objections
able to me ms any other feature OF the
lease, and Invites corruption and mis-
| have every conf
ience in our officers, but temptations
lead men into evil, aud il YOU want
honest Officers don't give them an cN-
ample of loose infringement on the
part OF the state. | think IL bad nol-
icy for the state to allow tho lessees To
pay directly All the state officers ANA
connected with the peni-
for il gives them silent
lut powerful leverage.
The source from which mans mon-
" comes has peculiar attractions 10
aim, and especially when that non-
" can be obtained when he is hard up
wen IL IL Is not due. say In MI cam