The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-03-25
PENITENTIARY LEASE.

0onaior Jones, Of Harris County, Vigorously
Espouses the Cause of the Peuitentiary
Lease Biu-He Piles ossa Upon Pelion OF
logic In support OF His Position. and in a
astsrly style Advances Arguments
oeemingiy Unsnswersble.
NJ. President; Iapproach the discussion
the subject matter covered by the reso-
fion with feelings of great embarrass.
Ont. have not been free from doubts
ID perplexity since first begau to con.
nder the matter with serious thought and
Mention.
Ihat the leases were made on basis diff
Nreat from what was proposed In the ad.
vertisement by the penitentiary board all
vii admit. Prior TO the advertisements
for proposals TO lease the two penitentiaries
the board had, after due notice, made con.
tracts with various parties for five years to
take nine hundred convicts to be employed
on what is called outdoor work-cotton
and sugar farms. The total number of CON
victs in the state at this time was something
over twenty-five hundred. Here, after these
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
vii and Rusk penitentiaries. The board
advertised Tor proposals to lease the two
penitentiaries, with the number of conyicts
as above stated, for period not to exceed
nfteen years. The advertisement was silent
rs 70 the nine hundred men, already con.
trncted Tor, 10 the farmers, for five wears IA =
the state. Nor was it stated that parties
desiring to lease the peuitentiaries could. if
they wished, have the choice or right IN
eake tae plsce OF the state in the five wears
contracts above mentioned. No bids or
PROPOSALS were received by the board, but
" does not appear that the failure of par
ties to bid was caused by the non.meution
OF the farm contracts for the nine hundred
men. The advertisement having failed 10
ehclt BIDS, and the board seeing that le-
sumption stared them in the ace, and
Woulu soon become fixed fact unless
something was done at once, the leases
unuer consideration were executed And
as part and parcel OF the contract of lease
tne iessees take the place OF the state in the
contracts Tor nine hundred outdoor men
Herein consists the fact that the present
lease Is ON different basis from the pro
+ posais advertised by the board; and some
contend thet 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
70 drive away bidders.
Ley us see il this can be true. During
all time OF the advertisements ana
EMBELLISHMENTS, by the board for
proposals, no man or firm ever
MADE q bld tor either one or both of the
penitentlarles. No man who wished or
contemplated leasing the pententiaries, or
eitner OF them, could have been ignorant of
the TACT that the 9C) men had been CON
fracled only by the state for five years. If
Y was not known it certainly could have
peen found out by the use OF very slight
diligence, and if the penitentiaries were
wanted, with the 900 men at outdoor labor
inrowh IN, why not make this proposal to
the DOarul ANY one had as fair an oppor-
UNITY to do this as did Cunningham Il
namOy, yet no one spoke; no one would
take the penitentiaries, even with the 800
men added, although correspondence was
sohclted. Cunningham & Handy never
maue this ouer to take the penitentiaries,
IN put the proposal, as | understand il,
came from the board. Here, | say,
tnat II is clear that the
action OF the board did not stile COMPETE
ton or draw any bidders: and the only
thlng LETT for the board to do at that crit.
cal Juncture was to execute these leases or
resume control of the peniteEtiaries. For
one, am glad that resumption was pre-.
vented then, and trust we NAV be able ia 50
act on this lease as to prevent it now.
Some OF the advocate of resumption seem
70 see III IT perfect bonanza for the state.
others boldly demand it Without giving n
iact or ilgure, except an occasional instance
" cruelty 10 convlcts employed i'll outdoor
labor. Yet in the same breath they say let
we state take them in her own hands and
nre them out. Would not the convicts be
- haDle TO harsh treatment when hired by
the state as when hired by an individual2
But let us see whatit takes to run the pen.
ieneiaries per annum, with 2,27S conyicts,
IN the walls and outside, all of which is TO
be paid by lGssees
Salary of STATE officers ........... Rl1 con
salary OF sergeants, at SIS per MONTH. $500
5alaty OF go guards, S!j per month ISL NJ
neeapturS, per annum .....,..........,. 1000
1tauonery per annum, ,......,,.,,..,,. Iona
HrepalIs 70 giounos cue .,.,.,,:,...,... 5000
Eslimated costs of feeding, clhthng
medicine etc etc, for 2,2,S cOuylcts
Nss per capita per mouth. ........ 2lSGSS
Total ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, 1854 0Ss
x " Inns does not include material for shops
IN case manufactures are commenced. nor
o
which may well be placed at not less than
y $l2o,oVo II manufacturing is to be gone into
on large scale, making total expendi
ture at the very start OF, say Si50C.).
In this estimate have not included the
expense to the lessees of the discharged and
pardoned convicts, as provided for under
the act OF March, 1881. Under this act each
discharged convict must be paid So in
money and furnished with a suit of clothes
a MI,
convicts receive the sum Of $40, transporta-
and 1882 the number discharged
amounted TO $50 or 1875 each
year which, at So per capita, would be
$40 per year, to say nothing of the cloth
ING and transportation to their homes
Alter the expiration of two years, under
the lease, the state will save the cost OF the
& transportation of convicts from the fails to
the penitentiaIies which now amounts to
w, 200 q year. This sum added to the
expense for discharged convicts, pardons, etc,
Will sum up to something over $40, 600,
which together with the amounts herein
before mentioned, will make an aggregate
sum OF over $4,000. All OF which, under
the conditions of this lease, is virtual
3 saving TO the state, in addition to which the
state VIII nave $4,000 each year from the
lease rs clear gain. | think that every
felon in this state ought TO be in the peni-
tentiary-in the walls and not in u cabin
on farm, nor in car ON q railroad. The
Judgment OF the courts ought not to be rem
dered meaningless, but should be carried
out so long as the law remains as IL is.
But the serious question is, how are we
going TO place them or ooniiue them in the
walls with our present faoiltiesp We have
not sufficient room to accommodate but
niue over half the cOnviots now on hand,
Therefore we are forced to hire or lease the
convlcts ont to the best advantage. The
eases now under consideration are the best
that can be made, in my judgment, taking
MI things into consideration, and | shall
vote Tor II as sought to be amended by the
senator from Shelby, thus making the pc