St. Landry democrat., 1885-08-22
OPELOUSAS
saturday August 22d, 1855.
Penitentiary Lease system.
Natchitoehes Review.

Among the many evils in the govern
mental affairs of our State is the peni-
Tertiary lease system. Theoretically,
it is an evil; and we have practical
demonstrations of its bad results.
Like the Lottery, it is Republican in
stitution.
How much better would it be for the
State to have its prisoners within the
prison walls at hard labor as it did in
former times? Instead of that, the
prisoners are taken from under the
charge of the officers OF the law and
given to private individual-a lessee
who carries them out upon plantations,
leYees, and railroads, and there made
targets to be shot at by guards with
shot guns. Prisoners, doing outdoor
work with no other restraint thrown
around them but the fear of the guards,
are constantly being tempted to make
their escape and, if they do not make
their attempts successful, it is because
they are estOpped by load Of buck
shot. This practice is not humane, and
is a blot upon the name of Louisiana
which the Democracy should speedily
erase.
Viewing the matter from financial
standpoint, the system Is not success
except to the lessee. Lit is true that the
lessee pays into the Treasury the rental,
but it was, on one occasion, insufficient
to pay the same lessee the small amount
due him by the State for work done on
the levees, and 1t is a mere song, COM
pared with the real value of such a
strong force of convict labor.
From a standpoint of principle, the
State, by reason of such system, en-
courages brutality, and withdraws that
protection which it owes to every per-
son, even though he or she be a con-
vict. Upon conviction, a citizen loses
his liberty and immunities as a citizen,
but the State, through its laws, still
owes to him it's protection of his life,
limb, and property.
Does it give them this protection,
when it puts it in the power Of an indl-
yidual to work them through the cold
water and mud in winter, and under
the beaming rays OF the sun during q
sultry summer, with ball and chain to
their feet, and guards at their backs
ready to shoot them down like brutes
if their movements are unusualg Does
it give them protection, by allowing an
individual to carry them out away from
the presence of all witnesses, except bis
employees, to be beaten by such menials
as :" Joe the Butcher and subjected to
such exposures as may cost them their
lives or render them unable to earn
living, upon being liberated?
Here follows an extract from the
Alexandria Democrat, in relation to
the cruel treatment of the prisoners at
Crew Lake.l
We would be prepared to accept the
statement of our cOnfTeTe Of the Bulletin
without murmur, If it were not for
the fact that out Of the number OF con-
victs sent from this Jail within the last
twelve months several have lost their
lives.
Seaborn, who was large and muscular,
left here last December and the news
of his death has already reached us.
Tom Powell, pigmy from the low
lands of Louisiana and who was as
tough as a mule, was unable to endure
the exposure and the lash for more
than six mODths-and died. Dink
Birdwell and negro from Campte and
others, whose names we do not remem-
Der, have been unable to withstand the
flardships of convict life and the treat
ment of such men as Joe the Butcher
and have departed this life.
This circumstance and the report
about the Crew Lake case lead us to
believe that there is screw loose some
where and it is incumbent upon those
who have charge of the great ship of
State to examine the engine and tighten
the screws, oil the slides and axles, and
not to let too much fuel be added to
the fire.