The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-06-08
MR.. GIBBS INTERVIEWED
coNvlcrs AND A NEW CAPITOL
The Lieutenant Governor Talks at Much
Length and in Detail On the Two
Important Topics and Their
Kindred Subjects

tAo lloutSuhnb-BONOIhuLL W euDullL 10 an
interview on current questions of State
politics. He prefaced his remarks by
saying he was not candidate for any
office and didn't expect to be, and prom
ised from time to time to give his views
on all the different questions of State
policy, prohibition not excepted,
Reporter-What are the evils of, and
objections TO, the present penitentiarv
system, and what is likely to be the mol
Icy in regard to 1t, and what is the SEN
timent of the people in respect TO the
confinement of the convicts within the
walls?
Gibbs-One great evil of cur penal
system is that we have too many felony
statutes, and too many long terms for
small otfenses. Those who have studied
the question all agree that if reforma-
ton is the object by imprisonment that
terms OF from TWO TO three years were
more effective than longer forms. II 1t
Is intended to separate tha crimiual
from society men, to accomplish this re-
suit where desirable, very necessary,
the terms inateHd Of being seven, ten,
hlteen or twenty years, should be for
life. III the counties should give the
proper attention to the working OF
criminals advantag eously, and more of
them were LEFT TO be punished In this
way, this reform would relieve the
State. Tho constitution contemplated
and provided for the working of con-
Ylcts on public roadp, but thia policy
has never found favor with LOgislature,
simply because it was an experiment
that no county had tried. So long as
the statutes remain tho same
increase ia the number of
c0nvicts will be the same; the ratio
Of this increase Is as certain IS the ratio
OF increase in population itself.
The most important step is, without
INJURY TO tho preservation Of law and
order, to reduce the number CfCrimipals
confined in the state ponitentiaries, and
believe this can be done by putting
moro Of the responsibility upon the
counties themselves. The penitentiary
system in this State has never received
serious consideration at tho hands Of
any administration, either Republican
or Democratic, Each administration
has sought 70 SHIFT the question over on
the next administration, and for this
reason each has favored the lease sys.
ten because 1t gave temporary relief
Whatever objections there might be to
the lease system and to the policy of
working COnvicts here and there over
the State at all kinds OF labor, il 70.
duced the expense Of tho State govern
ment and took the question out of poll
tics. IL was in pursuance Of this theory
that Governor Roberts executed tho l5-
year lease, and he used this argument
to the members of tho Eighteenth Legis-
lature, but they refused TO ratify the
lease and abandoned the lease system.
The lease system was Objectionable for
many reasons, and was not really (no
matter how long the lease) permanent
settlement Of the question, even for the
term of its duration, for whenever tho
lessees couldn't realize on the invest
mont they would abandon the lease and
leave tho State with the bag to hold.
The present working Of convicts on
State account Is not so Objectionable,
from financial standpoint, for while
there may DO monthly deficiencies
there has not been and il not likely TO
be any deficiency even this year, as
hard as times have boon, which has
lessened the demand for convict labor
and manufactured goods. But there is
very near as many objections to the
present policy as TO the old lease sys-
tenn, but II is the most dignified OF the
two for the State TO pursue.
While the Eighteenth Legislature
abrogated the lease system and requit-
ed the State to work tho cOnyiCts on
State account, IL never formulated any
well definite policy looking either tl a
reduction In the number Of convicts or
their confinement within the walls.
When the Legislature abIogated the
lease system they were confronted with
the very condition Of things which had
induced prior Legislatures aud gov
ernments 20 favor tho lease system.
a large majority of those members of
lAnIalufnWn In IA
as well as OF those who favored it. be-
lieved that the convlcts should go within
the walls, but TO accomplish this re-
quired large expenditure of money,
which was not on hand, even 10 they had
been disposed 10 provide for the con-
viots In preference TO tho luuatiCs con
fined in county iails. In fact both the
Eighteenth emo Nineteenth Legislatures
refused to correct an crying evil by
building a reiormatory, because the
necessary money WAS not in the treas
ury. The reduction of taxes TO the mini
mum Is the duty of every governments,
but when this is Effected by the neglect
OF the ordinary and necessary functions
OF government tho retief can only DO
temporary. The last 10 years of an
nual expenditures by the State In tenn
porary eXpedieuts in connection with
the penitentiaries would have put them
on q proper basis If expended properly.
The present penitentiaries are not To-
Gated so that the State can realize tina
greatest amount OF profit on the labor Of
cenvicts, and even II they were located
with view to railroad aud commercial
facilities, they would not hold more
than ono half the cOnvicts,
II the conviots are put within the
walls IL viii require an outlay OF NJ least
N,5O0,0O0. Under tho constitution the
State cannot issue any bonds for this
purpose, although the State. can get
money at 3per cent, while the people
are paying l2per cent. interest per an-
mum. To get this amount OF money,
which would be necessary In case OF q
change OF policy, would require the log
islature TO raise the taxes 10 the consti.
tutional limit, and tails would
moan political death to the
legislators and the governor
that advised or raised them, yet no
material change can DO made IN the
policy unless II IL done. The policy Of
the first and successive state admins.
trations under Democratic rule has been
to reduce taxes, until they have boon
reduced below the ordinary expenses of
the State government and left no rove
nue. margin for extraordinary expenses,
such as provision for q penitentisrv
system. We can't resort TO bonds, aud
the people would not now stand an in
crease In taxes, so the same temporary
eNpodients will have to be resortod 10
until the people become sufficiently In
terested 20 demand q change in tho con-
stitutiOn, or permit increased taxation. |
The Republicans wont to the extreme OF
high taxation, and squandered the
money for political purposes. |
Under Democratic administrations |
both taxes ana expenses have boon
greatly reduced, but taxes have boon
reduced faster than expenses. The same
policy pursued towards the penitentia.
ries was pursued towards the lunatics
and public schools until recently, and
while Il resulted IN the reduction of tax
alton and the building up Of the political
fortunes of some men II has resulted In
complications snd only deferred the
evil hour of settlement.
PUBLIC SENTIMENT.
] am sure public contingent Ia against i