Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-05-19
The Escape Of the Prisoners in Brasos
County Keepers the Question Of
Convict Labor
The Governor Speaks His Sentiments
Prejudice Against Convict Labor
Cause Of the Delivery.
Barney Refuses to Have the Governors
Warrant 0ashed-- Another Uni.
versi.y Scandal.
Special.

victs who escaped In Brazos county
are making for Mexico, and has tele-
graphed the frontier ranger force to be
on the lookout for them.
MUCH VIRTUE IN A POLICY.
The escape OF forty one con-
vlcts frlm camp in Braaos
county redirects attention 10
the problem OF convict labor. The APP
parent hopelessness of ever attaining
satisfactory solution OF this question
renders II very distsstefil to mere
politicians, but the extreme necessity
that IL should be adjusted, and that
speedily, makes II one Of supreme Inn
portanoe. The administration Ia dis
posed to complain very bitterly at the
predicament In which 1t is placed.
The Eighteenth Legislature gravely
asserted, as settled determination OF
state policy, that, no far as possible,
the convicts should be confined within
the walls; then, with that pleasant habit
OF ignoring emergencies which comes
40 quickly To tbs petty dabhler In poll
tics, the legislature turned around and
attempted To evade the responsibilities
OF such an important step by failing
TO make the necessary appropriations
10 carry Its theories Into execution.
The succeeding legislature did the
same thing, and thus II happens that
while Il IL the recognized policy Of the
state that the convicts shall he con
fined within the walls, the execution
of that policy seems very remote, II
not improbable thing. The legislature
established II, ard then ran away, legv.
ing the governor TO reconcile
emergencies and public septl-
ment M best he could Ii was AL ex.
ceedlnRly iimld IL not cowardly net,
and has borne the fruit Of uncertainty
and disaster, which have Swallowed the
affairs Of the ponitentlhriee ever since.
III convicts are leased out the people
complain Of AN infactlon of public poll
| Icy; II they are worked inside the pen
| itentiaries u much louder complaint In
made against heavy deficiencies. All
In all, II Is very complicated prob.
lem, To carry cut what geems ~ DO
public sentiment would require an
expenditure Of from TWO TO four mil.
lion dollars. The politician fears to
encounter what he believes 20 be the
moral sentiment OF the people;
neither dares no face the
taxpayer. In such q dilemma
what more natural than that be should
adopt the theory aud repudiAte It's
end, thus making u conscientious effort
10 please every fActionP
THE GOVERNOR CRITfcIsFB
"Itwas not p,rsonal friendship alone
that released the conviois, = remarked
Gov. Ireland 10 a GAZETTE reporter IN
regard 10 the Brazoe county Incident.
iIf that had been the sole motive the
fescuers would simply have assisted
their friends TO escape No, | am
convinced that behind lt all was this
unreas0ning prejudice against convict
labor. Lot man commit y heinous
crime and the world looks
upon him with horror until
Of the law, when he AT once hectmta
An object OF public sympathy and com.
passion OF the most exaggerated typo.n
His excellenoy epeke in tone OF
undisguised dbgnst and with that PEI
culiar emphasis which he always
ibrows into subject In which he feels
Interested. This convict question has
been one of the mountains iu the way
OF the present administration, for
reasOna stated above, aud II n not 10
he wondered that the governor should
feel somewhat sore about IT, a large
portion Of his life has been epent asa
lawyerand a judge and II Il unnatural
that he should look with pa
tence upon the eyer.changing
freaks of that fickle but pow-
erful sovereign public sentiment.
How just the criticism, out Of his
own heart every man can nnswer.
BARNEY DfD NOT DRAW,
Tho Jltnl, lsaa ls.,, rs.tt.a.
the rounds OF The press that Lieut.
Gov. tfibbs drew the salary OF the
governor while the latter was visiting
New Orleans, is IN error. The facts
are that on the return Of Gov. ireland
be had warrant made out IN favor Of
Barney 90 the amount Of about sos.
being the salary 10 which he himself
WIS entitled for the time which
elapsed during his absence, and s6nt
u 10 Lieut. Gov. Gibbs NJ Dellas.
The latter refused 10 caHh the warrant
and returned II. Speaker Foster, who
inquired through liis paper whether
or not Gov. Ireland drew his salary
while visiting the expedition, can now
content his soul IN peace.
WAS IT. MALICE?
The university, which was the sub.
lcct OF 80 much crisp, even heated, dis
tA9hlpu uullbk NAo INV btnhAyu VI titb
legislature, has given birth 10 another
incident that has occhsioned no little
talk. Sometime ago the professor OF
chemistry advertised through various
sources that to Aid IN the development
u the mineral and miniDg resources
OF Texas he would Analyze gratuitously
any specimens that might be sent 70
him. In response 10 this, 5nperin-
tendeDt Garee of the stats peuiten-
ieDtiafles for@arded specimeng q ofs
the operation ~ his trusts Tae
analysis was duly made aud fol-
wscded, accompanied BY bill for
800 The superintendent wss
sstoundsd ~ the charge AID