The Brookhaven leader., 1888-02-16
THE LEASE SYSTEM,
As Seen by the House PCnitcn-
tiary Committee.
\ comprehensive EpitOmC of
Their Report.

crate tue evils charged.
Us result they have arrived nj the
conclusion that under any form, the
leasing system is all wrong in princi-
pie and vicious. that it possesses all
the evils of the slave system without
any of the safeguards of ownership.
When ever human labor is farmcd out
for consideration uncontrolled by
any interest in the welfare of the la
borer. the laborcr is very apt to he
worked with view to the highest
possible gain to the contractor
"lf the system of leasing is ohiec-
tiouablc, that of Suh-lcaSing is douhly
SO. The sub-kssee must pay his mid
die man. the original lessee. This
profit is charged up to the labor, and
is cxactcd from it in addition to the
profit the Suh-lcsSpc must make. OF
necessity then we look for ovcrwork
and undue economy on the part of the
said lcssceS. The testimony shows
that such expectation was realized"
The committee finds that frost bite
is general among the convictS, and the
prevalence of this complaints explain
ed 10y the testimony of one sub-lcSscc
who said that 1.-THE hands were poorly
clad when he received them and that
he wanted to get even with Hamilton.
and so delivered them to another sub
lessee in like condition." And to ac-
cumpliSh this laudablc end he wanted
to turn the convicts back 10 Hamilton
with poor clothing. In the meantime
such method of retaliation. however
satisfactory to the Snb-leS>cca, might
result in frost bite to the half clothed
convicts.
zone convict, Jobc King, IS young
and ,rd3 stout. is now in the walls and
on crlItchcS in consequence of this
novel attempt to draw line between
nakcdncSS and humanity" We find
the conduct of j. Z. Mcdonald. con
tractor ON the X. {. VI. x Is. railroad
to have been simply murderous. To
the cruclticS practiced by this brute
in human form is attributed in IA
great measure, the high death rate
among convicts i'll 1887
From the testimony lit is not credit
able To the administration of Justice in
Monroe county that this brute and
some of his creattu~e are not now in
convict garb themselves"
The death rate during 1856 was 9.0S
per cent. In 1887 the death rate was
I5.44 per cent. The leSsccs are not,
however, entirely to blame forthis high
death rate, as they are often received
III bad condition, productivity i'll treat
ment on county convict farms. And
for the list few months tn" rate of
mortality has been much less, but We
do not cX0ncratc the lcsSccS from all
blame for this high death rate.
The death rate, however. of the few
prisoners in the walls is as low us
could be expected under the circum-
stances, and the contrast between the
death rate there where convictS are
generally sick, and in the camps where
they are supposed to be we'll. is highly
significant of their treatment in the
latter. We find that many cases of
cruelty, in all probability, never come
to light on account of system of in
timidation.
While the lcsSccS forbid all cruel
and unusual puniShmcntS on the part
of their SubordinatcS, they should not
be held hlamcleSS to employ such men
as Atkinson and Emerson, who are
known to be habitually cruel to
convictS, which raises Il presumption
that the lcSsccS, are at least Indifferent.
Another source of maltrcatmcnt to
convictS is the class of guards employ
ed. Guards are paid S12 30 per month
and only the worst class of men can
be secured to do as much service for
so little pay.
InaSmuch as we '.believe the evils
of the leasing system to be inherent
therein, and incapable Of complete
elimination therctrOm, therefore we
recommend its abandonment as soon
as practicable. \ radical change
which will effect an entire remedy of
these things, the committee does not
think practicable in the present con-
dition of the States finances.
your committee recommend that
this Board of Control should have the
appointment of all officials, medical or
otherwise, charged with the personal
management and he paid ont of the
treasury"
1--WE submit that the State has no
personal supervision and management
OF its convicts: and we believe that
such il supervision will in Il great
measure abrogate the existing evils"
We further submit that the changes
recommended would modify, if not
abrOgate the contract with the g. q 5.
|. Il. X. The committee recommends
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