San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-02-20
AGENTS FOR THE LIGHT.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY, 20, 1888.
THE ROSA SCHMIDT OUTRAGE.

THE ROSA SCHMIDT OUTRAGE.
There are few people living in this
city who take any interest In its good
name or morals who are not already
conversant with the facts In this IN
fortunate girls case. Much indignation
has been expressed, and justly at the I'M
necessary degradation and humiliation
put upon this girl by yoking her with
. burly fellow several degrees darker
than herself In color, aud marching her
through the streets to take the oars for
her destination, the state penitentisry.
The indignation arises from the fact
Of q young girl, decidedly unsOphistI-
Gated, convicted Of her first offence, the
nature and enormity Of which 1t is very
doubtful that she understood, being pub
lioly degraded by an agent of the peni-
Tertiary authorities. The circumstances
Of this degradation are peculiarly exss-
perating. This young girl, minor,
modest In manner, and having none Of
the marks Of confirmed crIminslity
about her. 10 chained TO a male
felon and publicly marched through
the streets. Not only SO, this made
felon is OF another race, and that one not
considered the social equal OF the unfOr-
tunate girl. There was no need that
this girl should be chained in a felon
gang with an iron fetter around her neck
as slaves were chained in the South AT.
RIGA cotfle; or, II the guard were fearful
she should escape and so deemed q
chain around her neck a necessity there
was no necessity that she should be
chained to man, and he a hardened
felon OF another race whose close con-
tact with her would be a social degra-
dalton to her any where else. The out
rage is complete. Had the whole mat
ter been arranged with malice prepens,
with special reference to degrading the
peor girl In her own eyes and the eyes
OF everyone else, for all time, it would
not have answered that purpose more
effectually. Whether it be in the power
Of the law to reach this case and pre-
vent repetition OF such crime against
decency By furnishing the brutalizsd
perpetrator Of the outrage, may very Sc
riously be questioned.
The indignation that has been aroused
over this matter, while very natural and
very spontaneous, and very general, and
very iustihable, seems to be very much
misplaced. The indignation should be
felt and leveled and expressed against
the system which renders such an exhI.
billion OF brutishness possible, rather
than against any mere accidental mani
Hesitation Of Its workings.
BY this the LIGHT does not mean In
any sense to underrate the brutality o
the act complained OF, but to emphasiz,
the truth that the act being but an Incl
dent OF system, the system must be il
itself Infinitely more dsmnable than any
mere manifestation Of 1t corld possibl,
be. Thispenitentiary contractors agent
no doubt has received his education BY
practical dealing With the orimins
Glasses OF this state, as those dealing
are exhibited through the contractor
Of convict labor. The whole infamy o
this outrage rests, not with the instru
ment OF Its accomplishment, but will
the brutalizing system OF leased conyic
labor as .legslized by the statutes O
Texas. Every howl OF Indignation tina
arises from our outraged citizens sound.
far beyond the ears Of the paid hirelin,
OF this lease system and enters the ear
OF the humane and civilized worl,
as n protest against the iniquity OF leas
Ing convict labor to. private contractor
for purposes Of gain. No doubt tn
scenes again and again witnessed Of
convict plantations, and in convict labo
gangs. have hardened the feelings an,
brutaliZed the sensibilIties Of those VIII
are the paid agents of that attrociou
system, until, as In the case OF the ma
who chained that young white girl an
bury negro man together, they do:no
sense the degradation and humiliation