Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1888-12-27

TOR. services every second and fourth sun
days: prayer meeting Tuesday evening; sun
day school every sabbath morning.
THE Tennessee legislature which
assemblies in Il few days will have to
consider before its adjournment a
very hard and intricate question,
one that was not very much discuss
ed this year by any candidate of the
Legislature. Not many, probably,
are acquainted with the fact that the
lease of onr penitentiary expires
before the converting of the general
assembly i'll 1890, so this leaves the
responsibility of the management of
our prison upon the incoming legis-
lature. The lease expires in about
two years, and the knotty question
that naturally presents itself to
members elect Of the legislature is,
''What shall be donc?" Shall we
continue in operation that demon
alizing, shameful and british sys-
tenn of leasing our prisoners? This
system is not only hurtful to the
prisoners, but itworks detrimentally
to the public in bringing convict
labor in direct competition with
free labor. Financially the lease
system is a success, as it has inva-
riably, if not every year, afforded an
overplus to the staGe-making it
self-sustaining-but to even consid-
er it as a system of economy and
convenience, it is no less a shame
and a disgrace to the good name of
Tennessee. But look at the other
side of the picture-if on the other
hand we are required to work our
prison population inside the prison
walls at the expense of the state,
that will cost at. least $150,000 an
nually. To say the least, it is a
grave subject, and democrats and
republicans ought to agree to elimi-
nate it from parties and politics and
seek to dispose of it in some way to
rebound to the reformation of the
prisoners and to the better satisfac-
ton of the public.
The mortality among leased pris-
oners is sixty per cent, five more
than it is among non-leased priso-
ners, and the annual escapes from
leased prisoners is fifty-tive percent.
more than there are from the non
leased ones. Our penitentiary is at
present in u most deplorable condi-
tion-not even adequate for the oc-
cupancy of 800 convicts, much less
1,400. From the marvellous growth
Of Nashville, the prison is now sit
uatCd almost in the heart of the
city, and owing to the poor system
of sewerage from the building, cpl
denies have more than once stalked
abroad from its inmates and preyed
upon the public. Our penitentiary
presents the most glowing theater
for epidemics Of anything within
the borders of our commonwealth,
and whatever the Legislature may do
for the management of our prisons
after the expiration of the lease,
one thing is certain, and that is
that the state will soon be compelled
to construct a new prison, especially
if all our convicts have to be incar-
cerated, for the building we low
have is wholly inadequate to meet
the requisite demands for which it
was intended. Should the incom-
ing legislature provide for the con-
struction of a new p%enitentiary, it
seems that it should be located
somewhere away from our capitol
city, thus destroying hat much
dreaded source of epidemics.
We do not propose to dictate mol
to pretend to lay down a system Of
management TO, the succession Of
the present lease, but only drop this
as a few words of suggestion. Some
states we know of own coal mines
and have their penitentiaries at the
mines where they work their con.
victs, sell the coal in the markets
without even hurtful, much less de.
structive, competition withfree Ia.
Dor, and by this modus operand
make it a source of revenue to thu
state. Statistics show that under
the latter system there is a less pc,
cent. of mortality and a correspond
ingly less per cent. of escapes thar
under any system yet operated b,
any government, 1t will take
heap of common sense and practica
legislation to unlink and to settl
the question satisfactorily to a
concerned.
-Chritzmau the jeweler has the large,