The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-05
MEMPHIS DAILY APPEAL.
DECEMBER o. 1899
WEDNESDAY. : d
CONVICT LEASING.

II Is very gratifying to note the action
OF the Mississippi peniteutiary Board Of
Control In canccling the Gull x Ship
Island Railroad Company's convict lease
The cancellation Is made because Of cruel
treatment Of the conyicts. TUE ArrEAL
hopes that those newspapers Of Mississippi
which abused II 40 roundly because OF its
protest against cruoltios pracicod by the
lessee will be able to see in this action Of
the Board the justification OF Tm Ar-
rEAL's position. Il is 10 be regret
tel that the Board is not empowered
10 change the system entirely 50 that
the State might be saved future scandals,
which, because Of the very nature Of the
lease system. are inevitable. TnE ArrEAL
IL also rratiiod 10 bo informed through
letters and circulars received from DR.. =. ID.
Sims, OF Chattanooga, Tenn, Chairman Of
the Committed on Prisons and Charitable
Institutions of the Tennessee Board Of
Health, that a movement 10 abolish the
system In this State h now under way.
The good work began with the passage Of
the following resolution at the October
meeting 81 the Board Of Health:
uc,plyci Thni Il d the scnsc II this bard now
o. IN the past that by every consideration II pub
De- policy the rrrapni system of pfisnu manage
mrnt In Tvnncs-c should d. changed with ns
liiilo delay as possible The pr''cnt lease Of tho
p,nltrntlay Will expire la two YEAR,. aud being
ut ,nrihucr with 90 enlightened theories uf prison
management This i'irl b. uulltcrably opposed "a
nnncpal If the lc,.c after iu termination. Tho
pr,s,ut state prs1n tcing wholly unsuitrd aud
tsumc.snt Cor the pluoss intended, and &C.
iocauon buiuT a constant monare ~ the health oi
TIE catiual city ~ She finic. The State iuafd 81
Health would recommend ani ,amcsily urIc that
AuCw stc tc selected nai % new prison crcClai
tcuic the termination ni iho pr.srni lyaar. with
view io the abandonment uf tio lcasa system and
thp adoption 1T prlslu aud system 10 kecpile
with tbe enlightened civilization Of tho age.
A letter has bccn addressed 10y the
Board io Zach mcmbcr-cluct Of the Lcgis-
laiurc In the course Of which, aitor show.
ing the Necessity Tor the removal Of the
prison from the corporate limits OF Nash
willie, the following statements are made
Mtoth, sysirni ri prison mans trmcnt. the fin.
tistlosn che country siiow an average mortality in
Leased pri'1ns ot sist, four pcr i.ull iyf anlum
touu be- generally bern ihnca. while the mortal
~ in nova isasai prisons q hfigrn Der Lnl Ivf an
num 40, n,Cmsc escapes in lra.gd prisons D.
nnyonc pafi.wu Isr hn1un. vhii, On non .loasci
Il istHo per tom The lrisod prisnl il in no
frusn uIfumttlf, .nti int.1n. Reformation. Dc.
pluuilli small ai hst H. in this system. rsiucrd
10 is m.nimum. Iha pris,u becomes instead ~ a
rtiormainu, regular crime srhnol AMI 800 tho
tcrhlnf saving IL money 81 the State O. mnf' ihan
bet asain he the iucr,tsci cost Of cdmInN pro,c
BUTTONS
On the state Ln.rafy NJ Nashville you viii and nf
IA, isi ApPCni.N % ioufnai. 1880. uic rrI,ur IT
Htfrb su,e Committee. showing that il,o rrni
t1nuaB mauarci nn State aecuunt bal 10 liH
credit uli prnlt oi si,H go O after rhaflinr i
with crcfy cafenIr difcet tnd Incidental from On
inccutIou. inriuiiur thr original cri ~ runsfruc
tiul in isa IN tulnti iuf 1883 yun viii dnl re
poud mDfari Whia. AGENT idr the rnileuutp
showing ihg nri pru1t Coz two lrafs tolls tlp
VIII uh hil1n In iho fasi hoflfa 10. why uot
briHr thr etp'uuHn uf thr lclte build uru
prison hat viii he a Cr0iIt hni nui o., 10 pf,arnt
d.sfmHr o. thr state. AMI in % Wufs thc prison
e. 600 riHt. ar.TuUr
Tho State ui karHis owns n cili milne hfs hci
Iru.Husr RI thr miue yuudurfs q asa fai0fna
tnn Iusiiluuu ssla hlI cilii tvhht fhr dos uu
runsumr| .H uHc mafltu without hufiiHl C1mprii
ton .laf- urt rrl1t un hU prison. VIII
drnih iii. ui iIHuoru Itf thousand p.f aInum
hnlUofIus .ouf pff huuEui while. under ui
iutc tittrm. oar mortality b. seventy seven au.
or .-aps thirty uur irr thousand
tau rr u1i iHhH iha whole pf..lI question ffHu
tf' lUi If tsuisIn politics nui iIhuri,f % o. tha
~ IuflDil ftiiC.uau. hiF
Tir ArrEAt's answer o. the closing In
icfwgiory Is that the question shoul,
BE- ~ transferred. ani II stands ready Il
aid, By whatever influence it may povcss
the movement 10 secure toe abolition o
the present system, which ha, brought
disgrace 10 every state ,hal has adopted
a. Civilization demands that phson
thall be operated ~ rciounatory institu
lions, and not ~ speculative enterprises