The Chickasaw messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1880-1900, 1888-09-13
NJ HIsToncAL RE,nNIsoENcE.


The Nieksburg Commercial Herald, I
delvlng IN the nm-fy records Of the
past has discovered that ~some year.
ago, Gen McCardlc wrote one or two Z
articles for the Jackson Comet Ia
which he suggested that the State Of
Mississippi should purchased machine
cry for the manufacture Of iue bag
ging, place 1t in the penitentiafy and /
devote the labor Of lang term and life /
prisons 10 the production ofthis vitality
necessary article
II the Herald had taken the pains /
10 have investigated the official re-
cords ofthat savory institution, the
penitentiary, and is more savory
management for the past decade, il
would have learned the further fact,
that Gen. McCardle's suggestion took
such hold on the public mind as 10
induce the Legislature Of 1880 to make
a provision in the bill, authorizing
the releasing Of the penitentiary, that
a jute factory should be established in
the walls Of the penitentiary, aud
Messrs Hamilton, Allen 4 Co., the
lessees on the Both day of July. 1880,
signed the contract containing the fol-
lowing clause;
"Said Lessees shall, within ~ year,
from the date Of the approval Of the
Act of 1880, erect aud put IN the main
factory building, within the Peniten-
/ tiary walls, all necessary machinery
for the manufacture Of bagging out
Of jute, with the necessary engines,
/ spindles and looms for complete
bageing factory, and shall erect aud
put in the new brick building, erected
for that purpose, all necessary ma
chinery for the manufacture Of wag-
ons, and thereafter all comvicts whose
term of sentence exceeds ten (lO)
years, shall not be allowed to work
outside the prison walls, unless il be
in the prison garden or farm. or work
necessary TO improving the prison or
cn'rying on the prison work
But following a policy ehsraeteris-
tic Of the lcssees, the provisions Of the
act Of March 9Th, 1850, and the SOL
emn compact entered into in July fol-
lowing were ignored and no machine
lery was chased ara put up in the
walls Of the penitentiary. but instead,
the contiets we've hired oul. in some
instances 10 State officials, in many
Others to private individuals, TO work
on the farms, at from $3.50 to $500
per month, aud the lcssees pocketed
the money.
The record will further show that
the Legislature Of 1881, at the instance
we believe Of these same lessees pass
cd an set releasing them from the OBJ
legations they were under to erect the
jute factory, thereby sanctionine their
palpable violation Of the contract aud
liceRscing them to 90 forward aud beat
the State out Of the money they agreed
70 pay for the lease or as much there
Of a. they might choose to reserve q
themselves and they did II 70 the tune
Of 10000 in round numbers,
The Herald says
AThe machinery would probably c0sl
. some $4,000, and the labor wouh
cost only the food and raiinent Of the
oOnvicls, which the State Is now COM
PEELED TO furnish. The iute can b
purchased ia New York, Boston o.
New Orleans, At the same rates paid
: lby the Trust manufacturers. and as /
: Is 4iaw material should come in dui1
free. **s We may be in error ia
regard to the cost Of machinery, f0l
the estimate Is random one. but sap.
: pose the cost should De double the es.
innate, we shall hy this proposition
obtain no 4indemnitv for the past,
! liut we shall un4uestionably obtain
{ security for tlle future r
Gen. McCardIe builded wiser thar
he knew at the time lIe na,le the sug
: gestion, and if the Legislature oflsS.
. had insisted upon the fulhllment Of
the contract, instead Of sureudefiue
to the penitentiafy ring the STATE
would now have tho machinery, botl
as al Indemnity for the past and 4
security for the future. and sic
would not have endured the hunnlia-
tion oi being beaten in her hall of leg
+ islalion and her courts by a grasping
and nnscrupulous political iunta com.
posed in part by high State officials.
The Feemason Of Canada has pre-.