Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-11-25

been the best course to have pursued.
1t depends on whether you view it from
the standpoint OF the present admins
tration, or from that OF the policy which
II has pursued and still believes TO be the
best with respect to convict farms. The
penitentiary board and Governor Ross,
who is ex-officio head of it, are unani-
nousiy and ardently in favor of the poll
icy OF purchasing convict farms, and
point fer justification Of that policy to
the extraordinary profits made from the
Harlem farm IN the past two years. The
net profits in that time will be shown by
the report soon to be made by the finan-
cial agent, and will be fiattering in the
extreme.
The state still retains an option on the
Rogers plantation that does not expire
thirteen months in the future. The
statement BIZ Texas newspaper
few days ago that the option had been
forfeited by the refunding act of tine
board, was a mistake. The farm con-
tains 300 acres, 1000 of which are fine
sugar land, as good US any in the state,
and can be had by the state for SIS. 900.
The experience of the past two years has
demonstrated beyond any doubt the
fact that the employment of con-
victS on plantations is by all
ha hos In ryh
can be put. The net profits from this
source for the past two years are esti-
mated at Sl20. 900, surprising sum
when 1t is remembered that the whole
number Of convicts employed on state
and share farms is only 900. The differ
ence in the per capita returns from the
coDvicts employed on share farms and
those employed on the Harlem state
farm Is shown by the report for the two
years ending Novem ser /, 1888, TO be
very large. On the Rodgers and Hill
farm the per capita return was S27S3);
on the Harlem farm. it was S50l SO, or
nearly double. In the same period, the
per capita return from convicts en-
ployed on railroads was $50.
There are at present $50 convicts hired
out to planters, and about 400 at work on
railroads. The income to the state from
these 1850 men is about S25 200 month.
The number employed within the walls
of the penitentiary ls about 1000. If all
of those hired out should be called in,
work of some sort must be found
for them. Again, their keeping
would involve heavy expenditure by
the state TO be met only by direct appro-
pration. A cotton bagging factory is
proposed for their employment. That
matter will probably be brooched in the
legislature also. But it will only partl'
relieve the situation. The hiring out of
convicts is admittedly q bad thing, and
should be stopped as soon as possible, or.
as soon as the state can use them to
better purpose. The justice of this is
recognized by every right-thinking per-
son. Considerations of humanity alone
call for it.
No better way of employing them has
been sugges ted so as to secure mini
mum of competition with free labor and
a maximum of kindly and humane treat
ment, than the placing of them on state
farms where they cnn be- used in pro-
ducing sugar and cotton. Bv this means
they become not only self-supporting.
but yield the state q considerable annual
revenue. This, 1t seems to us, is the
view the legislature should take of this
matter.
Good Roads
Corsicana Democrat.