San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-07-23
coNvIcrLAaoR TROUBLES.


to force free labor into competition
with convict labor deepens into con-
victiOn. The instructed sense of
Thoughtful men regards with alarm
the tendencies of states to force such
unjust competition. The burdens OF
maintaining the convicts of state,
press upon it's legislature and the
proposal to lease the labor of such
convIcts is accepted as solution of
the difficulty, without considering the
greater difficulty that it originates,
and which must sooner or later be
met, the injustice of subjecting free
labor to the competition of convict la
Dor and thus of necessity degrading
it. The scenes now and so recently
transporting In Tennessee have brought
home this question with new power
and increased interest to the thought
full minds of this state. Tennessee
has certain laws on her statute books
which legalizs this injustice, and 80
long as they remain there the state
government has no option but to en-
force them. Under the authority of
these laws convict labor has been
leased to the mining operators. The
free miners object 10 such degrade
ton as this imposes on them, bring
ing their work on level with convict
labor, and drive the convict miners
out. The state is called upon to pro-
tect its leases and enable the con trac-
tors to make good their agreement
with the state. The state is met with
armed resistance and more troops are
called for. The sheriff, entrusted
with the execution of the laws in the
county where the mines are located,
absconds, and there is no authorized
officer of the peace to be sustained by
the state troops. The miners memoir
ialize the governor to Withdraw the
troops and the convicts, and large
bodies of citizens join in the memorial.
The governor seems inclined to JUS
tice, but the state law provides for
the leasing of the convicts, they have
been hired out to contractors, and
these contractors demand their labor
The state must protect the, contrac.
tors or violate contract itself and be
guilty of bad faith. The governor
has been importuned to call a special
session of the Legislature to consider
the convict lease law, and make need
ed amendment. Tie result lie uncer-
tsinty. On this point the Fort
Worth Gazette, at best but luke
warm friend of laboring men, re-
marks:
The fault lies with the system of
hiring the state convicts, that brings
them in competition with free labor
For free white men, whose labor is
the sole livelihood of themselves and
their families, to be ousted from
employment by convict labor is an
injustice that cannot be defend
ed. But the governor of Tonnes
SCo 10 bOU lCspOboiuLo lot bhdt
Injustice. The laws of the state need
amendment, and that must be done if
the people would protect themselves
against the dishOnorable and demon
alizing competition of convict labor.
When convict labor was brought
into competition with tree skilled
labor in the construction of the Texas
capitol at Austin the LIGHT was the
only daily paper in the state that pro.
nounced against the outrage. Since
then better sentiment, and deeper
sense of the dignity of labor has
grown in the southern mind. That
sentiment must become conviction,
and convict labor confined to the
walls of penitentiaries and the state
roads. Unless this is done trouble
without end, aud the degradation of