Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-08-31
THE pEN1rENTrARY QUESTION.
Judge Tyler Makes Some Sensible Sug'
gestions and Brings out new Points.

the convict question, in regard to the
origin of the present difficulty.
"The present trouble" said the
Judge, ''seems to come from the
burning of the penitentiary at Nash
vile last spring. This threw out Of
employment several hundred con.
victs, who could not be used at the
branch prisons, Tracey City, Inman
and Coal Creek, and had to be sent
off to new place, BriceYille, where
there were free miners at work.
These miners did not like to be dis
placed by convicts and hence the dis
turbance. There is no trouble at the
old branch prisons, Coal Creek,
Inman and Tracey City, where the
convicts have been mining coal for
years. The question, then, for the
Legislature is simply how to dispose
OF the convicts who were thrown out
of employment by the fire last spring.
The State must have new peniten-
tiary building somewhere, and |
would suggest that the Legislature
appoint competent board with
authority to sell the penitentiary
grounds at Nashville and buy else
where and build a 2enitentiary.
Many of the convicts could be en-
ployed in the work of building and
when the prison is completed could
be worked inside as they were al
Nashville. This would settle the
Briceville trouble"
"Where ought the new peniten-
tiary to be?"
"Ihe convicts have to work and /
think it would be well for the State
to buy coal lands and locate the
prison where the convicts, except
those capable of doing skilled labor,
could mine coal"
"This would bring them in compe-
titiOn with free labor?"
eyes, it would so far as the sale of
their product was concerned, but
there is difference between this sort
of competition and that which turns
one man out of a job and puts
another in"
"Have the lessees complied with
the law at BricevilleW
"Our Supreme court has held that
all the requirements of the code re-
lating to our penitentiary system are
still in force and that the lesses must
comply with all of them. If this is
so the lesses can be compelled to-
build regular penitentiaries with sep
crate cells for the convicts, etc, at
each branch prison. This they have
never done, and in fact cannot afford
to do. They have hardly begun
work at Briceville and can not afford
under present conditions to build a
costly prison there. Until they do,
however, the inspectors | think may
prevent the removal of convicts to
that place."
elbow can we get rid of the lease
system in Tennessee?"
In only one way. We must re
duce the number of conVicts s mt an.
nually to the penitentiary. AT least
half the men sent there ought to be
kept at home and worked on the
highways. The Legislature at its
last session passed an excellent law,
which will do much good when it
comes to be understood anG enforced.
| would suggest that for such offenses
as petty larceny and all misdemean-
ors the judges Of the State
be authorized to sentence pris-
oners to the workhouse Of any
county in the circuit. In this way
number of convicts would
be collected together to justify the
employment of guards. The smaller
counties would have their offenders
punished without cost to their own
tax payers. The county having the
convicts should own their wagons,
carts, etc. These would be used on
the roads and also in taking the pris-
Oners to and from work. In the win
ter months the convicts could be
worked within three or four miles of
the county Jail, where indeed most of
the work is needed, the Jail being
always in the county town. At dit
ferent places in the county pens of
heavy logs could be built, mainly by
the convicts, and in these the pris
Oners could be confined during the
summer and fall nights, working
during the day at any point within
three or four miles. These pens,
with floors and ceiling also of logs,
could be made very strong. They
would have but one opening, a stout
door against which the guards could
sleep at night. They would not cost
much and could be put up in any
county of a circuit which could afford
even for a few weeks to pay the ]
guards and feed the prisoners, 1t
must be borne in mind that most of
he convicts would be in for short
erms and could lessen their time by