The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1891-09-11

were SET Tree from all restraints they
quickly extended our criminal list
beyond the capacity Of the prisons
to accommodate them and the abil-
ity Of the State to take care Of them,
and in the financial straits incident
to the civil war, the lease system
was the bestsolution of the problem
that the States have yet been able
to make But they reaching out
after a better system. Mississippi
has taken high ground in it's new
Constitution and says that
No penitentiary convict shall ever be
leased or hired to any person OF persons,
or corporation, private, public, or quasi
public, or board, after December 81,
1894, except under State supervision and
the proper officers and employees of the
State on public roads or other public
works, or any levee board or any public
leyees.
If the strong, outspoken senti-
ment in Tennessee against the lease
system be genuine, and reflect pub
lie sentiment, there will be no OBJ
stacle in the way of it's final aboli-
ton.
1t has been suggested that the
State might engage them on public
works exclusively, It is true that
in transferring prison labor to pub
lie works the State would not COM
pete with the price of artisans or
laborers' work, but with the work
itself.
\ The stone-masons, carpenters,
painters, ETC., would not suffer from
reduction in the wages, but the mar
ket for their work would be cut off
to the extent Of public works to be
constructed.
Again, it has been suggested that
: the State work the convicts on some
work that artisans would not do,
such as matchmaking the public
: roads of the State. Toquote from
} G. D. Wright, United States COM
; missioner of labor, who has given
much thought to the subject, and
observed its workings closely,
This would necessitate one of two
things, either the preparation OF stone
: at the prison, involving the transporta-
ton to the prison from the sources of
supply, and from the prison to the place
for use, or the mobilization of Che con-
victs at the points NOT only of supply but
t of consumption, involving a heavy ex-
= pense for guard duty and temporary con,
fnement.
This proposition is made upon
the ground that the State should
, not make the question of expense
g or profit one of any importance, but
v should seek to keep convicts at work
!, as the best policy, and yet itself re-
!. ceive some lasting benefit from the
t necessity it is under Of feeding and
r clothing them. The chances of es-
t cape under this system of course are
: multiplied greatly. Wherever con-
victs have been employed on public
works, and this has been largely the
case in England, the expense has
j been very much greater than it
q would have been through the en-
ployment of free labor,
At best the plan offers a mere
: palliative, shifting the burden from
: skilled to unskilledlabor, and would
result in aggravating eventually all
: the evils which grow out of the en-
y ployment of convicts
Therefore, l believe, as long as
Tennessee has so large a number Of
criminals and unless the source Of
supply is cut off the number will be
|, annually increasing so long will
: there be trouble with the convict
? labor question, whether under the
. lease system, the contract system,
: OF the State-account system.
The great question to decide is:
> Under what system will this CON-
petition be reduced to the minimum
: and the prison made self-sustain-
: ing? While l believe that a prison
, ) should have proper reformatory
! discipline, the material interests OF
Z the State demand that it be made
: self-sustainiag, and, if it can be
= done without detriment to the best
!, , interests Of the criminal, source
= Of revenue.
: If the criminal lawsar amended,
I [ would recommend the State-ac-
= count system. / think that the pen
itentiary should be located on q
farm of sufficient size to maintain
- the conyicts, and that they should
81 be employed in tilling the soil anc
e., a. = L. I