The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1891-08-06
The WORST FORM OF HUMAN sll.
VERY.
SHALL OUR PRIStON syn
TEN BE PUNITIVE OR
REfORMATORyY
WHAT SAYS THE CHRISTIAN W0RLpf

WHAT SAYS THE CHRISTIAN W0RLpf
The attention of the world has
been again sharply called 10 the ex.
istence of our convict letse system
by the recent rebellion among the
miners of Fast Tennessee. What
might have been terrible and
bloody mountain war was narrowly
averted-pefhan- only postponed.
There are some people who still
profess to believe that we have no
great social problem to solve. Look
yos then upon this spectacle. Be-
hold the Governor Of great State.
with his army 10y his side, parley-
ing with the ambassadors of NOUN
tain mob. Why docs he tremble or
hesitate" Why does he not pres
forward with his army and carry
out the contract of the State he re-
presents with the private corpora
tion operating the ymincs? lie
clearly had the law Of the State on
his side. The State was bound by
her contract with the company. The
threat Of discharged miners could
not alter the force of that contract.
He paused aud trembled aud parley-
eel with that embassy because he
realized that back Of that army OF
sullen workingmcn WAS the coasci-
ence Of the thoughtful world. lie
paused because he knew that at last
IL had become necessary 10 call up
the bayonet 10 furnish the power 10
uphold system that has ever been
blot and disgrace upon the civili.
zation Of the century. Our method
Of dealing with the convIcts of
crime in certain States presents
problem 10 day Of serious import.
shall our prison system be punative
or reformatory? The voice TO day.
Of the historian, the sociologist, the
| humanitarian, the Christian, says Ii
! ,n,,st he -aforaaatnry or prove a dis
.strous failure. II seems to me,
therefore, that the convict lease sys-
tenn Il disgrace TO cur civilization,
for the following reasons:
/. 1t is restoration Of the traffic
In human flesh. Grant that the
State has the right to protect itself
by the isolation OF the criminal and
such punishment ~ may be calcula-
ted to deter him and others from
crime-this Is "A very different thing
from the right 10 sell the body OF
the condemned man into the irres-
ponsible slavery of Il third party. IL
We grant the right of State by law
To deprive man Of his liberty, the
fact is, the man deprives himself OF
hIs liberty in choosing TO violate the
known law. But does convict
cease to be man when condemned
for petit larceny? Does he forfeit
his birthright by n sin against the
laws Of society? The Christian
world must answer.
=. The system is inhuman and
barbaric. Convicts, when leased In
the present system, are invariably
sold 10 corporations. Corporations
have no souls. They do not hear the
cry Of despair from thestropg or the
hacking cough Of the consunptive,
whose life-blood IL used In making
! the cement out Of which The founda-
.ions OF their bridges and bui ldings
/ are constructed. They only now
and then hear the crack Of the Win
chester rifle and see the bright,
warm blood flowing from the heart
Of some unhappy wretch who broke
| for liberty.
Who is responsible for the over
work and starvation and exposure
that make men thus break for their
life before the cleaning barrel ofa
magazine gun, i'm the hands Of a
brute, who enjoys the fun OF shoo.-
ing human game? Nobody. Has
the State the right TO murder man
convicted OF trivial violation OF
her penal code? HES the State the
right 80 siarve him, or kill him by
| exposure? Has the State the right
TO sell this privilege toa soulless
corporate machine? Human slavery
had much that mitigated the hide
Gus fact The master was RESPONSE
bic foJ the slave. The master had
a heart. Ths: life Of the slave WAS
property AT least, aud was precious
even 10 the most brutal owner. But
the conviet'5 life IL not profitable TO
the Siate--it is q burden. IL IL not
| DfbHldbie 10 the eOntfnCkOI IIuIh ths
State, nGIc>s he drives the convict
. 30 The uitermost limit Of life on the
SMALLEST possible amount Of bread
aud meat Such a system is deeper
ir its Internal brutality than the
Turkish System Of Darkest Africa
, f..r ii is equally irresponsible, and
is wrought in the blaze Of Christian
civilization.
3. 1t throws the burden of the
conyict's maintenance on the shoui-
ders of the workingDan, who IL
least able to bear if. The convict.
J when leased, does not pay for him.
self. The prison is still charge on
the treasury of the State. But the
. leased convict is used in the mines
, of Tennessee, 10 take the bread out
, oui Of mouths Of honest men and
7 women who have had a disagree
. ment with their employers. is III
, right 10 use convict labor TO drive
: free labor to death? Has the State
: the right to sell he- convicts into
slavery, 10 lower the wages OF
: honest, free labor? A free man
will starve on the wages paid con-
yict-for the convict does not earn
! enough TO maintain himself witlQRk
the aid of the State. What q
4 Christian world of such sys =