The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1891-09-11
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE

anu WOULD therefore BRING no COM
petition either in prices or wages,
and that would bring a revenue to
the State, should be introduced.
Ifthecriminal laws are notchang-
ed, and the State has from 1900 to
1000 convicts to employ, | believe
that it would be the best policy for
the State to purchase or lease coal
and iron-lands and locate the pris-
on thereon, and employ the con-
victs in mining coal and iron-ore
and manufacturing iron.
The convicts, being confined to
the States mine, would not com
pete with free labor; the coal, be-
ing used in manufacturing iron for
public institutions and special pur-
poses, would bring no competition
inprices, and the iron output would
not be sufficient to bring hurtful
competition. These plans are Of
fered with view of the abolition
of the lease system after the pres
ent contract of the State has ex-
pired, and with view to so locat-
ing the penitentiary as to employ
the convicts in productive labor
and reduce the competition to the
minimum.
If the State-account system of
labor and the above suggestions as
to location Of the penitentiary meet
your approval, l recommend that
Immediate steps be taken toward
selecting commission for building
new penitentiary. This commits
sion should consist of a competent
architect, physician who has CIV
en- special thought to sanitary sub
jects and the promotion of the pub
lie health, and two or three bust
ness men and good fnanciers. This
commission should be authorized
to investigate prison systems, to
purchase a site, to select plans, to
enter into business contracts, and
assume the responsibility and man.
agement Of the whole. The State
should build with such foresight
and wisdom as to avoid trouble in
the future.
But if you, in your wisdom, look.
ing to the material interests of Ten
nessee, to the condition of the State
treasury, the obligations of the
State which must be taken care Of
and the limited amount of money
in the hands of the taxpayers, de.
eide that it is not so much a ques-
ton of what the State ought to dc
as what it can do, and that the best
policy is to continue the lease sys.
tenn, then | recommend that a com
mittee be appointed to confer with
the lessees to ascertain if such mod
ifcation of the existing contrac'
can be made as will bring about the
withdrawal of the convicts from The
mines where they are now employ
ed, and restrict them to one mine
or two mines-one of coal and thu
other of iron-to be worked exclu
sively by convicts, and that sucl
mine or mines be in new field'
which have not yet been entered
by free miners. If this be done, i
will go far toward relieving then
from harmful competition. /
seems plain to me that the featur,
of the lease system which has af
fected free labor most injuriousl,
is the privilege of the lessee, unde
the existing lease contract, to EN-
ploy convict labor in all mine
without restriction. The miner
themselves say that this is thei
chief objection to the lease system
and that in this way convict labo
is made a seougge to drive them t
terms.
This was the direct cause of tn
recent labor trouble at Bricevillt
which was but a violent outburs
of the conflict which has begun be
tween free labor and convict Ii
Dor. For the minute details OF thi
trouble, both as to remote and d
rect causes, | refer you to the re
port Of the commissioner of labc
herewith submitted, an outline {
which I deem it expedient to here
in place before you.
BRICEvILLE TROUBLE.
Upon July Is | received the TO
lowing telegram from the superil
tendent of prisons, Mr.. Eth
Wade:
A mob of three hundred armed me