The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1891-08-14
THE SPECIAL SESSION.
An Interesting Interview With Hon. j.
II. Aiken on the Subject
IRON the Nashville Herald.

sion.
ais the Governors call cOmprehen-
sivs enough?" the reporter inquired.
1T includes all the subjects that are
said Maj. Aiken. - am OPP
posed To private Legislation at au extra
session The Governor did right III re-
tusiug TO mention such subjects. There
is enough public business 10 occupy the
twenty DAYS. for one requested the
Governor to postpone the date for the
Legislature 10 meet, so that members
and their constituents would have time
to consider the important questions that
will DO presented. The date he Sc
iecced, Aug. 81, will give plenty OF time
for this, and will suit nearly every
body"
''What is your opinion in regard to
The penitentiary lease2'
''In letter written six years ago
defined nv position, which was in OPP
nosition to the lease. That is still my
position. At the last session was Ia
favor of moving tho ponitentlary from
Nashville and establishing new one IN
accordance with the Constitution, winch
says a Denitentiary shall be provided |
adequate to the necessities OF The con
Victs."
What can be dono about the present
lc; sep
Under the Constitution of the United |
Statos and Tennessee the State has not |
power TO abrogato IL contract. 1et II |
the lesSeoS would be liberal we could |
formulate IL plan for building a new
penitemtiary, employing cOnVicts in the |
work, and thus settle this great PROB
lem"
apo you think the ponal system should
be changed?"
ayes ire minimum amount for grand
larceny, now $50, should be Used so as
| co considerably reduce the number OF
conVicts. Then all counties should De
offered the services OF not only Inelr
own C DnVIcts, but others that some oil
| the cOuntit may not want. the con-
victs should be allowed to them FREQ Oh
| charge, except for the feeding, Suaru-
ing, etc, and should be worked on Inc
| county roads. 1 further think that
! when d convict that has credit for good
| behavior is discharged his parole
should be conditioned on good conduct
after b ration. If the parole is VlO-
lated put him back in the penItentiary,
and let him serve out his full time"
"What arc the first steps that should
he taken toward building now POM
tentiary?
| ~ am i'll favor of enacting a law pro
| viding for the appointment OF Dullu-
ing commission, composed OF three or
i've members, who should be cloIheu
| with power to select Il site, decide our
| places and superiutend the erection OF IA
| new prison. The commission should be
| chosen by tho General Assembly or the
| Governor. ono should be physician,
VINO has made study of sanitary
80 ence, ono a practical a ate c ANA all
should be mon OF sound judgment, free
rom bias OF any kind, and well IN
|
structiOu and regulation"
"Whore should the new penitentiary
| ne lOcdtcd?'
at ought to be i'll the vicinity of
Nasnville, but so far removed that the
| boundaries of the city would mover
reach il. Good railroad connections are
necessary, and are afforded ny NaSh-
| Vile. Ii IL very easy to get location
| near a stream of water In TINS county
The building would have the protec-
| Ion of the city fire department, ana any
lttack on the prison, or amy lnsurrec-
ion inside the prison, could be quelleu
! ~ the police and the militia that are
, acre. besides, this is the center OF the
state, and Nashville does not object TO
The penitentiary If removed far enough
l nut IN the country. We certainty Il"
, not want il in Williamson County"
How large penlt6ntlary should DC
| uuiIt?"
I at should be large enough for at least
1850 conViCts. The old prison mas stood
| .iXLy odd years, and we should provide
| TOR the next 100 years. The site should
% not less than % acres, 10 afford room
or ths building of all shops separate
| rom the sleeping apartments, so tht
| attor would net De IN danger OF nre
| Fuoro would be nothing wrong in haV
> ng a small farm on which the convicts
p should raise something for their Owl
p | 4upI or. Such things should be manu-
| featured a. Will least come IN cOinpe
= Uitiou with free labor. Of course there
} viii be some competition, but there
o. should be diversity of manufacture
Il IN the prison, so AS TO elect oach lhuuS
- nv as little ~ possible
"HOw soon should work bogln|
C "'rhe commission should lose no time
20 50 that the labor interest would know
- that the penltentlary question Is settIel
{ IL the earliest practicable date. Whel
Al yhe site is chosen, the commission
l! should advertise for plans and specih
- cations, and after choice mas Deel
- made, the commission should go T.
| Gh no
10 contract with thelesees for building th'
If prison, but they should employ the con
| VicLs at the lowest terms that can ID
u agreed upon, avoiding, anything tina
Id would look like job with lessees
l. l'ouvicts should be used on all parts G
-, he work where it would be possible t
Va mplOy them advantageOuSly."
Il Glow would you provide Tor the cos
- II construction ?'
=, Gas Chairman of tho House FinancC
Ways and Means Committee, this give
u ne great concern. An expenditure {
ne 100000 per annum for three yoai
t. would DO necessary. An al Valorei
AK OF 5 cents on the hundred dollars {
assessed property would bring SI60,UU
Possibly tho privileges could be mao
20 nav $50 600 additional. We perhaf
IAN arrange with tho IosSOos so as
&c employ cOuViCtS to the amount OF TlU
100 4 yoar, which thoy are now require
<c 90 pay III cash i'll quarterly install
montS."
nj .sHow would you increase the priv
III lege taNes?"
Fl would extend them rather than il
Ne crease them. Certain industries Uni
now pay no privilege taxes should pa
rs, | their proportion. Merchants are a
ready assessed enough. RAILROAD
'r- ought to pay privilege taxes, especlail
the Mobile ~ Ohio, which has III mli'
ot in the State of Tennessee. Under i
is charter it is chargeable with al valore
or taxes until it shall declare a dividen
or of s per cent, which will never ocGl
~ until Gabriel blows his trumpet. Built
lie, ing and loan associations, especial
tho national concerns from other state
should be required to pay for don
business in Tennessee. Mining al
eS, other big corporations should not
nd allowed to escape. We will try to q
mt, wise n revenue bill that Will do JUST
cd to all interests and provide the mont
needed for new prison"
"Wil the minors be SatlSfed Tor u
present lease to cOntlnueV
"I fear they will not be unless the co
AZ victS are withdrawn from the mines.
IN am in favor OF extending every accol
hS mediation to the miners. They ma
. NV full sympathy on account of IA
II uOpolistic discrimination against thel
3IE but they must abide by the law. Tn
- ought, however, to be pa2lhe1 by
9ry | General Assembly reforming tho per
rst laws so as TO reduce the number
~ conVicts and by the employment OF
OK. large number in the building OF ne
= prison, which would in the Same degI
, mines. by the expiration of the lea
A u- Jan. l, 1896, the new penitentiary shou
cry he completed, in which all convi'
H. should be employed, and thcn
trouble about conflict with labor shot
ian end One law for tho relief of lat
NJ: that is urgently demanded is a stat'
at to prevent any workman bong fore
Jay to take script for the wages that are d
'""' him."
GLOW do yOu stand on the Worl
'C at Fair proposition" ...
AT "I am against it. All the interests
a: Tennessee that need to exhibit al
AT thing havo passed. out of the posse IS
lros of the people for mere nomi
eTs' amount, and 1 am opposed to tax
n: farmers for such an exhibition. Ii
q Z display at Chicago should increase
NJ. population, the increase would bt
ShI Cosmopolitan people, who would aC
or. tho number of our cOnvicts, and ma
cry creator the expense of State prose
yor- tons in any county or city IN WIN
lay they should sottle."
tor. "INhat about redistricting the STATE
-ery az am opposed to redistrlctlng
lock state so that five counties, DaNldS
Ock. shelby, Hamilton, Knox and Faye
led would get oue-third of the represeI
ney, tives of the State. 1 believe tho enul
tl,n .nrlN "a