The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-07-23

A Matter That Must Have Attention.
The lawless course of the coal miners at
Briceville, Tenn. relative 20 the employ
ment of convicts ia the mines has brought
the question Of the advisability OF getting
rid of the system of leasing cOnvicts at the
earliest possible moment squarely before the
! people of that state. And indirectly 1t mas
brought the question before the people OF
every other state in which convlcts are
leased
While it is the duty Of the governor OF
Tennessee to enforce the laws, Latore taking
A into consideration the grievance OF the
miners, be must see that tne tiile mas
arrived when the state must adopt some
other method Of taking care OF her conVlctS.
All the papers Of Tennessee, Ia discussing
! the RrjceviIle trouble. call attention to the
method OF taking care of the convlcts, aud
condemn it. Indeed, it is about impossible
to condemn the lswles5 attitude Of the
miners without referring 90 their grievance,
and 10 refer TO their grievance 10 TO arouse
a degree OF sy mpa:ny for them.
They 10 not want to come into conflict
with the authorities of the STATE, and they
! that the legislature at an early day win
give that attention to their complaint to
which they think it is entitled. And they
are not alone in demanding that they shall
not be required 10 cOmDets with couvicts.
They are supported by the labOring classes
of the whole state, and they have the sym
patty OF laboring classes in all the other
states in which convic.s are leased.
Before the marvellous development Of the
mines IN Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama
shat is now going on began the opposition
among workingmen TO convict labor was
not very great, but in all these states now
there are tens of thou ,ands of workingmen
who are either directly or indirectly
affected injuriously by convict labor. And
a protest against it like that which is now
being made in Tennessee is likely to be
made at any time in one or both of the
other states.
The system Of leasing convicts is not
popular in any state Even those who are
not affected injuriously by it condemn it,
not only because it is a measure unjust to
the leboring classes but mainly because it
is so open TO abuses. The governor of this
state, in his recent message to the legisla
ture, declared that it defeated the main
purposes sought TO be accomplished by the
Imprisonment Of criminal, and he urged
the adoption Of certain reforms that would
relieve the system of some of its worst
features.
The system is popular with Legislators be-
cause it provides a way Of taking care Of
convicts without imposing a burden upon
the people in the shape of taxes. But would
it not be more jus. to place the burden of
taking care OF the convicts Upon the whole
people rather than adhere to a system that
lessons the earnings Of the laboring classes.
Now that the workingmen whose labor
comes into competition with convict labor
are here in large numbers, it is evident
that the system of leasing convicts
cannot be continued much longer. That
being the case the legislature of every state
in which oonvicts are leased should address
itself to the task of solving the problem of
now the convlcts can be takel care of with
out bringing their labor into competition
with that of workingmen and so that they
will be morally improved By their prison
life.