The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-11-01
The Briceville Trouble.

The trouble between the coal miners II
the vicinity Of Briceville. Tenn and th'
coal companies. growing out % the employ
ment Of cOnvicts in the mines, eliminates
Friday night in the release Of between SJu
and 100 conyicts. The action OF the miners
was not wholly unexpected. They threat
ened TO release the convicts last summer
and would have done 50 lad not the
governor promised them that he would cal
the legislature together and submit 70 II the
issue which they had raised At that time
several military companies were called out
to guard the cOnvicts. but they would not
have been able 70 prevent the miners from
carrying out their purpose The miners
were strong il numbers, well armed and
/ very determined. Relying upon the senti-
ment against the convict lease system which
| prevailed throughout the state, they thought
the legislature would provide for removing
the convicts from the mines.
The legislature. however, did not seem 70
realize how serious the situation At Brioe-
vile WAS At least it did nothing practi-
cally towards settling tie difficulties which
existed there. It determined to continue
the convict lease system and it enlarged the
powers Of the governor with reference 10
the militia. The convicts were sent back TO
Briceviile to work in the mines. The
miners made no further protest, but it wa
evident that they would not accept the ac-
ton Of the legislature as finally settling tue
question of the employment Of convlcss in
the mines.
The legislature was not equal to the
emergency which it had been convened TO
consider. IL did not satisfy itself beyond a
| doubt whether the miners would carry out
their threat to release the convicts il the
convicts should be sent back to the mines.
II assumed that they would not, and, as it
has turned out, it WAS mistaken.
The people OF Tennessee will probably
condemn the legislature for the weak way
| in which il dealt with the Briceville trouble.
They will say that it ought to have either
made settlement Of the trouble that
would have satisfied the miners OF provided
for enforcing the convict lease laws. Ii
was severely criticised for failing to do any
thing, and it will be more severely criti-
cised now that more than 800
| convicts, many Of them men
Of the most vicious character, have been let
loose upon the people Of the state. And
these convicts cannot be easily identified,
because they have been provided with citi-
zens' clothes. They will be forced to steal,
for while at least, IN order to obtain food,
and it is more than probable that they Will
commit other and greater crimes.
The miners who have dehed the laws Of
the state ought TO be punished. but 1t will
not be an easy matter TO hold 1000 or 1000
men responsible for an offense committed
as remedy for d grievance. Although it
will be generally admitted that their action
was without reasonable excuse. yet there is
little, il any, doubt that the majority of
the people OF the state sympathize with
them. II such is the case their punishment
is not likely to be swift.
The convict lease system cannot be con-
tinued very much longer. The opportnni-
ties for convict labor are gradually becom.
ing fewer because, as the populations OF the
states in which the convicts are leased in
crease, convict labor comes into closer COM
petition with free labor, and such competi-
ton will not be submitted to by free
laborers. The lease system did we'll enough
in Tennessee, for instance, until the mines
began TO fill up with free laborers. When
the conVicts were brought iato close con-
tact with free lsborers there was trouble.
In all of the other states in which the CON
victs are leased the same issue will be made
that has been made in Tennessee,
and the people of these states should
begin at once to consider how to
settle it. 1t is evident now that the leg
islature of Tennessee made serious mis-
take when it failed TO take more compre-
hensive view of the Briceville trouble The
wiser plants to inset promptly and squarely
an issue that can't be got rid Of except by
settling it.