, 1891-12-01
Highest of all in Leavenng Power-Latest U. S. Govt Report
Rssi9s
ABSOLUTELY PURE
AN SYSTEM.

Views Of a Leading Tennessee Lawyers On
the Recent BrioeNille Troubles.
Judge Thomas Brown, of Memphis, is
in the city attending the session of the
United States courts. He is one of the
best posted men in Tennessee on the con-
Wet lease system of his state, and is
thoroughly Conversant with the present
troubles at Briceviile. When the mat
ter of leasing the couvicts was brought
up before the Legislature Judge Brown
made a vigorous attack on the system,
but was defeated. In an interview Judge
Brown used some strong language in
condemning the system of bringing con-
vict labor into competition with free
labor. He said that he had been eK-
pecting the action of the miners. Their
recent action was the outgrowth of years
of oppression. For a long while the
miners had been complaining about the
use of convicts and had made every ex-
ertion to have the legislature annul the
contracts and return the criminals to the
penitentiary. In speaking of the lease
system Judge Brown became very much
in earnest and made some u%nequivocal
statements.
There was never a more infamous
system h this lease system, which has
for years arrayed convict labor against
free workmen in the state of Tennessee.
The state has done much to bring about
this condition of affairs by reason of its
leases, obtained, as is well known, by
corruption of the legislature. / was
called before the Legislature several years
ago to argue this matter, and l urged
that if the convicts must be used outside
of the prison walls that it be in building
roads and other works of internal i'm
provement. These convicts could be
employed in constructing state roads for
the next twenty years, and the value of
property would be so enhanced as a re-
suit of such work that the tax imposed
upon the people to maintain these con-
victs would be a mere bagatelle. 1 was
laughed at for my suggestions and op-
posed with the greatest zeal by every
speculator who desired to use cheap con
Wet labor to the detriment of free labor.
The present condition of things has
been brought about by the expulsion of
free labor from the mines and the sub
stltution of these c%onvicts, and at last
free labor has with fortitude and deter
mined defense of the rights of their
families struck with the arm of the free
mar for a comfortable living for their
wives and children. Their action may
teach the laggard legislators of Tenne-
see the necessity of securing within the
borders of the state the exemption of
free labor from competition with convict
labor. Unjust say that although a law
yer, l 4 am in entire sympathy with the
miners in their struggle for bread, and /
believe that every thoughtful man in the
state, outside the syndicate and their
friends, who desire to use the cheap con-
Wet labor of the state for their particu-
lar profit, agree with me. Only the
favored few can obtain these leases, and
you know how these favored ones do Sc
cure them. 1t would not be half as bad
il every poor farmer who wanted cheap
labor could hire one of these convicts,
but only those who stand in with the
Legislature can get them"
When questioned about the recent re-
lease of the convicts he said this was the
only end to the affair that thinking men
expected from the start. He did not think
the militia would be sent to the scene
again, and said their seeming cowardice
wac Ohll cttllALBs 1hp IltA MtIc Ill
sympathy with the miners, and were
adverse to acting against them, and when
they returned said they would not go on
any such duty again. that they did not
intend to fight to protect a lot of thieves
and murderers. When questioned about
who would have to pay the rewards for
the escaped convicts he said in a positive
that the lessees would have to
pay the state fifty dollars for every SON
Wet who had escaped, and they would
have to pay the rewards offered by the
governor for every convict recaptured.
In ending he said: "Yes, the lessees
will have to dance for all rewards for
the convicts unless a Legislature will cor
ruptly relieve them of this burden. And
right here l believe that no man will be
returned to the next legislature who does
not pledge himself to do all in his power
to wipe off the statute books the law al
owing the lease of convicts."-Louisville
Tpuriar- TDr,rpu1