Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1891-09-05

mand that II he made self-sustaining,
and, if it can be done without detri-
ment to the best interests Of the
criminal, Il sotirce Of revenue.
Ifthe Criminal laws are amended I
would recommend the State account
system. I think that the penitenl
tiary should be located on farm of
sufficient size to maintain the con-
victs, and that they should be EN-,
ployed in tiling the soil and in mans
ufacturing whatever is needed for
their own consumption that could be
done without power machinery.
4 I If the State should go to the ex>
pense of purchasing power machin7
cry, then some industry that was
new and would therefore bring no
competition either in prices or wages,
and that would bring a revenue to
| the State should be introduced.
If the criminal laws are not chang
ed and the State has from 1900 to
1900 convicts to employ, believe
that it would be the best policy for
4 the State to purchase or lease coal
and iron lands and locate the prison
thereon and employ the convicts in
mining coal and iron ore and manu-
featuring iron. 81 i'iaAi aai r
The convicts being confined in the
States mine would not compete with
| free labor; the coal being used in
manufacturing iron, for public insti-
tutions, and special purposes, would
bring no competition in prices; and
the iron output would not be suffi-
cient to bring hurtful competition.
These plans are offered with view
I of the abolition of the lease system
after the present contract has expr,
ed, and with a view to so locating
the penitentiary as to employ the
convicts in productive labor, and re-
duce the competition TO the minis
mum. 'i ''' Fly ~
If the State-account system of la
Dor, and the above suggestions as to
i location of the penitentiary meet
your approval, / recommend that
immediate steps be taken toward Sc
Letting commission for building a
new penitentiary. This commission
should consist of a competent archi-
tect, physician who has given spec
ial thought to sanitary subjects and
the promotion of the public health,
and two or three business men and
good financiers.
, This commission should be author
J lied to investigate prison systems,
: to purchase site, to select plans, to
J enter into business contract, and as
! sumo the responsibility and manage
ment of the whole. % p
The State should build with such
: foresight and wisdom as to avoid
2 trouble inithe future.
But if you, in your wisdom, look
| ing to the material interests of Ten
} nessee, to the conditions of the State
Treasury, the obligations of the State
which must be taken care Of, and
2 the limited amount of money in
, the hands of the Taxpayers, decide
5 that it is not so much question OF
/. what the State ought to do as what il
r can do, and that the best policy is to
/ continue the lease system, then ]
! recommend that a committee be APP.
/ pointed to confer with the lessees tC
r ascertain of such modification of the
= existing contract can be made as will
D bring about the withdrawal of the
: convicts from the mines where they
e are now employed and restrict them
2 to one mine or two mines, one Of
1 coal and the other OF iron, to be
= worked exclusively by convicts, and
Y that such mine or mines be in new
fields which have not yet been enter
p ed by free miners. If this be done il
t will go far toward relieving them
f from harmful competition. 1t seems
0 plain to me that the feature Of the
!, lease system which has affected free
? labor most injuriously, is the privi'
r lege of the lessee under the existing
e lease contract to employ convict la
Dor in all mines without restriction
!. The miners themselves say that thi
: is their chief objection to the least
s system, and that in this way convic
e labor is made a scourge to driv,
r them to terms.
e This was the direct cause of the re
cent labor trouble at Briceville
!. which was but violent outburst o
q the conflict which has begun between
d free labor and convict labor.
Il A brief history of the Bricevill