The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1891-09-11
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
CONTINUED FROM FOURTH pAGE1

law, see to it that these laws are
rigidly enforced.
On the other hand, so long as the
State is party to a contract with a
lessee, it is it's duty to fulfill that
contract and protect him in his
rights and to prevent the States
convicts from beinginterfered with.
Justice should be done to all. En-
ployer and employee, both alike,
should be forced to obey the law as
it is found upon the statute-books.
Furthermore, no further en-
croachment should be made into
the territory into which the miners
have gone and commenced their la
Dor; and the power of the prison
inspectors should be clearly defn-
ed, and, if necessary, increased, in
order to give them authority to say
where and how the convicts shall be
worked.
CALLING OUT The MILITIA.
Ihave set outall the facts to show
the conditions under which | late
ly ordered out the militia. 1t was
plain to me that if [ hesitated to
act promptly and decisively, the
surrender of the State to the mob
was inevitable. / decided to as
sumo the responsibility and uphold
the laws and authority of the State.
In doing this l took care to fol-
low the law as [ found it written
upon the statute-book, as we'll as
the precedents established by al
most every governorsince the adop-
ton of the Constitution of 1870.
At no time since the adoption of
that Constitution has an occasion
SO grave and urgent existed, and
while the validity of the action of
my predecessors in exercising such
power was never questioned, yet
the authority for my action has
been disputed. tits my sworn duty
to take care that the laws be exc
cuted. In the execution of that
trust | want to keep to the law my
self, and if the means given to me
to uphold the law be defective, l
want the general assembly to clothe
me with all needful power to enable
me to execute my trust faithfully.
[ desire to commend to you the
military for their prompt response
to the call of duty. This was per-
haps the first test of loyalty and
courage to which many of them had
been subjected, and the first real
ization Of the seriousness and i'm
portance of the oath they had taken.
The State should give proper en-
couragement to the military. 1t is
not often that it is needed, but
when its services are required the
occasion is an imperative one, and
the State should be able to meet il
promptly. Many obeyed this call
at great sacrifice, and showed the
true soldier spirit. Some went in
the face Of an employers threat to
discharge them, and lost their pc.
sitions thereby.
I have offered to you such sug-
gestions as seemed to me practica-
BILE, in order to place the State in q
condition to abolish the lease sys.
tenn at the expiration of the lease
contract, and [ have suggested the
policy which | deem best for the
present and future, if you continue
the lease system. If, however, i
is the will Of your respective con
stituencies that the lease contracr
Of the State be Immediately abro
gated, or that the lessee be induced
to relinquish the lease, if it can be
done, then twill be necessary for the
State to make preparation for The
burden which must at once be ass,
umed. The State will have 1,50(
convicts to be provided for immedi
ately,with no place in which to keeI
them. Their maintenance will cost
at the lowest estimate, 100000
transportation, $4,000; the sun
brought into the State treasury
paid quarterly in cash, which def
cit would have to be supplied, i,
100000, making total of S35O,0O(
annually
1t would be necessary to build {
penitentiary at once, which, If /
could be built by convict labor anC
finished in two years, would cost
at the lowest estimate, furnished b!
one of the best architects in tn,
TTni+od Ctotae S900 00O The de