The state capital., 1892-10-08
c majority OF tnat

mittee than to t,vsx-ta. tire copies and
carry them off with them. The use
that has actually been made of them
appears in the set speeches now being
made by the democratic candidate for
governor. The details of the contracts
are set forth with such particularly
that the author of the speech must have
had access either to the original docu-
ments or to exact copies of them.
Perhaps a mention of this business is
all that is necessary in this connection.
It shows, however, how democratic
statesmen attend to the business of the
state when in Office.
Few people of the present day have
any conception of the prison system in
vogue in the good old democratic days
''befo' de wah." Negro slavery in the
south was bright jewel of liberty in
comparison. The lease system was in
force in the state of Illinois from 1883
to 1867 and was one of the evil legacies
bequeathed by the democratic party to
the republican party when it went out
of power The reformation of the Grim
inal was not an element in the
lease system. Hard, brutal, demoral-
izing, degrading treatment, long hours
of labor, and scanty fare were the poor
wretch's lot Under the law the lessee
was the warden without salary paid by
the state and one of the requirements
was that the state should be at no ex-
pense whatever on account Of the con-
victs.
They were leased soul and body to
the contractor, and the contractor was
their guardian and keeper. The cruel
lash, the ice bath, the dungeon, the
thumb torture, were in daily and hour
ly use with not living human being to
stand between the convict and the
cruelty inflicted by the man who
owned, because he had bought him
from the state, body and soul, and
had no further interest in him than to
get out of him the last drop of sweat
| and toll there was in him. Is this
| picture Of the fancy? Far from it, 1t
| is only too true, and under republican
| control and methods it is gore forever.
| Will it be revived If the democrats arc
restored to power in Illinois? There is
no way of Judging of the future but by
the past. The old barbarous lease sys
tenn is part of the record of the demo
cratic party in Illinois, and the only rec
ord it has in prison management.
Perhaps as good an illustration of th'
old democratic system of prison man
agement as can be produced is an epi
sode which took place in 1858 when ;
change of lessees occurred. Col San
Buckmaster & Co., sterling old dem
ocrats all of them, had been the lessee
of the prison ever since there was
penitentiary in the state. Col San
Casey & Co., also democrats, obtaine'
the lease from the general assembly il
1857 and took possession in 1853 Whel
the transfer came to be made Buck
+ master claimed pay for the clothing OF
, | the backs of the convicts. Casey dc
INJURED, but it was no use. Buck
master stripped and turned over t
f Casey nearly 600 naked convicts an
!, Casey had to buy the clothing and pa
for it or receive the 600 conviets il
natures garb. Do the people of tn
state of Illinois want to return to
, system so shameful as that or restore
: power the party which permitted it an
might do so again?
Il It is proper to add in this connectio
' that when the lease system, with all il
0 enormities and brutalities-in whic
the lessees assumed the duties {
4 warden and practically took the plae
J, of the state, feeding, clothing an
furnishing the prisoners at will-ws
discarded in 1867, 1t gave plae
temporarily to system OF employmer
on .state account" as it was calle'
which in short period involved Il
state in heavy pecuniary loss. In b
message of 1869. Gov. John NJ. Palme
now United States senator By vote Of
denocza4ie mejority y - denocr'