Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1892-01-28
The Pcnitcntiary Question.

| tlO n
The most important duty imposed
upon this Legislature is the work o.
relocating the State prison, and put
ting into operation new system to
take the place of convict leasing oil
hiring.
Public sentiment has been for many
years long way in advance of legis-
lation OH the subject. And it may he
truthfully said that this public senti-
ment was for three distinct sessions
of the Legislature ignored and disre-
gardcd. The essee-influence, with
all its political combinations, was too
strong to be defeated, until the sub
ject came before the Constitutional
Convention, when the whole business
of convict leasing vas forbidden after
December 81, 1891.
There is just barely enough time
allowed for getting new system into
operation, and all this preliminary
work rests upon the present Lcgisla-
| ture.
There is no longer any question of
abOishing the leasing system; that
has been effectualIy done by the Con-
stitutiOnal Convention. The only
thing left for the Legislature is to
carry out the mandate of the Conven-
ton which at last is but the voice of
the people of this State.
=, f,,1 -
consider carefully the scope and mean
ing of this public sentiment aud upon
what principles and facts it rests. For
more than twenty years this State has
been cursed with the most Infamous
prison system that has ever existed
in Christian land. The galleys of
Rome and France, and the prisons of
Siberia, could not suffer by the COM
parison; indeed in many respects they
were surpassed by this modern form
of slavery called convict leasing.
In 1884, its horrors and crimes we re
revealed by Legislative committee
partially, for the committee said of
ficially in its report that there were
some cruelties and infamies developed
too shocking to he put in words.
A storm of Indignation ran over the
State, but it was quickly quieted by
the passage of n statute pretending
to reform the abuses by leasing the
convicts to railroad company.
But the legislative investigation of
1888 showed the hollowness of that
pretended reform and developed the
fact that the same abuses had contin-
ued to last, if indeed they had not in
creased and multiplied.
Mr.. BOOne's reform bill was killed in
1886, another in 1888, and another in
1890 in the Legislature by the silent,
potent forces that lay wrapped up in
the leasing system. The enlightened
public opinion of the State under
stands and appreciates to the fullest
extent that a great crime has been
committed against these poor friend
less, helpless, cOnvicts that it has
stood unatoned for during these past
twenty years, and that tardy justice
has at last been decreed by the peo-
pie in their Convention. This public
opinion now demands real, honest.
genuine reform, of the most perma-
nent character, by which every vestige
and remnant, look and appearance of
the old infamy shall be swept away
forever.
1t will not tolerate any makeshift,
or shams, in making this long defer
red reparation for the past.
Governor Stone has voiced this
public sentiment he is and has al
ways been in full sympathy with it
and he has placed his own views and
judgment in the form of the wisest
and most practical plan possible for
carrying out this work in his admira
BILE message to the Legislature. He
has not gone beyond the limit, but he
has come up to the full standard of
reform desired and expected by the
people of the State.
Nothing could be better than to To-
cate the entire present establishment
in high and healthy locality on an
abundantly large tract of land, under
one management, within convenient
distance of the State capital. After
this is done then the ultimate success
of the prison, financially and morally,
is assured it is only matter of elabO-
rating the details of the work. Such
a man as Mr.. jenkins in q few years
would have it self-supporting at least,
even if it did not yield a revenue to
the State, if the preliminary work is
properly laid out by this Legislature
on broad and just lines, and with a
proper liberality as to the appropria-
tions needed. OF course economy
should be considered and extrava-
gance should be avoided, but every
sentiment of State pride and self
respect suggest that the permanent
new system to be adopted shall be in
every way creditable to the State
Vicksbarg Post.