The Russellville Democrat., 1893-03-02
Mr. RnsseII.s speeeh an tie peniten.

Mr. kusSeiI'S Speeeh oiA tAe Nhhhtenr
 tiary Bill
 Tn the discussion of Honse bill No. 1b0| 4 bill for ail aet 10 be entitled An act 70 provide for the management ol lhe Pen- itentiary and eonYicss ef the State of Arkansas.H Mir Russell sald
 MR SpEAgER--F From workshop and from farm. from cottage and from tenn pie. from city and from country, there comes | voice as omineus as the mutfef~ ing Of the distant thunder that warns lis of the approaching storm, asklngsfor the abolition of tue lsaSe system. Thun, as we are here to heed that voice, the only question with us as true representatives should be, Is the pending measure an Improvement on the lease systemg What has the lease system done for usg It has taken from the control of the State that numerous and unfortunate class known as eonvicts. We are told that this sys- tenn has permitted these convicts tO he worked when physically unable. that It has permitted them to be whipped un- mercifully for their unavoidable failure to perform tasks assigned them that II has caused some of them to drink the polluted water caused by the SC Werage of city. This system has bruised mus cle, dwarfed brain and rendered more barbarous it's subjects Shall we, then, try such a system longers We have been trying it for the past twenty years.
 The humane principle running through this bill is worthy of admiration
 The bill provides for a chaplain who is to preach to the convicts, and may es- tablish q night school for the young prisoners.
 The bill provides for physician, who shali examine into and upon the health of the prisoners, the kind of food they have to eat, and the sanitary condition of the prison. No prisoners are to be worked in the mines or on the farm, ex- cept those who are in good health, and if any are found sick on an examination by the physician, they are to be sent to their cells or to the hospital, where they are to receive treatment until well. Prisoners who are found with incurable diseases may be pardoned by the Gov ernor.
 There is much financial wisdom in the bill.
 Such articles as are needed by the State charitable institutions are to be manu- faetured within the walls of the penlten- tiary, and sold to said institutions at the market price.
 Coal mines are to be opened up on State lands and worked by fhe convicts, and the coal will be used to supply the State departments aud State charitable institutions, and sold to thescredit of the State,
 Lands containing granite may be pnr- chased, on which quarries are to be worked by the States prisoners. Some of the State lands are to be cleared and the timber sold. \ State farm may be opened up and worked by the conyicss and the products sold for the benefit of the State.
 Why should nor the State have the im- mediate control and care of the criminals as we'll as the blind, the deaf mutes and the insanes The inmates of the blind and deaf mute schools are taught useful trades. Then why may we not, under this law. teach the criminals of the State some useful trade, and thereby make them not only self-sustaining, but q source of revenue to the State Many of these criminals are induced to commit the crimes of which they are guilty sim ply for the want of employment. Idle ness is the mother of crime.n And, sir. it we will teach our conyicts useful trades, the great majority of them will 20 from those walls to sin no more.
 This law, while new to us, Is not an tlntried experiment. The great State of Texas has tried a law quite similar to this and has succeeded. It has given Texas peaceful control of her conyicts, and is now adding to the wealth of that State. What it has done for Texas we may reasonably expect it to do for Us.
 It is said we have great but undevel- oped State. We are clamoring for wealth muscle and brain to develop it, while we seem to forget that we might utilize the muscle and brain of the 750 prisoners i'll our penitentiary
 While there is possibly coal enough beneath our State lands to warm many generations vet unborn, while forests shade the soil where fields should be waving with ripening grain and whiten- ing cotton, while our mountains swell with granite, with lead and with anti- mony, we seem to forget that there is within our grasp. under this bill, the power to exhume the coal, clear away the forests and unearth the granite of the mountains.
 By judicious management of our prisoners under the wise provisions of this bill, we may turn this muscle which has been bruised and this brain which has been dwarfed to the developing of our undeveloped interests, and may ar dently hope that our glorious State will steadily grow from poverty to wealth, from an undeveloped condition to | higher civilization.