Birmingham age-herald., 1894-12-14
CoNvICrs IN THE MINES.

The AeK- H KRALD claims'that it was the first paper in the State to advocate the use of the convicts in mines on the University lands. It may be, but our recollection is that while the AGE HERALD and other Birmingham papers, two years go, V ere demanding that the Leg islature, in obedience to the commands of the miners in that district, should quickly as possible remove the convicts from the mines and so employ them as not to compete with free labor, the Mirror was denOuncing that policy as cowardly and injurious to the State and demanding that they be kept in the mines s as to pay for their keep and afford the State some profit. until such time the State could open mines on Staie lands, using the able
 odied in them, while those physically unable sh Juld be kept at work in the open air, mak- ing provisions for the support of those at harder labor under ground.
 But 1t matters little though, since the AGE HERALD and the Birmingham people have come to their senses and are willing to keep the c0nYicts where they will do the most good to the state, which has to care for and feed and clothe tnt m. It is base and cowardly to truckle To the demands of men who desire to have everything to work for their own special benefit, without regard to the rights of others as good or better than they
 The above is from our wide-awake con- temporary, the Eutaw Mirror. Alter all, it matters not so much who first advocates a good thing as 1t does who is most jealous in perfectjng that good thing. Two years ago the Birmingham people were demand ing not SD much that lhe convicts be taken from the mines as that they be re- moved from the vicinity of Birmingham. It was the concentration here of the crimi- nals from all over the State that Birming- ham objected to. As Governor Oates says, ie inin constant threat to community 10 have the convicts centered in it. Bir mingham was thus made to suffer, while other sections of the State escaped the in- cubus at her expense. From selfish point of view the other sections of the State would be glad to keep the convcts in the mines near this city, but, all honor to Southern nobility of character, the repre-. sentatives from all over the State overcame all selfish considerations and lent their as- sistance toward the removal of the convicts from this populous center. The Mirror it. self, by it's own confession, displayed this same magnanimous spirit and demanded that the convicts be removed to State lands remote from the centers of population. Thanks 10 the magnanimity of the Mirror and other potent influences in the State at large, this ignominy was not fastened for ever on Birmingham, and it was not neces- sary for us to become so ''base and cow ardly as to trucke to the demands of men who desire to have everything to work for their own special benefit without regard to the rights of others as good or better than they are." The people of Birmingham would much prefer that the convicts be placed on the farm and in the walls, but the powers that be say this is absolutely impossible on account of diminished reve- nues. Then ,- rather than have them re- main in the Birmingham mines, as pro- posed by some, we prefer to see them worked in mines on the Warrior river.