The Daily Texarkanian., 1894-06-11
COL. G. W. SAPPINGTON ON THE
CONVICT QUESTION.


Chicot county, on the convict ques-
tion, is worthy of serious and
thoughtful consideration:
The convicts, like the poor, we
have always with us and steadily in
creasing-yes, as an official of the
pen says, at the rate of 80 the last
ten months. What is to be done
with them? For century or more
it has been a mooted question, and
does not seem much nearer a salts
factory solution, | would suggest
that the commissioners be authoriz-
ed by our next general assembly to
take enough of them to make a sup
port for the others and let the rest
be put to building one or two rail
roads through the state. We have
now 900 convicts and l assume 800
could, by hiring and otherwise, raise
means to sustain, clothe and guard
the other 400 while engaged in
/ grading and tieing the roadbed. 1t
would be an easy matter to bond
the roadbed for equipment upon the
completion of each 10 or 70 miles.
Indeed one of our most progressive
bankers has assured me he could
place them at a premium. Rights
of way could be obtained through
the state and United States lands,
with privileges for bridge and tie
timbers. without cost. What sys
tenn could build roads 50 cheaply?
Roads.have been built successfully
in North Carolina with convict la
Dor. which l see by railroad COM
missioner's report yield about $780,
600 net rental per annum to the
state. Georgia taxed her proper
ties Sc, 900, 900 to build what is now
known as the Western q Atlantic,
and I see by the Governors recent
message yields net rental Of $42O,-
600. Ilearn from prominent citi-
zens of Georgia other systems have
tried to purchase and control it, but
an attempt to surrender it to any
other system would provoke a civil
war. am advised on good author
ity that the great Ill. Central pays
the State per cent, of its gross
earnings. Now with these living
examples before us, with our great
natural resources undeveloped, with
convicts to be cared for and worked
by the state, why should we not
arouse ourselves from this Rip Van
Winkle slumbers and utilize them in
this way? The Lord is said to aid
those who try to help themselves,
Then why should we 90 out of the
state-to the Goulds, Vanderbuilts,
Huntingtons and others-to build
our roads while we have these facil-
tiles at hand and when the benefits
would accrue to the state-and we
would amass some of the wealth
that other systems make. When a
main line north and south and east
and west shall have been built
through the state, we could employ
the same forces to build turn pixies
as feeders to these main lines Ina
few short years we could have fac
ilities afforded for an outlet from
every part of the state and every
product of the state; and as. to the
perishable in which we abound, this
rapid transit would enable them to
be shipped all over the continent in
good condition, Again we would
overcome that serious friction, as
this labor would not come in com
petition with any skilled labor in
the state Would it not be well for
every newspaper, the great educa-
tors of the state, to take up this
subject and let their people under
stand that these advantages could
be enjoyed by them without one
dollars expense or taxation? 1t
might be well made an issue in this
state campaign, and every candi-
date should be pledged to work for
a measure that would bring railroad
facilities to every county in the
state,
Pursue this course and in few
years the immense resources OF the
state would be in fair way full OF
development. From our towering
forests fertile soils and genial CLINE,
on our southern border, throughout
our mineral zone to Pomonas para
disc on the north, and from our rich
alluvials of the Mississippi on the
east through our coal fields and for
est to the Indian Territory in the
west-what a luxury it would be tC
the denizens of these localities, and
what a temptation to home seekers
of every climel These suggestions
are submitted for whatever they
are worth, believing, however, they
are practical and worthy the conSid
= Grafton of our people.