Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-11-29
Mr.. CUNNINGHAM TALKS
About Convict Bills Before the
Assembly.
HE EXPLAINS IT FULLY
And Sets Forth His Reasons Why This Bill
Should be Made Law During the
Session of the Legislature.

DR.. r. M. Cunningham, Jefferson's
popular state senator, reached the city
last night to spend the Sabbath with
his family. The doctor called at the
State Herald office last night, and meet
ing Mr.. Evans, the democratic nominee
for mayor, said he was up to speak, to
vote or to pair just as the circumstances
directed That he Is a democrat of the
nominee variety, and believes in sup
porting the party on any and every oc-
casion. The doctor said he had given
considerable time to the preparation of
his convict bill. Speaking of the bill DR..
Cunningham said:
THE object of the bill is to permanent
ly settle the convict problem in Alabama,
upon the lines of humanity, legitimate
revenue and equity in the competition
with free labor. The bill was drawn
With special reference to all these OBJ
Jects. 1t proposes the following particu-
lars:
l. All convicts must be sentenced to
the state penitentiary, after January 1,
1898.
2 Abolishes the county convict system.
3. Abolishes the lease system.
4. Divides the penitentiary into four
divisions, agricultural, manufacturing,
mining and invalid.
b. Provides a board of managers con-
sisting of general manager, two su-
perintendents of divisions, and medical
director.
8. Provides a Jail inspector.
z Provides for the buying, leasing and
renting of lands, factories, mills, etc
:. For the leasing of coal, iron ore or
other ore lands
o. For the leasing of mines, equipped
or unequipped with mine equipments
with or without provision of prisons.
10. For contracts to grade railroads,
county roads, building bridges, cutting
timber, cross ties, ETC., etc.
II. Provides for reformatory, a de-
partment for women.
y. For religious, moral and educational
instruction.
13. 1t limits the number of convicts to
work in mines to twenty-five per cent
OF the whole number of convicts.
ID. Prohibit the leasing or hiring of
convicts to individuals firms or corpor-
ations.
The above are some of the provisions
of the bill. There are many others,
which a reading of the bill will show
1t will be seen that the bill attacks the
present system. There is where the
trouble is. If the trouble were in the
management, either upon the part of the
stete officers or the contractors, the rem
eds would be to change these. l believe
our ssate officials are both efficient and
malle and obey the laws and regula tions
Tc change these would simply provide
fol- another means of carrying out the
present system, without in the least
changing it's great evil. The principal
evils of our present system are these:
l. In executing the sentence OF the
courts and juries, which is aterm in pris-
on, the state, through its present sys-
tem supplements that sentence with
death in large number of cases.
q In making merchandise of human
beings, criminals though they be, as a
source of revenue and for the enrichment
of private individuals and corporations
regardless of humanity.
g. The aggregation of the competition
of convict labor, to-wit, the coal mines
A. No provision for an earnest honest
effort at reformation
& The mortality Is truly enormous. 1t is
getting worse every year. Thus, for the
two years ending October l., 1890, the
mortality among state convlcts was 4.95
per cent. per annum; next two years.
5.25 per cent; next two years, 6.12 per
cent; while for the last two years 1t was
7.07 per cent. per annum. For the six
years ending August 81, 1896, the aver
age was 6.14 per annum. Among county
convicts the mortality was still greater.
Thus: For the year ending October /,
1890, 1t was 1857 per annum; next two
years, 6.5S per cent. per annum; next
two, 7.45 per cent. per annum: while for
the last two its 11.07 per cent. per an
mum. OF these county convicts, SAB died
at the mines and only fortytwo else
where. The same holds good, differing
only in degree, among state convlcts.
The following largely explains this
enormous death rate:
For twenty years ending October 1,
1885, of the whole mortality those died
from tuberculosis 1888 per cent; next
two years, "A per cent; next two, 3078
per cent; while for the last two, 56.17 per
cent At Pratt mines of all the deaths
frcm disease. the deaths were due to
tul rculosis in 70.7S percentum. The
deAths last two years all told were All
All this grows out of our system in the
practical, indiscriminate working of con-
viots in coal mines, regardless of their
physical condition and adaptation for
that kind of work, and the mixing up of
tubercular subjects with the others. the
majority of whom have a tubercular pre-
disposition.
My bill provides for the correction of
those evils, and, IL 1t becomes a law, will
reduce the mortality to minimum. The
revenue features of the bill are based up
on known facts, and the estimates think
are not overdrawn. do not care to dis
cuss these in detail but will give you an
idea. There are about $500 state and
county convicts In the state. I estimate
the following assignment of these: In
valid division. $50: agricultural and man.
ufac acturing division, 1,725; mining, 625.
The invalid division, of course, will not
cara anything. Many can do some light
work, but do not estimate anything
from that division.
The maintenance of these convicts I
put at $3.50 per month each; the records
of the inspectors office show that the
state is now maintaining its convicts at
$3.50 per month. This is dollar and
twenty cents less than my estimate. The
gross earnings of the convlcts In the
manufacturing and agricultural depart
ment is estimated at s10.40 per month, or
40 cents per day for twenty-six days in
the month.
According to the inspectors report the
gross earnings of the convicts now work
ed by the state, consisting of the old men,
the-boys, women, the broken down, etc,
besides lot of convicts from Coalburg,
sent to the walls or hospitals on account
of their bad physical condition, is $7.57
per month. or 81 cents per day only,
little over cents less than my estimate.
Therefore, If the class of men at the walls
can earn 81 cents day. 1t is no exaggera-
-tiop to say that the convicts assigned to
thu agricultural and mining division,
Sx,lf INV f1ulk Ind Iad nd