The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-07
CARE OF STATE C0NvICTS.
LEGISLATURES SLOW TO GRAPPIE
WITH THE PROBLEM.

Two Bills Dealing With the Matter
Now on the House Calendar, But
No one Inclined to Push Them.
The Advocates of the Lease system
VIII Assume the Aggressive if the
Reformers Delay Action Much
I.onaer-The Day n Dull One in the
House.
Atlanta. Ga. Nov. 6.-Twelve of the If
Nv DAYS of the legislative session will have
naseea when the body is called to order
again on Monday mornng,and yet pracu-
cally no progress at all has been made to-
ward a settlement of the convict problem.
For the past few days it has been lost
sight of in the midst of various committee
reports and the introduction Of local bills.
The member appear to be disinclined to
even talk about the matter. The question is
one of such proportions that it has COM
pletely staggered the whole legislative
Branch of the government. The Hall
bin Is before the House after a fashion,
but it is such mess" that no one wants
10 have anything to do with it, 1t viii
have to go back to the penitentiary COM
rnittee again, before a start can be made to-
ward passing it. If there is any intention
to make such an effort. There is also
a bin by Mr.. Stone of Wilson, which sim
ply re-enacts the present lease with slight
notifications, which is now in the hands
of the penitendary committee.
The inactivity of those who profess to
favor reform in the system has given great
encouragement to the friends of the lease
system, and it may be predicted with GER
tainty that they viii not much longer re-
main idle to give these reformers
chance to show their hands. If something
Is not soon done by the reformers the
other side will assume the aggressive, and
with a bold front, insist upon the passage
of the Stone bill. Everybody recognized
the convict question as the paramount is
sue of importance to be settled at this ses-
sion of the legislature. It means more in
dollars and cents and in the furtherance
of good government and morality than
anything else that is to be passed upon
by the present body, yet it now seems that
st is to be sidetracl1ed, while the Blalock
committee trains its guns on the depart
Enents and state Institutions, where there
may be a trimming Of salaries or a d.
vocement of pedagogues. As one quiet
we are going to save at the spigot ana
loose at the bung, if we do not get down
to the important issues soon"
Practically nothing was done to-day in
the legislature. There was no session of
the Senate and the House sat only a few
hours. A number of bills were read the
second time though there was no quorum
present and a resolution was passed in
viting DR.. Curry, trustee of the Peabody
and Slater funds, to address the legisla-
ture on the subject of education. Similar
invitations have been extended to Rev G.
A Nunnally and DR.. Warren Gambler.
These well known educators are expected
to convince the legislators that 1t would
be calamitous to divorce the agricultural
college and the state university, as recon-
mended by Pope Browns committee and
the Blalock committee, which would
deprive the university of the land script
fund, practically it's sole support They
are also expected to show that it would
be unwlse to cut off the 100000 added
to the common school fund for next year
by last years appropriations. This bill
has already been unfavorably reported
by the committee to which it was refer
red, and the friends Of education are con-
fdent that they viii now be able to kill it,
The only important bill introduced to-
day was one requiring widows entitled to
draw pensions from the state to prove
that they were married to their soldier
husbands prior to 1865