The age-herald., 1898-10-18

years instead of one In my judgment, this crime should be punished by death or inn prisonment in the penitentiary for not less than five years, in the discretion of the jury.
 3. That all laws punishing vagrancy be repealed and abolished. In the practical experience of life it will be observed that all prosecutions for vagrancy are heartless. The alleged vagrant is generally merely guilty of the atrociouS crime of being very poor. If there has been any overt crime committed it is easily reached under our laws, which now provide punishment for all such infractions.
 :. That the offense of carrying concealed pistols be made a felony So long as the payment of a fine is the only pun shment imposed, men will continue to carry deadly weapons, and homicides will not decrease in number.
 '. It must have occurred to all thought ful persons that there is lacking to the state an institution which an advanced civilization and generous sense of justice to the unfortunate both demand.
 "The state should have reformatory for the proper enlightenment and training of young convicts and such other unfortu- nate offenders as hardly deserve the se- were punishment and lasting humiii .tion incident to a term in the penitentiary. The mistake into which many people fall is that of looking upon all convicts alike, We hear 1t said ''he is a convict" that
  ''crminal' beyond the hope of rescue. Such ought not to be the case. Convicts are as different and distinct one from the other, as the men and women we meet in every day life. Some are truthful and possessed of character while others, (and the ma jority no doubD, are hardened and entirely given over to evil The error of human opinion is just huring all these human beings into one great ostracised class un- der the head of "convicts'' is responsible for the condition of affairs I am attempt ing to point out.
 My experience in the administration of criminal law (both defending and prosecut- ing) convinces me that many needless of- lenses agaist the letter of the law, often transgreSsionS springing from hot blood and the mate instinct of man to do battle, are committed by men who are not at all entitled to rank as fixed criminals. I am forced to say that public opinion and our convict system do not allow the separation or draw the distinction Tor Whlch am contending.
 "I respectfully suggest that the legisla- ture inaugurate this much needed reform Necessarily the beginning will be humble, but if the change is good the institution will grow The state should have reform atory for young convicts. The principal feature of this reformatory should be sep aration from evil associations. l am not suggesting little work for the young or lenders but I am suggesting that he be a'-
  nut upon his back away from evil compan- ions and corrupting influences" The attorney general takes occasion to compliment his co-workers in the admin | ,stratiye and judicial branches of the state | government, and concludes as follows: "There are many reforms in the adm1n1s- tratjon of the erin nal laws of the state l vet unattained, which will suggest them selves from time to time to thoughtIul | legislators and state officers. l am con- l strained to suggest that we have too many l prosecuting attorneys called solicitors in l tbis state In many of the circuits there | have been created independent courts, ana 1 in connection. with these courts ndepend- l ent solicitors, and we thus have circuit | solicitors who do not travel their cireu1ts, | entirelv Eventually we must come either | to one basis or the other. It will be 1 fornd that we must either adhere to the | oircu,t system. or we must pin our faith l to the local prosecuting attorney. The | two systems being erected along by the | eide of each other are fast overlapping l and colliding the one with the other. Other l states I find have had the same experience | and the problem which will confront fu- l ture lawmakers can doubtless be safely | solved by reference to what has been done | in other communities.
 l MT Fitts has made an admirable ofnclai | and enjoys the highest regard Of all wlth | whom he has come in contact. When ne | retires from his official position on Decem- l her i. he VII resume the practice or ms
 nrofession in Tuscaloosa. He mas peer. | retained by the Mobile and Ohio Railroad
 connany as it's general attorney In Ala | bama.