The Forrest City times., 1898-12-30
Beneficiary Should Pay Expense,

scrip. In large number OF cases
criminals have been convicted and
sent TO the penitentiary. The state
has received the income and bene-
fit from their labor. The late re-
port of the receipts and exPendi-
lures Of the Penitentiary shows a
large surplus to the credit of that
institution. For these and other
good reasons we think the state
should pay the expenses OF con-
victing criminals, and We endorse
the following on that subject:
In the present impoverished con-
iition of many of our counties and
the further to subservs the ends of
justice it is mete and proper that,
on conviction in that class of
crimes denominated felonies, the
expense fall upon the state. 1t
needs bat little argument to con-
vince anyone of the correctness
and fairness of this proposition.
There are today (and through
no fault of theirs) many counties
IN the state where legal processes
cannot be executed by officers
charged with this duty for the want
Of adeq funds. County scrip
in many counties is at such a dis
count that, unless officials invest
means of their own, writs of arrest
must 60 unserved, especially if be-
yond the limits of he county. We
have In mind several cases in
which criminals at a distance are
wanted for offenses committed IN
Il certain county and the sheriff is
stopped from proceeding because
Of lack of current funds to extra
dite ard bring them to justice.
This is perhaps fair statement
of the case as concerns the greater
part of the state. Is it right; is it
fair that county officials should be
so hampered in the discharge of
their duties? Again, is it not q
travesty on law and good order,
that criminals, for the want OF
proper provision for their prompt
arrest and trial, be allowed to run
at large in open defiance of the
laws of the land?
IF the criminal, on conviction, be-
came burthen TO the state, there
might be some justice in demand
ing that the counties pay the costs
in such prosecutions, but the re-
verse is the case. The convict,
Immediately that he becomes the
charge of the state, is source of
revenue to the same, and we have
been informed that for years the
state has been handsomely reim-
'bursed for all OUTLAWS in behalf of
her convicts. The excess, we are
told, runs up into the thousands,
furnishing the very best argument
in favor of the proposition advanc-
ed; that instead CT appropriating
TO her own use this BLOOD MONEY,
let it be applied to the relief of the
counties in ferreting out and pun
ishing crime within their borders.
This proposition is not entirely
new. The subject has been breach
ed before, and found opposition
with that class of our fellow clti-
zens who claim that it is altogether
a matter of geographical import
.ance; that the ratio Of colored TO
white convicts in one section would
impose hardships upon the other;
but this objection cannot be valid
when, as a source of revenue to the
whole state, it be shown that ev.
cry section alike receives its pro.
portionate benefit.
But leaving out of the question
this phase of the subject, must one
portion of the state, because of
race diverslties, DE made to bear
its shoulders to the full measure of
he burthens; or, will the white
districts, imbued with proper re-.
gard fer fellow citizenship and the
vindication of law and order
throughout the entire state, man.
fully come to the scratch and share
with US a portion of these bur-
thens?
This subject with facts and fig
ures will be duly ventilated during
the sitting of the general assembly,
and we throw these crude ideas
out as food for thought, both TO
m members elect and the press.
We heartily concur in the above
suggestion by the Arkansas City
Journal. Lee is one of the unfor-
tunate counties sadly needing re-
lief in this respect her criminal
courts almost bankruptlng her.
While she furnishes many an able
bodied laborer TO the penitentiary
contingent-which has become a
profit to the state-yet she gets
nothing in return for the expenses
incurred in dong so. Such an act