The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-01-02

charity does any good it is all right
butt have my doubts. SO far as good
citizenship is concerned | wouldn't give
one good Old-fashioned negro for a hun
dred Of the new set. There is a peni
Tertiary not far from here where several
hundred conyicts, white and black, are
confined, and they have among then
same very fine musicians. | was invit
ed by Judge Gibson to come down to
Rusk and witness the rehearsal and
was going but the train was three hours
behind time, and l missed the opportuni-
ty. | am told that there is nothing finer
in the State or in the South than the
minstrel shows that these convicts get
up and people flock there from all the
surrounding county. Enclosed l send you
the programme and you will see that
it is first class in all respects. Now this
is an object lesson for our people who
are wrestling over the convict problem.
There are 1900 convicts in Texas. They
are about half and half, whites and
blacks, and are divided into three diff
ferent prisons They are not leased but
pursue their trades with prison walls.
nobody here raises a foolish rumpus about
their competing with free labor. The
penitentiary is self-supporting and be-
sides that the convicts have chance
to reform. They have preaching and
Sunday schools and minstrel shows and
other recreations to make their lonely
lives endurable. These people think that
confinement and hard labor is sufficient
punishment for the worst criminals and
that justice should be tempered with
mercy, and a chance given them to re-
form. l regret that l did not attend
that minstrel show, for many OF those
white convicts expected me and were
disappointed.
Well, now, you will wonder why there
are so many whites in prison about 2,
500 while there are so few in Georgia.
The explanation is that Georgia has
nearly as many negroes as whites in
population. while Texas has only one
afth. And Texas has to deal with a
hard class that infest the southern and
western portions, many of whom ara
greise from over the border.
This portion OF the great State is full
Of Georgians-old and young-and they
flock to see me at every town. Young
men of good Georgia families are here
and they soon fall into line and do as
the Texans do. There are no class dis
tinctions, no 400-no social boundaries
save those of good behavior. met
a nice young man from Macon, who is
now an all-round helper at the hotel,
but mingled with the best people and
was at home with the incest girls.
Thought of that old couplet:
Honor and shame from no condition
rise,
Act well your part, there all the honor
lies'
Here at Henderson, the largest town
j have visited, old Georgians kept me
busy all day receiving them. This region
is very much like upper Georgia. 1t is
a high rolling country with sandy
branches and oak forests interspersed
with pine and Astounding in pecan trees
instead Of hickory nuts in the bottoms
Everybody is cracking pecans now. 1t
is as common in the hotels as is play
ing dominos among the drummers. The
law prohibits cards even for amuse-
ment and so dominos has been substi-
tuted, for they are bound to play some
thing to while away the time. They
remind me of the little girl on the train
who, being tired and weary with the
long ride, begged her mother to let her
suck her thumb just a little while.
BILL ARP.