The Weekly Tallahasseean., 1901-05-16
OF Leasing State COnViCtS to
Mine PhOSphateS
A MONSTER PETITION FILED
By Citizens of all Classes Asking for
aChange.

The following petition has
been presented to the Legis-
lature, being introduced in the
House by Mr.. Jackson of Git
rus:
To the Honorable Senators
and Representatives in the Leg
iSlature Of Florida, Session of
1901: The undersigned, who
are principally persons, firms
and corporations engaged in
the phosphate industry in this
State, and who employ free labor
in their business, desire to state
to your honorable body some,
reasons why the employment Of
convict labor in the phosphate
business in this State should
cease.
We assert that the present
depressed condition of the trade,
is due principally, if not solely.
to the fact that large numbers
of the State COnviCtS are held
under lease by certain miners
of phosphate rock and kept CON
Stantly employed, under neces-
slty of keeping said convicts at
work in producing rock, with
out regard to the condition of
the market, or its effect in de
pressing prices. In this way.
one Of the greatest Industries of
our State is kept in a Ianguish-
ing state, and our citizens who
have invested in the aggregate
millions of dollars In this branch
of industry have already sus-
tdined enormous losses, and are,
threatened with still further
disaster.
|, We assign the following reas-
Ons for making such a change
IN the present system as Will eX-
clude the employment of State,
cOnVlcts in phosphate mining,
tO-Wit:
l. That practically all the.
cruelty and inhumanity incident
to the leasing Of convicts and
their employment has been de-
veloped at the phosphate mines
=. y proper regard for hU-
manity requires that these con-
victs should not be placed, es-
pecially during certain months
of the year, in phosphate pits,
where they are compelled to en-
dure hardships, which are we'll
nigh insurpOrtable.
3. Any system Of dealing with
the State cOnvicts should not be
permitted to continue which
concentrates in one locality of
the State such a large mass Of
convict labor in competion with
free labor. We ask yOu to look
at the results of this III the hard
rock phosphate belt. TheS small
retail merchant has been nracti-
cally driven out Of business:
free labor is disOrgamized, and
the general condition Of business
as result of the employment Of
these cOnVicts in the mines, is
worse than it has ever been ia
this section Ofthe State.
4. Some system ShOuld be de
vised for the employment Of
these cOnvicts, if they are to be
LEASED at all, over the State gen
orally, so as to prevent concen-
tration of the evils and minim-
ize the bad results as much as
possible.
5. The system of hiring con-
victs, whether State or county,
Ito persons engaged in such in
duStries as the phosphate, bus
mess, is a vicious one. If you
will investigate the condition of
afairs'in Alaehua, Marion and
Citrus counties, where such
system is in operation, you VIII
find that there are gross abuses
such as bringing false charges
against laboring men for the
purpose of forcing them into
the convict camps, continual
friction between the employers
of convicts and those of free la
Dor, and interference by the for
mer to the detriment, of the lat
ter in the employment of labor
] Continued on Eighth Page.