The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-09-01

mucs. IL has been established py narienc. and obsarvation, and l call | upon the gentleman from Madison, MT Grayson. to substantiate what l say. that the mortality among convicts. re ceniy convicted, shows that the longer a man stays in the coal mines the loM- CT the rate of mortality. The long time men, as g general proposition. are physically better qualified to work m coal mines and consequently the nor tality Is much less. For instanee, the average mortality has been about per cent. at Pratt City, and when you come to analyze that. you find among the arst class a mortality O. l-2 per cent. of second class 1-2 per cent, or tnirn class per cent, anG of fourth class Or per cent. The men of the fourtn class arc those recently convicted. and 1t therefore follows that In order to keen up an average oi conyicts, say 800, whose average term IS six months, if would take double the number whose average term is twelve months. and in- asmuch as the morbidity and mortal ity prsvailJ. mostly among those re- centlv convicted. this amendment, If put into effect will save the lives Of 3 or per cent. of those who annually die in the State of Alabama. I insist in the prese nee of this magnificent au- dience that when you sentence man for costs in inc State of Alabama, you are frequently sentencing him to death. That Is plain enough, and the statls- tics show 1t beyond tho shadow of doubt. ..m glad Of the opportunity here today in this body of law-maK- CTS. in this magnificent assemblage re- gardless of any personai interest that may have, or Of any financial inter est of anybody with whom l am asso- ciated, to strike one blow and last and final blow for God, morality and fo. humanity. I say MT. President. that this amendment ought 10 be adopt ed, because it is 8 step in the right direction. 1t is reform that com mends itself to everybody in the State of Alabama who listens and who feels for the suffering. and 1t makes no diff ference whether he be white or wheth- CT he be black.
 Now, another question. In regard to coal mines as business in relation to health. There is nothing better estab- lished than that coal mine should be Q healthy mine. well ventilated, well drained, of sufficient thickness of seam. etc, to enable them to work in 1t with comfort.
 MT. Jenkins-I rise to point of or der. This is new matter that ought to be referred to a committed. and 1 make the point of order that it is out of order.
 The President-That might be d req son why the Convention should not adopt the amendment, but no reason why the Convention should not con- sidsr the amendment.
 Mir. Cunningham-The other propo- simtion is this. That 1t requires healthy man to go into it. and if you have an unhealthy or unsanitary mine. then 1t will destroy the health of an able bodied man. or you may have healthy and sanitary mine, and place an unhealthy man and take his life or destroy his health. Those are two rules that operate permanently because they are the laws of nature. which neither Constitution nor statutory law can abolish, nor can the financial inter est of the State, or the costs to county officers change these twa natural laws Then. I say to you, Mir. President. should this great Convention. called for the purpose of accomplishing a great moral reform. called for the pur- pose of placing the State of Alabama in the right direction. along the line of morality, truth and justice. commit a murder every four days in the year. and that is what the State of Alabama does when it fails to make a discrimi- nation in the class of men who work in the coal mines. They say Is is legis- latiye matter. let us put 1t in the orr ganic law and say that men convicted of misdemeanor-
 Mir. White-I desire to state that 1t is in the organic law of Mississippi across the border, in California and other States.
 The Presldent-The time of the gen. tleman has expired. tr.
 Mir Jones tgomery)-I move that the time of the gentleman be ex- tended.
 The President-The Chair has rec ognized the gentleman from Wilcox.
 MT. .Jenkns-I must decline to yield the floor. I do not think this question ought to be brought in here. 1t is not Rermane under our rules without going to a committee and being referred and discussed. It is a new subject. and. Mir. President, I want to say that this question has come up in the Le8lsla- ture time and time again
 Mir Jones-Will my friend from Will cox yield for a moment to enable me to make a motion to extend the time of the gentleman from Jefferson. MT. Cunningham?
 Ml Jenkins-When I get through, he can have plenty of time. I do not in- tend to make any set speech. I want to say this, that this question has been gone over time and again in the Leg islature. If you take the conYicts county or State, out of the mines where are you going to put them there is but one place, and that is on the farms, and the State farm of Alabama has been bowling farce ever since es- tablished. In less than four years ii lost three hundred thousand dollars tc the State of Alabama.
 Mir. Oates-Have you ever exam ined the report of the com- missioners as to the income of the convict system during the tw' years I had the honor to be Governor where 1t shows S12S.000 in earnings tt the State?
 MT Jenkins-I will state that in thu last Legislature, the question came up and 1t had come up in previous ses sion. and we obtained statistics iron the Department, from Mir. Lawson ant others. and it was shown that tn State in four years. had lost three hun 6red thcusand dollars upon it's Stat farm. whereas the mines were alway a paying investment.
 MrlsBedd0wA-I would ask the gentle man to yield the floor for moment I wish to make motion to extend tn time of the gentleman from Jefferson
 Mir. Jenkins-I must decline. Tax the convicts in my County for the las five years what have we been getting