The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-09-04

ment than to suggest a remedy. but I
 Ieei sure that one or two suggestions. fl
 acted upon, will go far to relieve the | situation N''S Flrst. No court inferior to a county court should be permitted to try and | sentence person to hard labor for the
 county. for any offence
 second. No county should be permit. tea to hire its convicts outside the coun.
 ty where convicted. This latter sueres.
 tlon. 1t may be argued, would be some. "hat ulrncult to put in operation and carry forward. but it would seem. whar
 the case is one of life or death, that tbe powers that be in the several countias can be relied upon to devise some method or letting or working the convicts. which Would De humane to the convict. and at the same time sufficiently stringent to Ieaiize Iunds enough to pay for his trial i anu conviction Working them in the county where convicted, would put tbeir Inspection under the immediate control or the commissioners or board of revsn,,a ana at such labor as they were usuaIIv accustomed to before conviction. some one might want to know if county convicts should not be worked In the mines, why State convicts should ha so employed Without discussIno +bo question as an original proposition |, may be suggested that no State convict Is employed in the mines, unless if ia believed, upon physical examination that ne IS able to do so, and then each month alterWards he undergoes an examination looking to his ability to do mine worL
 It foollws therefore that the felons of the State have vastly the advantage of the misdemeapors, and this proposition ia proven beyond question by the greater mortality among m.sdemeanants-count convicts, over felons-State convicts.
 The Cotton Mill.
 The cotton mill was leased in 1901 for period of two years from July If followed therefore. that the lease ex- pired on July l. 1903. and the mill was accordingly shut down at that time. and has remained so since, that the scarcity of cotton had something to do with if Whether the Board will be able to lea ca 1t again, at an early period, is very un- certain
 The New Departure.
 While the convicts have been worked in the mines mining coal for many years they were working on lease. and were never worked under the immediate charee and care of this 5efsr rtment, until inc present year When fhe contracts were intered into for working the convicss under the present arrangement many | predictions were made that the venture | would prove d failure, These I dare | say. were made by persons who had not | studied the question. However, that i may be, 1t affords me pleasure to state | that the new departure has thus far | proven success. and Is still on the up- grade. Your Excclency is to be con graduated for having inaugurated this new method of working the convicts. for at least two important reasons:
 First-That 1t gives this department the exclusive care of the convicts. and con sequently better treatment and
 Second, because the amount realized for their labor. Is very much greater than It was heretofore I am sure. that you are strongly persuaded. that the sooner all the convicts fall under the immediate control and care of the State. and the lease system becomes thing of the past. the better it will be for the con- victs. and for the State and I am pleased 10 say, that every member of the Board ,oncurs with you in this opinion. l,