Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1906-01-04

cleared This clear-d r,-.t ..-s.s...,rt.' -
IL the unciear~d land xax rs.vsf,'
s,s.' ~, with N. finest oak. asa and
1eni timber. tn greater portton 81
Nntch was deadened and p~rrnfsfr,f -
~ - me iand- The timber alan. 90.
-, - much az the land originally
tn- state. II IL had been cut and
marketed By the convi~ts fn.fs.,d ~
sorkinx them on the land % private IN
utlduai@ There were saa acr~- 81
~ - and On the Belmont place. see
-" acres cleared on the
RANKIN farm. with 200 or Sss aer.-
more OF splendid Land on that farm 10
p cleared. and SEQ acres % cleared
land on the Oakley place th@ xr.af~r
portion OF the latter being I~,s..,1 -
"a people around In the u@txhbsrhoo.t
ior one and TIVE dollars per acre
WIN All % this land cleared and TO
D. cleared improvements TO D. made.
sitcn~s 70 Be dug and houses 10 -
tutt Ne md the Board % Control con-
tractinx with n state senator to WORK
nt% deits plantation on shares We ara
the toard % Control contracting with
= = hi~nao~r of the Legislature 70 work
~ plantarisu on shares We rrd sns
s.-s % ,pntr"l coutrsetin< With the
nepn~W ot tne then PRESIDENT % the
tfoarsi q Csutrpt for . plantation De-
..aEinE % tni< nephew for whfrn the
s.s.era ssia % Centrol paid s. pr acre.
tN~is- months IN advance We and
th- Boarsi Of coutroG A. IN. same tir1-
een trasttnx with two orn~r dfstiu-
<aA-u-d gentlemen. pruutuent in poff-
W Ahrtr f~ttA Plantations to n~
NetNrt on Shares The Board OF Con-
trpt made money after giving nalf 81
ne pr"durfs % The ccuvfrSf toll to the--
prirAe individuals thus coatrart~,i
NAn. hur u Wa money coined out -
tn blood and tears % IN. urfortr-afs
tenNiSt% II vas money made IN a wav
Nhhh every sense % humanity r~voIf-
a. ~ involved the violation % the
~ and the betrayal Sf a sacred trust,
b1t- u money were the sole
Atm and end ot the p@nitentiary. the
leasing sr the lands Of private inasvii-
9aAs wa- a mistake II the state can
make money working a private init
slIaAls Land and giving that private
individual hair Of the products % rh~
sooxlets tosl. ! cannot understand way
y cannot make more money working
tts S~n land and keeping the entire
prOductS uf the couvicf~s tool n al
th~ eonvictS lad been concentrated and
worked upon the states land tn fsa-
and a capable oricer had been PLACED IN
charge of the renit~ntfary. every arrs
OF the states Land susceptible % cuItf-
N1fiou would new be cleared and capa-
ote OF yielding annually six or eight
thousand bales of cotton aud ample
corn and food products to u1aintaIn the
conwtcts and live stock
In D~c-mb-r. 1885, fh- present Board
Of Ceutroi made some very commend
able reforms. a- far a. * went All
Plantations belonging 10 private per-
sons were discarded save only tn. one
belonging TO state Senator n J. Nc
La1rtn. whose fertile land hypnotic
power. political pull and long sn5ov-
ua-nt % a robust share % IN. revenues
arising from c0uvict labor seems 70
have clothed him with the modern
brand Of divine rt<ht - TIE perpetual
tian of that special privilege. hoped
however that that was the Last ar-orr
the Baart Of CourrpI would unaSe rc
lease tn- land % private Individuals. or
lease thr couNtcts 70 private iusfiNfsI-
sal-. but In that I was Disappointed
AZ the B~cember m>-tin<. fsa5. the
board und-rrssk TO enter into another
contract with STATE Senator II J. Ne
I-aurtn- which Was 50 raxrantiy a vfo-
iatton Of the law that f-ir IL 70 be my
duty % appeal 10 the courts 10 pre-
vent rh< execution % the contract
rh~ Chancellor held the contract vatd
anf the case was APPEALED to the su-
prenle Court. where ~ - uow pending
II the couvsct BE- a Iaw-bred- vulgar
creature. con<-nltaily corrupt. Injured
70 physical and moral nfth. brutal and
tnhgnan trearmsnt- 50 much greater
the necessity that he <hoaid be given
kindly treatment decent bed to sleep
o. and sanitary surroundings IN the
p-ntreufi4ry. He Is ther. TO be i'm
proved and not degraded Let the light
within his bentghte,f brain be bright
sned- let this piece OF humanity. plum
d~red- prof1ned and disinherttet- be
made To feel that the state Is his
friend and i willing 20 correct. as far
as u can. the p~rndlaus wrongs and
tnImsdlc&hle woes which brought him
to the miserable thing he * Man -
meat and the influence Of the latter -
more potential IN the formation OF
character than the former Therefore
the environment Of the convict IN the
penitentIary should be ordered and
coiored that the unfortunate individual
would be better for having suffered i'm
prisonment there Punishment under
our system Is not inflicted in the spirit
Of revenge. but rather for correction
In love rather than hate believe the
peritsntiary mana cement should be au-
harTf sr~.a.f
Iafure. with large discretion. to use a
portion Of the products Of the convictS
toll over and above the cost Of conVic-
tion. keeping and maintaining him. for
the use Of his family II they be needy
and deserving. or II he has no family.
or some one dependent upon him. let u
be reserved in the State Treasury TO
be given TO him when he shall have
served out his term OF sentence II
there Is any doubt about the WORTH
hess OF the convict or MS ability 20
rightly appreciate this special favor. II
the manaRement in its wisdom think
IL wise to give IL TO him at all let the
money be disbursed under the direction
Of the Chaneery Court OF the county OF
the cOnvict's residence
say II with profound regret. but
without fear OF successful eoutradic-
ton that for many years the peniten-
tiary has been the one fostering sore
upon the body polttic-poisoued by the
virus Of private personal cupidity-the
most corrupt and eorrupting influence
in conventions and nominations made
with the sole end in ~i.w or leasing
some political dictators delta planta-
tion, IL you question that statement,
Mississippi I make no charge OF per
sonai dishonesty They NAV have been
the victim Of n nefarious system or pol
lev 0f long standing
The peuitentiary property has greatly
enhanced in value. Including lands.
live stock farming implements. ETC. to-
gether with the labor Of the eonvtctss tt
represents now a capital invested Of
nearly two million dollars. To manage |
an enterprise of that unagnttude and
At the same time to do Justice % the
convfctS calls for the highest order OF
Intelligence. integrity and business ca
pacity. The penitenttary farms should
be the model farms of the state they /
should be used TO demonstrate upon
large scale the advantages to the farm
ers Of experiments made at the Azrfeul-
tural and Mechanical College on a small I
scale Scientific agriculture. tile drain
ing fertilization OF soil. growth OF 4
plants should be the lessons taught 4
upon the States plantations Intsiit- !
gent direction. with the absolute con-
troll OF the labor would make that easy i
Of accomplishment and at the same
time pecuniarily profitable 10 the state.
and also Instructive to the convict
which lessons would be Of use 10 him IN
after life
Puhlsr EAsesssss-
Public education Is a matter Of pro- 4
found and abiding interest TO the peo- /
pie OF Mississippi and the maintenance
OF a system OF free public schools. has
become a fundamental tenet in our po-
IitfcaI creed But people have lads 4
about education. as they do about i
everything. and are liable TO go TO un-
nrorrabIe extremes The enthusiast /
Weaves a most aliurfng fabric OF gilt Il
teriux theories. in his hands be holds 4
the pauacea for all the social fis-and 4
TO carry out his world-saving plan he 4
would spend all the money In Christer-
dom and mortgage the future Where /
the supply Of money - limited IL -
well for those charged with the as /
bursemeut of the states revenues to be 1
careful that the money appropriated
for school purposes shall be invested 4
81 as 70 bring the largest edueational
returns believe n dollar invested IN Z
rhe deveIopnlent Of the mind OF the {
white child and the cultivation OF the
mind OF the white man and woman ls I
the best investment the state ever
r;1ade ON the other hand believe
svsrv dollar invested for negro educa-
tfon under our present free school sSs-
rem Is an indefensible and unwarrant-
"a prodixaIity Of cash IL Is a crime
arzfnxf the white man VINO furnishes
TIE dollar and a disadvantage TO the
zero anon whom IL Is spent Discuss
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