The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-02-17
THE CONVICT CAMP SYSTEM.

The publicity given the condition OF the
convict camp by the grand jury IN their
report to Judge Murff and as detailed
7,y the press was a revelation as astound-
ing as it was shocking In the simple
narration of the facts the condition OF
4he camp and the system was made
odious
What to do with the conv1cts IS
problem, but it is tlnquestlonably false
economy to keep convlcts IN camp &c
work the public roads The cost to the
1aroish for working the roads through
this system last year was forty thousand
dollars, and there is little to show for
this expenditure OF money.
How long can the parish stand this
drain on its resources?
A cool and impartial consideration OF
this system, with all its claims Of adj
vantage, good. bad and Indifferent must
lead to its condemnation 1t IS re-
preach on the intelligence of the people
of the parish The best and wisest
course is to abandon this system as soon
as practicable and let the working of the
public roads by contract. The contract
System may be amplified until all the
public roads shall have been subdlvided
into sections and let out to farmers Inv
ing on or near these roads. This sys-
tenn would doubtlessly prove more adj
vantageous and more profitable than the
system tried fairly and fully and which
has been disappointment and has en-
tailed inhuman treatment of the con-
-yiets.
Until this system or road improve
nfrait is abandoned the convicts must be
sent to the good roads camp, but here
after there will be better treatment fol-
Encn condemned to this servitude fol
violations of the law.
A committee of the Police Jury is con-
sidering the betterment Of an odious
condition.
As suggested by Judge Webb, here
after the condition of the prisoners viii
be examined by the parish physician be
fore they are. conveyed to the camp. In
the conviction of prisoners no discretion
IS left to Judge Webb He can not turn
loose nthe community those who have
theen tried and convicted The camp
with some exceptions, is the only place
where they can be sent.
Hereafter the convicts will be provid-
ed with tent under which they can be
seated, instead of standing. and i'll rainy
weather eat their meals between showers
or in the wogan jail on wheels.
The wagon jail which was stuck fast
m mud some distance from the present
camp is to be brought to this camp for
use
Hereafter the negro and the white
eenyicts will be separated at night, and
before retiring into their cage or box
Jail OH wheels. they will be required to
dry their shoes and clotes and be made
as comfortable as possible.
Hereafter these jails on wheels when
occupied will be cleaned daily, the blan-
kets and bedding, which is to be consti-
tuted of mattresses, will be aired every
day when the weather is not lnclement
Indeed. in a few words, the whole
story may be summarized by the state
zaent that the convicts are to receive hui
name treatment, the care and attention
which prisoners should receive in a
Christian community
And finally, when it shall have been
demonstrated beyond the shadow of a
doubt that the good roads system is in
effective, Improbable and rllinous to the
parish, the intelligent system by contract
will be substituted and the convicts will
be given employment, which will be dis
eussed in a later edition OF The Cau-
~casian.