The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1907-05-11


in the passage of another bill requiring the Board
of Control to cover in the general fund.- all its
money as it made it. and providing for appro-
priation to to be made for the support and main
tenance of the Board and requiring this money
be paid out on proper vouchers The result of
this bin follows:
In 1901, under the act of 1900 the Board
covered into the treasury ..........$ 23,I8o35
In 1903, under the act of 1000, the Board
covered into the treasury .......... z44,55867
In 1904, under the act of 1907 the Board
covered into the treasury .......... 253,r7IoI
In 1905, under the act of 1907 the Board
covered into the treasury $4,000. 323,23I2o
Making total of ..................$84 4,I4Ia3
During the years of Ioo2-3-4 & S, the
Board disbarsed ..................ss 75I336o
Leaving balance to the state of $26ooo7.63
and during the period of time the Board
cleared and put in cultivation about 5000 of
land on Parchman. In addition to this, they had
improved the place by building fences, cages and
unnecessary improvements, thereby enhancing the
value of the property greatly. You will observe
that the net result of this investigation to the
state was, money, about $278,o3oo8. One of
opponents has said, in his PLATFORM that legis-
1atve Investigations are throwing paper balls
You may be the judge to whether this investiga-
ton exactly paper-bal-throwing institution.
1t will be impossible for to go in detail,
this fact that prior the State of Mississippi,
had never gotten dollar out of its penal system;
that indeed the penitentiary a debtor to the
state; that since that Investigation the has
made money.
When the Legislature of 1904 met and I was
elected Speaker of the House, it was known by my
friends that I intended to continue my labor to
correct the evils which l believed existed in the
management of the penitentiary. I not salts
fed with the investigation of the books of the
Board, which we had been able to make. reso-
luton passed by the Legislature requiring the
State Revenue Agent to investigate these books,
together with all of the books of institu-
tons. quote part of the report of the Revenu.
Agent to the Legislature of 1906;
Il have, of course, spent time investi-
eating the penitentiary than all the other in
stitutions put together. Fully eight months
more have been exclusively devoted to this one
subject and every detail gone into If there is
anything omitted to the minutest detail
it is not in the books, and could not be found
after diligent search and inquiry have
caused to be. tabulated separately and by re-
capitulation, each farm, which will show every
pound of cotton, weight, price received, to
whom sold, date of sale, exchange, freight,
and all incidentals connected Herewith. In
the manner, I have followed the cotton
seed, and when I could find cotton seed
sold and to whom, I have noted the fact So
too, with corn peas and all other products.
we'll CATTLE mules, plows, wagons
In fact all I could find I took into account,
and noted it when could not and for informa-
ton along this line, respectfully refer you to
accompanying tables simple, full, and, I be-
Ieve, epitome of all business transacted
"This report may be surprise to many, but
it is the books that tell the tale. Some
found not used in former examinations and,
of course, a variance, and in this way,
the difference in the two three prior
ports may be accounted for. 1 have purposely
ignored all going before, and have given you
in detail, the undivided labor of my deputy
and myself, feeling that there is fact
figure that and will not be proven, by
the books, and I invite the closest scrutiny
and inquiry at any and all times"
Any who is interested in this matter,
get copy of this report. The work of the Reve-
Agent begins with the year 1906 and you WA,
observe from this report the total receipts from
1906 to 1901, inclusive, $5I536o24 From this
deduct $7o,667oo, paid for Parchman, and $o,o23
covered into the treasury Oct I, 1901, and
$23,I8o35, covered into the treasury Oct +,
1902 Total $I1I,87I sc, which leaves balance OF
$4o3.488.68 unaccounted for.
think by an investigation of the report of the
State Revenue Agent, you will find these figures
approximately correct This item could only be
accounted for in the inventory of the Board, and
an examination of the various inventories made
since 1905 will account for this item.
I have commended in any speech that
have made, that the purpose of the peniten-
tiary should be to make money I don't believe
that that should be the purpose. believe that the
ultimate reason for the pententiary is the pre-
vention of crime 1 believe that the convicts should
be humanely treated I believe that there ought
to be prison reformatory for juvenile convcts
and have always voted for such institution but
I contend that with thousand able bodied negro
convicts, which cost the state nothing, worked
land on which no taxes are paid, and with money
to pay cash for the food and clothing of these
convicts, the state not help making money, and
I believe that the state should get the benefit of
this money when made I contend that if the
penitentiary IS conducted in safe, sane, business
way the will in FIVE years, receive enough
from its penal system to pay for the State
Capitol.