The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-06-13
THE GOVERNOR
D|SAPPROVES
ANOTHER BILL
PUTS HIS VETO ON MEASURE
WHICH PROHIBITED THE LEAs-
ING OF coNVIcTs BEYOND JAN.
1sT, 1914.
Special to The Journal.

special 10 ne journal
Tallahassee, June 12.-As provided
by the. state constitution, Governor
Giiehrist filed with the secretary of
| state the following vetoi
] State of Florida, Executive Depart
ment, Tallahassee, June 10. 1911.
Hon. H. Clay Crawford, Secretary of
State,
| My Dear sirt In pursuance of Sec
ton 2S, Article III, of the State Consti-
! tuition, l have the honor to hand you
herewith the following bill passed by
the legislature of 1911 on which my
approval is withheld for the reasons
herein stated!
! "A bill to be entitled an act regulat-
! ing the leasing of conviets."
Section l. No lease of convicts by
the authorities of the state or coun-
ties thereof, extending beyond Janu-
airy 1st, 1914, shall be entered into
/ prior to July LIST, 1919
The primary effect of this proposed
! law is to prevent the leasing of said
! convfcts prior to the converting of the
legislature of 1913. This law was pass
ed by a Legislature consisting of one
hundred and two men, of whom sixty
| eight voted for the same, ten of whom
are holdover senators. It is safe to
say that not over twenty-five or thir-
| ty OF these gentlemen will be mem
oers of the next legislature.
Under the authority of the legis-
| lature of 1909, the Board of Commits
| sioners of State Institutions, consisting
of the governor and all the members
OF the cabinet. purchased for a prison
farm 8,l54.50 acres of land. The board
took an option on 7,445.50 acres. The
legislature of 1911 authorized the pur-
chase of these extra 7,445.50 acres and
appropriated money with which to pay
for the same. This land is evidently
to be used for the purposes of a prison
farm. The intention of this bill was
to prevent the leasing of these con-
Victs prior to the adjournment of the
legislature of 1913.
| Wants Views of People.
During the year 1912 there will be a
general election, wherein will be elect
ed the governor and all the members
of the board of commissioners of state
institutions. The convict question
will probably be settled in the prim-
aries of the year 1912. Should public
sentiment, as expressed in said prim-
aries, be different from the views of
these twenty-five or thirty gentlemen
who will probably be members of the
next Legislature, I consider it my duty
to the people of the state and to-
wards the next administration to leave
this subject in such shape to be act
ed on as the expressed views of the
people may indicate.
Section 2, Article ", of the State
Constitution, prohibits a governor
from succeeding himself. If l were
governor, which under the constitu-
ton 1t is needless to say l cannot be,
would oppose from a humanitarian
standpoint. especially the use of long
term prisoners in the barbarous me-
nagerie cage system now in opera
; ton in the great state of Georgia. In
the road system of Georgia, have
seen an iron cage on four wheels, the
cage being about seven by fifteen feet
in which there were sleeping accom-
moadtions for twelve prisoners. These
prisoners are chained to a log chain
at. night. There are necessaril, no
, toilet facilities. On Sundays they rest
under a canopy, all being chained to
a log chain. Their beds and accommo-
, dations and bathing facilities are in
!, sufficient. Under the present lease
system of Florida the accommoda-
, tons for the prisoners are far supe-
, rior. In some of the larger towns OF
Georgia, long term prisoners are
housed in permanent quarters and are
worked only in such towns. In such
instances, the prisoners fare probably
as well as they do in Florida.
Long Term Prisoners.
At least the long term prisoners
should eventually be employed or
, these $500 acre farm. In the hospital
, for the insane at Chattahoochee, there
are between 900 and 1000 lunatics
about one-half of whom are negroes
A large proportion of our convicts are
5 negroes. There is not sufficient LAND
2 at Chattahoochee to work the luna
r tics on farms. The price of land in
r that vicinity is too high to warrant the
t purchase of any more land. The luna
tics fare better, bodily and mentally
} when they can be placed at work A
negro hospital for the insane should
3 be esta blished upon a part of this
$500 acre farm. Some of the money
derived from the lease and hire oil
state conVicts should be appropriated
{ for the erection of suitable buildings
l for the accommodation of such luna
tics on this farm. Some of the money
, derived from the lease and hire Of
such convicts should be appropriated
for the erection of suitable buildings
for a state penitentiary on this farm
In my opinion, all of the convict,
should be leased for at least four years
: longer, after which the state will bt
{ in a good position to care for them
During this four years time, sucf
money as is derived from the lease
and hire of the convicts as is not USED
in improving the prison farm could
:, be expended by the counties on roads
The state now receives S2S060 pei
9 year for each convict. Under th'
terms of the lease, provision is mad,
by which the women, the aged and in.
firm are withdrawn. In which even
}, the event the contractor pays to tn,
! state Is per cent extra for those no