The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-07-12

If some of the newspapers of Atlanta
are endeavring to force upon the fair
state Of Florida. Just imagine twelve
men in an iron cage, iron overhead,
In such hunks, chained at night, trying
to sleep under such conditions. There
is not a show man in the world who
would put more than one or two ami
mails the size Of man in one such
cage. Since writing said veto message
1 have learned that in some counties
| in Georgia as many as eighteen men
are placed in one of such cages. Such
a condition in Florida would make
every Floridian blush for shame. I see
that in a recent statement made by
your governor, with reference to the
| abolition of the convict lease system,
necessarily carrying with it approval
| of the inhuman, menagerie cage sys-
tenn, the governors remarks were
| loudly cheered. You state Governor
century criminology and humani-
| tarianism- He has been the stellar
| figure at several conventions of this
nature, but he belied every principle
! Of modern penology and humani-
tarianism-the science of retaining
men-when he vetoed the Angle bill"
Since I have been governor, and
under my administration, the legisla-
| ture Of Florida has passed a Juvenile
| court law. The legislature has en-
acted a law largely increasing the
gain time for good behavior of con-
| victs. A convict now serving his tenth
year, gains fully one-half a year on
account of good behavior. For APPARENT
| minor offences, refuse to ask for the
extradition of criminals and 1 refuse
to grant such extraditions. In the
leasing Of convicts, every possible
safeguard has been provided for their
comfort and good treatment. In 1909
the death rate among them per thou
sand was S.21; for 1910, it was 1923,
being far less than the death rate in
any state in the union, or any country
| in the world. Considering that a large
majority of them are diseased before
| entering the camp, the low death rate
| is remarkable. The United States
census report for 1900 showed that the
death rate in Atlanta per 1000 was
| 26.6. In order to increase the years
| Of your life, why not be a Florida con-
| Wet?
In leasing state convicts, this ad-
ministration did what no other admin
istration had ever done before; it pro-
vided for the withdrawal of the wo-
men, the old and infirm, in which event
the contractors pay Is per cent extra
| for those not so withdrawn. 1t is esti-
mated that this Is per cent, being $50
| to $3.50 for each of those withdrawn,
! will take care of those so withdrawn.
Especially will this be so, as it was
| intended that this class of criminals
should at once be placed upon a farm.
! Upon the recommendation of this ad-
ministration, the legislature authorized
| the purchase of Is, 500 acres of land on
which it was the intention of this ad-
| ministration to place the convicts. I'm
| der appropriations made by the legis-
lature of 1909, 5000 were purchased.
! Under appropriation made by the leg
islature of 1911, 1900 acres more were
! purchased. In practically endorsing
! the placing of convicts on farms. the
! legislature of 1911, almost in the same
! breath, passed an act placing the
same on roads Fully S34o 900 per year
| is netted on account of the hire and
! lease Of state convicts. This is ap-
| portioned to the counties in proportion
| to the assessed valuation. In placing
! the convicts on the roads there are
necessarily two objects, the building of
| good roads and the presumption that
the convicts will be treated in a more
! humane manner.
| FLORIDA'S HUMANE TREATMENT,
submit taht I have already shown
enough to convince any one that the
! convicts Of Florida are treated far
more humanely than they are under
! the inhumane. cruel, menagerie cage
/ system of Georgia. AS to the building
! of good roads, had the legislature de-
sired the construction of roads, it
would have been easy to pass a bill to
the effect that the money arportioned
to the counties from the lease and hire
Of state convicts should be employed
by the county commissioners in the
construction Of good roads. The state
now receives S2S1.60 for each convict
and Is per cent extra when the women
| old and inflrm are withdrawn. I hold
that with such an amount, more miles
of road can be built with free labor
than can be built with the use of state
! convicts. The employment of convicts
on roads necessarily requires the use
| of temporary quarters, such as are
represented in the Georgia menagerie
| cage system, or it requires the use Of
| permanent quarters. Permanent quar-
tiers cannot be advantageously employ
ed as the camps must be moved as the
| lengthGof the road increases.
If Left to me, I would lease the Flor
ida state convicts for four years more.
Out of a part of the money derived
! from the lease of such I would build,
! on the lands already purchased, a hos
| pital for the negro insane 1t is bet
ter for the insane, both mentally and
! physically, to work rather than to be
| idle. Out of a part Of money for the
lease of said convicts I would build and
! equip~a substantial penitentiary on
the $500 acres already purchased.
Some of the short term convicts might
| as we'll be employed on the roads. In
! my opinion, no long term convicts
| should be used in the menagerie cage
system. The legislature has no right
to work a man sentenced for ten years
in such an employment as will neces-
sarily cause his death. Your menagerie
cage system is by me considered cruel,
inhumane and unworthy of the people