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


Tallahassee, July 11.-Stirred up
over the criticism Of himself by the
Atlanta Constitution relative 70 the
veto OF the Angle convict bill, Cover
nor Gilchrist has written q reply
characteristic Of himself to that paper,
in which he says that If the Georgia
papers would advocate the adoption Of
Florida laws by their state Georgia
would advance a quarter of q century.
The governor denounces the cage sys-
tenn for Georgia cOnvicts as inhumane
and says that even animals would not
be crowded into these cages as are
the meE. His letter is as follows:
Editor Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia.
Dear Sir-I wish to reply to your
editorial Of June 7th, same being
headed Governor Gilchrist's Mistaken
Veto" Following is a quotation from
same:
But the reputed motive upon which
the governor acted was we are con-
vinced, a mistaken one from the
economic as well as the humanitarian
viewpoints Money - that was his
main explanation. The abolition Of
the lease system would deprive the
state of revenue, he said. The neces-
sity of feeding and clothing and hous-
ing the convtcts, under state super
vision, would lay an unbearable finan-
Ctdl DuTuSH on II lOTlud. Let us CeI6T
the evil day, was his argument, and
not give in to humanitarianism run
riot.
The governor was never more sad
ly in error. Finance against slavery!
Flesh and blood against money!" Note
by the governor-This has a thrilling
ring.
"Expediency against the great moral
wrong involved in farming out human
l..
studies twentieth century criminology
and humanitarianism. He has been a
stellar figure at several conventions of
this nature. But he belied every prin-
ciple Of modern penology and humani-
tarianism, the science of reclaiming
men, when he vetoed the Angle bill.
Constructively he endorsed medieval
ism, the ball and chain and the rack.
as against the light and intelligence Of
side of humanitarianism." (Note by
the Governor-This should be read
with a rising infection Of this once.)
I send you a copy of the veto
message. Examine the same, you will
find that the bill was vetoed on tech
nical grounds as well as on the real
merits of the case. I quote the follow
ing from my message:
"The title is defective and rnislead-
ing. The title calls for provision for
the maintenance of the state and
for maintenance appears in the body
of the bill.
THE state has no prison or peni-
tentiary. This bill does not provide
that the prisoners shall be employed
in the maintenance and construction
Of state highways shall be considered
in law to be in the state prison as
does the present law. Should this bill
become a law. this defect may lead to
the discharge on habeas corpus of all
the prisoners sentenced by the courts.
The dangers Of this omission in this
bill are too serious to the welfare of
the state to beoverlooked."
This bill placed the state convicts on
the state highways" While there
are 10000 miles of county roads. there
is not as much as a single mile Of
state highways" in all Florida.
From the humanitarian, standpoint,
the following is a quotation from said
message:
This administration has shown, in
it's recommendations and its action,
that il favors the ultimate repeal Of
the lease system for working state
convicts. From q humanitarian stand
point, I am opposed TO the employment
Of long term Convicts on public roads.
When cOnElctS are used on PUBIC
roads, they are usually housed in iron
cages on wheels, similar to cages in
which animals are carried around in
the renageries which often exhibit in
our state. 1 have seen such a cage,
under the present convict system Of
Georgia, twelve conVicts provided with
berths, the cage being about seven
by fifteen feet. The cages are moved
as the exigencies of the work require.
There can be but little convenience for
bathing, for provisions, for fresh vege-
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