The log cabin Democrat. [volume] (Conway, Ark.) 1908-current, 1912-12-17
BLOW Is given
LEASE SYSTEM
GOV. DONACnEy'S REBUKE
THAT THE CONVICT LEASE SYS-
TEN MIGHT FOREVER BE
ABOLISHED.

Little Rock, Dec. 17.-Late Monday
afternoon Governor Donaghey issued
a proclamation granting full and free
pardon to 316 state and AZ county
convicts. 1t is the most sweeping re-
buke ever pronounced by the COVER
nor Of any state against a system de-
nounced as barbarous and pernicious,
the convict lease system. He assigns
as his principal reason for discharg-
ing so large number at this time sis
for the purpose of forever breaking
up the convict lease system in this
state"
Ever since he has been in office he
has been fighting the convict lease
system and the county farms. About
so of those pardoned are on the three
county farms left in the state, in Mis-
sissippi, Desha and jefferson counties.
He pardoned every one on these
farms whose names he could get, ex-
cept those convicted of carrying pis-
tolls and selling whiskey. His pur-
pose was to blot these farms out of
existence. There We're 800 convicts
in the penitentiary proper, not count
ing those being worked on county
roads in Pulaski and few other
counties under act of 1911.
Gov. Donaghey has consistently
fought the convict lease system ever
since he has been in office. In every
public speech he has denounced it.
AS member of the penitentiary
board he has opposed it. Many times
he has pleaded with the legislature
to abolish the system, but despite all
this no relief has been given.
"The subject has been grossly neg
lected by the General Assembly," says
Gov. Donaghey in a message to the
legislature which he made public last
night, "partly due to the confusion of
ideas as to what plan best to adopt
and partly due to a disposition by
some to let the matter remain as it is,
with the statement that the peniten-
tiary was not designed for Sunday
school,"
To this the Governor retorts, "nor
was it designed for a revengeful hell.
Of course no one intends for it to be
such, but in a measure that is what
it and the county farms of the state
have resolved themselves into. The
abuse of power shown by few indi-
viduals acting as justices of the peace
in some of the towns and cities of the
state, as is made plain by the record,
is enough to stagger into amazement
those who have given the matter no
attention"
The Governors wholesale pardon
was not the result of an impulse,
but of deliberate purpose dating
back several years, when he first be-
gan studying the subject. For sew
eral months he has been at work se-
curing complete data of all the con-
victs in the penitentiary, and has sent
special agents to the county farms
to secure data there, securing reports
that are indeed startling in the ex-
treme. "And but for the records in
the case," says he, "they could be
accepted as truth gotten from official
documents and personal statements
among civilized people, and but for
the necessity which compels me to Of
ficially transmit any account of all
pardons granted by me, giving the
reasons therefor, / would be loathed
to make known, in a manner for the
outside world to know it, the state
ments obtained"
The Governor cites ten specific in
stances, Of the most outrageous SEN
tences inflicted, often for the most
trivial offenses. One of these is as
follows:
"1n Phillips county, according to
the court records, two negroes joint
ly forged nine orders for one quart
Of whiskey each. For this offense one
Of them was convicted and sent to the
for thirty-six years, and
the other for eighteen years. When
the record Of the circuit court con-
victing them was secured by me, at