El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-06-22

Colquitt Carries a "Bat"
Around With Him as a
Sample.
COLQUITT'S PARDONs
CAUSE COMPLAINT

Austin. Texas, June Ex-Governor o.
B. Colquitt is making the penitentiary
bat an issue in his campaign for re-
election. His opponent. judge w. F
Ramsey, is also laying great stress on
the use, during q portion of governor
Colquitts administration, of that wea-
pom of torture, in MS public speeches
throughout the state
1t IS with spectacular effect that
seldom fails to arouse the sympathy Of
the audience that governor Colquitt
introduces the subject of his abolish
ment Of this method of inflicting pun
1Shment upon cOnVicts. He carries with
him one of the bats that is said to
nave seen long service in a convict
camp 1t is a heavy, thick piece Of
leather about four feet long and three
inches wide attached to a long handle
The leather is pliable, and in the hands
of a strong man the instrument is
capable of tearing the flesh at almost
every blow. This bat, as it is called.
is drawn forth by the governor at the
psychological rpa-t of his address and
displayed to the audience with the
statement by him of the horrible uses
to which it had been put It is an
impressive object lesson that usually
awakens for the governor the plaudits
of the multitude In his office at Aus
tin he has another bat that came from
the penitentiary, and upon it he has
had engraved "Old Billie He'll"
controversy WIN h1mSey.
It is charged by CoIquitt that Judge
Ramsey, while a member OF the state
penitentiary commission during the ad-
ministratiOn of governor T. NJ. Camp
bell, had an opportunity to recommend
the adjustment of the bat but that he
failed to do so.
Judge Ramsey, on the other hand,
contends that governor Colquitt did
not issue his order doing away with
this implement Of punishment until
the eXigencies of the present cam
paign forced him to do so. Ramsey
claims credit for bringing about this
action on the part of the governor. He
attacked the mode of punishment in
one of his first campaign addresses
and it was Immediately followed by an
order from governor COlquitt abolish
ing the bat.
During the last three years many
reforms have been inaugurated in the
conduct of the state penitentiary sys-
tenn, particularly with reference to the
treatment of the convicts. This was
the result of a widespread agitation,
aided by newspaper publicity, of
most woeful condition of affairs in
many of the camps and farms where
conyicts were employed. As a means
of getting at the truth Of the charges
the legislature appointed special
committee to investigate them during
3 vernon CampbelPs administration.
This committee went into the sub
Ject very thoroughly, taking the testi-
mony of many convicts and making
personal investigation Of the actual
condition of affairs within the walls
of the two penitentiaries themselves
and upon the state plantations and in
the convict lease camps. It was proved
that many convicts had been made to
suffer terrible punishment and that
wrongs of a most grievous nature had
been committed upon them. In the
legislation that ensued locking to a
reform of the methods of caring for
and treating the cOnvicts the pTOpo-
sition of abolishing the bat was de-
teated. 1t was claimed at the time by
the penitentiary authorities that the
use of this leather strap was necessary
in some extreme cases, and that no
other mode of punishment could sue
cessfully sUpplant it. 1t was not long /
after the adjournment of the legisla-
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