The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1912-12-26
TELLS WHY ARKANSAS .G0V-1
ERN0R RELEASED CONVICTS

Record last night telling that Gov.
George w. Donaghey of Arkansas had
pardoned $50 convicts in a single day
does not give any of the circum-
stances leading up to that extraordi-
nary act and is liable to cause the
average reader to regard Gov Don
aghey as one of those 'erratic, hot
headed, petulant, Southern briga-
diers'" whom press correspondent $
and magazine writer's would have rs
believe go on half-hammered on the
slightest provocation.
The convict lease system has been
political issue in Arkansas for the
past thirty years. and has produced
its scandals and horrors almost with
out number As far back as 1886 the
Coal Hnl Horror" defeated Gov. 81
mon p. Hughes. who, next 10 Gen. 4.
II. Garland and Senator James k.
Jones. was probably the greatest man
the state has ever produced. convicts
were leased to the coal mine opera
tors and It developed that they we.e
housed in miserable stockades that
were fit for cattle, that they had been
poorly fed and clothed. brutally treat
ed and several of them actually flog
ged TO death.
! Later some contractors procured.
by bribery it was alleged. contract
from the penitentiary board under
which the state was TO supply 300
convicts and feed. clothe and guard
them at the rate of so cents man
per day This contract extended over
a long term of years and became n
political issue on which state offic -
we're won and lost Effort was made
to break II and the matter was car
ried to the supreme court. but the
contractors won and the state for
years supplied 300 conviets a day at
a considerable loss. The contract
was most ingenious instrument. for
under its provisions the contractors
paid for the convicts when they EN-
ployed them, throwing them entirely
on the expense OF the state during
rainy seasons or other periods OF in
activity.
The State of Arkansas owns AMI
operates a convict farm which con-
sists OF II 900 acres. The crop this
year embraced more than 1900 bales
OF cotton and 10000 bushels OF corn
4 aggresatIng 100000 in value. besides
hay. feed stuffs. vegetables. etc pro-
duced for the use OF the convicts. In
addition to this the various improve
ments made by the convicts during
the biennial period ended September
30 last. have added to the valne OF the
farm not less than $4,000. The Ar
kansas penitentiary not only sup
ports itself. but earns large surplus
each year. which surplus is turned
into the school fund.
am not positive. but | am of the
opinion that the old contract under
which the state must supply 300 CON
victs a day. is still in force. Under
the provisions of that contract the
state supplies the convicts from sur
plus" labor-that is, from the number
not needed on the state farm. II there
be no surplus there is no source
from which to supply the 300 daily.
so Governor Donaghey adopted the
Father drastic. but quite effectual
method OF pardoning or paroling 800
convicts in one day in order to reduce
the number to the states needs only.
Several gentlemen in and about Lit
! tie Rock have waxed wealthy under
the convict lease system and II Is
claimed they exert so powerful an
influence that they nave prevented any
change in the system. Governor Dol-
aghey has adopted this wholesale par