The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-08
RINGING CALL SENT
To STOP CONV|CTS
FROM MINE WORK
Citizens Want to Abolish
BarbarOus Action of
FellOwmen
MEETING CALLED
HERE FOR JUNE IA
mo Wonder" Says Statement, "That
This Price of Human Agony
Has Turned to Ashes in
Our Hands,

The committee headed by Capt. Frank
s, White of Birmingham, chairman, and
OF which number of other prominent
Alabamians are members, has issued an
invitation to the people of the state to
meet at the city hall at Il o'clock on the
morning of June IA for the purpose of dis
cussing means and methods of taking con-
victs out of the mines.
The address, containing a reference to
the recent detection of the clerk of the
states convict department, and a prophecy
that other and more distressful evils will
befall the people of Alabama unless there
soon occurs a change in the system, fol-
lows in full:
Complying with instructions when ap-
pointed, we, the undersigned committee,
hereby invite the citizens of Alabama to
assemble at the city hall, at Birmingham,
at II a. m. on the 18th inst, for the pur-
pose of considering and discussing the
subject of removing our convicts from the
mines and lumber camps of the state, and
to take steps and adopt methods to abol-
ish our system of hiring human beings to
the highest bidder for cash, and throw off
our cold blooded commercialism, in which
we have lost sight of the only true and
proper purpose to be accomplished in deal
ing with this class. the prevention of crime
and the reformation of the offender
Abolish This Auction
"We want to abolish this auction of
human beings. in which the state, with
gavel in hand, exhibits its own. and ap-
peals to the avarice of others; this auction
held by the people of the state in which
we are calling upon the bidder to say how
much will he give for the toll, the sweat,
the suffering and blood which we will al
low you to wiring under the lash from
this fellow man of ours; how much will
satiate his cupidity, after he has wrung
from him the price of our own greed; how
much will he give for the heartaches, the
tears, the wretchedness of his wife, his
children, his father, his mother? We
turn them all over to him, lest, perhaps
we can find some other bidder whose
greater avarice. heartlessness and inhu-
manity will induce him to pay higher
price.
Turns to Ashes
mo wonder that this price of human
agony turns as 1t has, in the recent past
to ashes in our hands. But this disap-
pointment of ours in losing this price OF
blood will not satisfy the curse put upon
us for causing this fall of tears, this
flow OF blood. Future punishment is being
held in reserve with which to plague us,
unless we desist from this conduct. BY
our action we are placing ourselves in a
worse light in the eyes of mankind than
are the unfortunates with whom we are
dealing. We really need to reform our
selves.
"Our treatment of convicts is even
worse than the worst form of African
slavery. There the humanity, as well as
the selfish interest of the owner of this
human chattel, impelled him to care for
it's well being, but that system was con-
demned by the civilized world and abol-
ished Under our system. where the own
ership of the slave is combined in US all
we callously surrender him to this high
est bidder to whom we have sold him
Sgith the right to oppress him and abuse
him as far as his cupidity will lead and
his humanity permit
World Stands Aghast
'"The civilized world, to say nothing OF
Christianity, stands aghast at behoding
our methods in dealing with these unfor-
tunates and Is reminded anew of the truth
expressed by Burns, when he says: The
inhumanity of men makes countless thou
sands mourn
This system, instead of preventing
crime, is increasing It. We are daily pro
ducing criminals, especially in the families
of convicts, by making them feel the in
Justice, as well as :he inequality OF the
law in it's operation. 1t causes thcm to
antaRonize the enforcement of the law
making them resentful and revengeful
Really it impe1es the administration ol
the law. Humane iuries and judges hesi-
tate to convict, especially for minor of
fenses, as they seem to realize the intol.
cradle hardships of this system.
"Ths invitation is made in behalf ol
the helpless, the Suffering and the op
pressed. 1t is made in behalf of oui
state, with a view Of removing from it,
escutcheon the foul blot of this system
1t is addressed to the higher and noblel
sensibilities of our humane people,"
The address is signed by the following
Frank S. White, chairman, Biz mingham;
John w. O'Neill, secretary, Birmingham
John Craft, Mobile v. b. Atkins. Selma;
G. Fl. Malone, Dothan; Clarendon Davis
Huntsville; S. l.. Brewer, Tuskegee; A. c.
Edmonson, Troy; l.. l.. Henzberg, Etowah
county; f. ID. Reynolds B1octon; j. A.
Rountree, Birmingham W. C. Davis, Jas
per; II. B. bowling, Ozark; w. b. Oliver.
Tuscaloosa; John A. Lusk, Guntersvlle;
X C. Mahan, Bra-feld; A. III. Car
michael, Tuscumbia; Robert Moultrop, Eu-
faula; J. d. Collins, Birmingham; j. e.
Pierce. Huntsville; r f. Gam. Admission
T. j. Kennedy, Birmingham; L. B. Mus
grove, Jasper; Caroline HARRISON, Mont
gomery: r. D. Crawford. Jasper: WI
Ian, RihbY Littletcn. Ross BlackmOn,