The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-12-23
SLAVERY AND
THE CONVICT SYSTEM

1t must occur to the thinking man |
who has studied past history and |
present. conditions that there is a |
strong similarity between the aboli- |
tionists of sixty years ago and the
people who sympathize with con-
gicts today.
There were times when slaves
needed sympathy, and there are
times when convicts need sympathy,
but there never is a time when the
great public which has to suffer and
pay for every public evil does not
need sympathy.
The abolitionist hated slavery. He
could see nothing good in it or the
people who practiced it, and the
slaves were all innocent, amiable
victims.
The sympathizer of today hates
the convict system. To him the Off
GERS are brutal, the convict guards
are as bad as the taskmasters set
by the Egyptians over the Hebrews,
and the convicts are merely unfor-
tunate people in worse than Egypt
ian bondage.
How much mistaken the aboli-
~tionists were, all the Southern peo-
pie knew, and most of the northern
people now know. How much mis-
taken the sympathizers with the
convicts are, everybody could find
IF
a subject object lessons Of which
are in a few miles of every citizen Of
the state.
The Southern people of sixty
years ago were not responsible for
slavery. They inherited it from the
whole world, and did their best with
it, and, if common sense instead Of
prejudice had reigned, in time would
have gotten rid of it without the
cost of a frightful war and follow
ing evils, some of which are worse
than slavery.
The public of today is not respon-
sible for the convict system. No
body is responsible for it but the
convicts themselves. If there we're
40 laWbreakers, there would be no
sconvicts. But as it is the public has
TO suffer for their wickedness and is
, then, by unreasonable people expect
ed to maintain them in comparative
comfort
The case of Henry Montgomery
owe ic
an instance. People who know
Montgomery know he is a confirmed
criminal and wouldn't believe him
on oath. People who don't know
him accept his accusations against a
citizen who is we'll known not only
80 his neighbors but all over the
state as an honorable and humane
man.
The Star very much honors the
Tampa Tribune, which is an indie.
pendent and fearless paper. But il
will ask the Tribune if it thinks il
was right to publish Montgomery
letter without investigation. 1t viii
ask the Tribune if it does not know
that Mr.. Halls standing in the state
is high. 1t will ask the Tribune how
many times its reporters have per
sonally investigated Mr.. Hall:
camps.
1t will also ask the Tribune if i
doesn't think. that having printed
Montgomery statement that i
should in common justice print tn,
testimony against Montgomery am
in favor of Mr.. Hall that the Sta
publishes today.
For dozen years or more, Ocal
was distributing point for stat
convicts, and the location of III
state prison farm. The stockade
and several large turpentine farm
were located near by. The Star ha
had better opportunity TO judge c
she convict system than the averag
Florida newspaper. 1t has seen thoI
sands of convicts on their way TO til
camps. 1t has noticed one very 81!
nifcant fact. And that is that Sc
ond term men, nearly all negroe
10 penal servitude. They are near
all cheerful and bear more the d
meanor Of free men going back
an old job than convicts. The re
son for this is that they know the
are going TO be taken care of, We
fed, and not worked beyond the
strength.
The Star is also we'll acquaintt
with the class of men who guard Il
convicts and see that they vor
They are not dudes, and few OF the