The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-30
LETTERS TO EDITOR
Ozark Man on Convicts

Ito the Editor of The Age-Herald
| AS a citizen of the state of Alabama
/ wish to express my profound indigna-
tion at and disapproval of the horrible
linhuman, shameful and altogether dis
graceful treatment of the poor unfor-
tunate convicts in the various turpen-
tine and lumber camps and mines of the
state, as brought out in the investisa-
| tion that has been in progress at the
capital recently.
| Some of the things told there under
oath by diqerent parties, If true (and
we have no good reason to doubt, at
least that part of their testimony, be-
cause so far as the probe is concerned
no Importance attached to that part of
their findings. as they are not looking
for those things and, to them, 1T is a
matter unimportant), is enough to
make every citizen of the whole state
who makes any pretense at honesty,
self-respect and Christianity, and has
an iota of humanity in them bow their
heads in shame.
| 1t is a travesty on our professed
Christian religion; is disgrace to the
whole state and burlesque on its
boasted pride.
| These are conditions that are not
new but are conditions that have been
going on from month to month and
/ from year to year, but increasing in
their horrors and cruelties from adj
lministration to administration and
| from time to time.
Many people have known these things
flor a long time and some have spoken
labout them and a few have written
labout them occasionally in some of the
lpapers, but it seemed that it was not a
popular thing and no one paid much
attention to 1t. Now, some one may
say that "if you knew these things
were so bad why didn't you make CON-
iplaint to the department or to the
lproper authorities" but If we had they
would have been like Tom Longs
lcharges made to the governor last year
lthey would have been side-tracked
pigeon -holed and "whitewashed.'
luse that term at the risk and hazard
lof being summoned before the probing
lcommittee when they meet again on
April 80, but the apologies are due the
tterm for ii is very moderate and
lmild one and really is inadequate in
this case.
| say without hesitency that, in my
opinion, our whole convict system Is
IrOtiSn from start TO Hn1Sn, not only III
the defalcations and graft that have
Ibeen uncovered, but in the way is
lcommercialized and in the cruel treat
lment that we give our convicts. The
whole idea seems to be how much We
can make from them in dollars and
lcents with a total and dire disregard
for their physical and moral we'll being
| they are hired out to different heart
Hess, money-worshiping corporations
individuals at high prices. who care
nothing for them except the money
Ithey can make from them and who
lare treated like so many brutes or
cattle.
| am told by parties who claim to
know that at some of the mills and
Iturpentine camps, where they are
worked, they are made to get up at $3.50
loclock in the mornings. given their
cold, boiled peas, poorly cooked, some
times without grease or salt to season
Them. and cold corn bread, with posi-
lbly a small bit of salt bacon occasion
lally, all cooked the night before so
that they can eat it quickly and get
loft to their work without any delay;
then they are loaded on log train and
lcarried to the woods and as soon as
they can see how, put to work, worked
all day under bosses and guards with
lguns, cursed and driven all day as long
as they can see how to work, and then
lare carried back to the stockade or
lcamp, sometimes 20 miles away, and
lit is often 10 o'clock before they get
their supper and are ready to go 10