The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-11

uuirements are most definitely fixed by
the resolution adopted by the board, the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
lace some data relative to the system
which obtains in that state of working
convicts on the public roads. In COM
menting upon Mr.. Wallaces plan, Pro-
fessor McCallie says
This is a most worthy cause and I
sincerely trust that you will be sue
cessful in carrying out this plan"
Commissioner Wallace also quotes
from a letter which he received from
Thomas j. lyman, warden of the Col
orado penitentiary, who strongly COM
mends Mr. Wallaces plan. Il know
that you are on the fight track" says
Warden lyman. and you are going
to win-if not at this time, at some
future date
Mr.. Wallace concludes his statement
with the following words:
THE programme / propose will not
only build good roads for the people,
but will buid men and compel the
unfortunates to rise on the stepping
stones of their dead selves to higher
and nobler things. F."
Wallace's Statement
Mr.. Wallace's statement is as fol-
lows:
"Our present convict lease SYSTEM"
declared John IL. Wallace, Jr., candi-
date for governor today, 'is relic of
barbarism The state has no moral right
to lease convicts for the purpose of
sentenced only for the protection of
society and for the correction of the
individual.
"As was anticipated that plank in
my platform in which / declared that
the convicts of the state must and
shall be taken out of the mines and
lumber camps and put to work in con-
structing good roads for the people of
Alabama, has aroused the hostility of
those who believe in exacting money
from the toll of the unfortunates with
which to assist in defraying the ex-
penses of the state and those who have
failed to catch the cadence of our pro-
gressive civilization.
Under the plan l advocate 1t will
be written into the law of Alabama
that in the future the fixed policy of
the state shall be that the control and
management of it's convicts shall never
pass from it and its public officials
into the control and management of any
private corporation or person. I reit-
crate that it Is my purpose to take th.
convicts out of the mines and lumber
CaHlpS NY QeSletS COVERING "a peTlOQ OF
! four years, SO that the state treasury
will not be subjected to a draft that
would finally embarrass the state.
THE placing of 5000 convicts in con-
structing good and permanent roads for
the people of Alabama would do away
with the necessity of the $144,0OO that
is available annually out of the state
treasury for state aid in the construc-
tion of public highways. The enormous
expense in> maintaining the different
convict camps of the state would stop
then in order to offset the feed bill
and to maintain the convict bureau
convicts could be leased to counties
needing them for good road construc-
ton at not exceeding So per month
for each convict The small loss of
revenue thus entailed would have no
terrors for wise and conservative
governor
THE value of good roads to state
is incalculable, yet Alabama. rich in
resources, will never have a thorough
system of good roads unless they are
built by the convicts. Convict labor in
building roads has been successful in
Colorado, Washington, Montana, New
York. Florida, Nevada, Michigan, North
Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and Geor-
gia. If conyicts can be worked advan-
tageously in these states all poorer in
natural wealth than Alabama why can
not such a system be successful in this
-state?"
From Prof S. w. McCallie. state geol-
ogiSt, who prepares and submits data
on the public roads of the state of
Georgia, Mr.. Wallace has received the
following communications:
Il have your letter of June 8 and
note that you are a candidate for gov
ernor and are advocating the use of
the state convicts in the building and
maintaining of public roads. This is o
most worthy cause and I sincerely trust
that you will be successful in carrying
out this plan. 1t has been great boon
to road Improvement in Georgia and
] am sure 1t will have a like effect
in Alabama"
In the state of Colorado, where the
work of convicts in building good roads
has perhaps attained its highest per-
fection under the direction. of Hon.
Thomas j. lyman, warden of the Col
orado penitentiary escapes are only
/ 1-5 pen cent, which is a smaller per-
centage than the army and navy lose
by desertion and they have free men.
Mr.. lyman has written to Mr.. Wallace
as follows:
Il am glad to note the stand You
are taking in the matter of convict
labor in the state of Alabama. j know
that you are on the right track and
you are going to win--if not at this
time, at some future date. Our sys-
TEN of working our state prisoners on
the public highways Is success in
every particular and / am sure that
this system can be successfully oper-
ated IN your State In fact, it ought
to be more successful in Alabama. for
the season that your prisoners are
largely natives of the state, while so
per cent of the prisoners of Colorado
are the migratory class. The records
Will show that l have condemned the
convict lease system in all of my lee
lures during the four years that | have
been at the head of this institution. and
/ am going to continue my fight in
this direction until the system is COM
pletely wiped off the map.