The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-16
Conference of Prominent
Alabamians Is Called to
Discuss the Subject
Here on April rs
TIME FOR STATE TO
STOP BUSINESS OF
ENSLAVING PEONS
Recent Disclosures in Department
Have Accentuated Desire to
Bring About Change in En-
tire System of Handling
the State Conyicts

The long fight which The Age-Herald
has waged single handed against the
iniquitous system of working convicts in
mines, and which scored it's first signal
success when the people elected members
of the Jefferson county board of revenue
who had pledged themselves to remove the
convicts of this county from underground,
is destined to bear still greater fruit.
On April &c. large number of well
known men will meet at the Hotel Nor
ris for the purpose of protesting against
the working of state convicts in the
mines. and of preparing to carry their
protest in the shape of bill before the
qext legislature
This fight will be successful-in the
end For the public conscience is aroused
TO the point Of striking against a sys-
tenn which is generally considered inhu-
mane-that under which the state reaps
a harvest from the enslavery of its
poems.
The recent disgraceful disclosure in the
state convict department has accentuated
the determination on the part of the pub
lie to take the convicts out of the mines.
The fact that the state has been swindled
of a large sum of it's sweat" money, is
judged by many to be the awful action
OF retrbutive Justice
Call Issued by Citizens
The call issued for the meeting above
referred to is signed by well known men,
among the number being Capt. Frank s..
White of Birmingham, w. b. Oliver, dean
of the law school of the University OF
Alabama; John A. Lusk of Guntersville;
r. A. Cooner and l.. b. Musgrove of
Jasper, and others.
The call in full follows:
ITO the People of Alabama: The un-
dersigned respectfully request that such
of our citizens as believe that the next
legislature of this state should consist
of men opposed to working convicts in
the mines, meet in conference at the Nor
ris hotel in Birmingham at ii o'clock
a. M, on the Goth day of April, 1918.
Certainly the timea has come to de-
clare war to the death against this
source of inhumanity.
'.W. c. Davis Frank S. White, James
w. Shepherd, w. r. Richardson. G.
O'Rear. r. A. ORear, James J. Ray, r..
A. Cooner, J. r. Gunster, w. T. Boland,
p. o. Crawford. l.. b. Musgrove, Ernest
B. Fite. Travis Williams, r. f. Peters,
l.. w. Loiler, Sheriff Lacy, J. j. Grace,
c. b. Brotherton, John A. Lusk, w. B..
Oliver"
Only justification Is Mercenary
Capt Tom Mcdonald, one of Jefferson 5
ccir
this matter yesterday afternoon, said:
R'There is no question but that Alabama
should take its convicts out of the mines,
as soon as it is expedient. 1t Is wrong
principle, that of making money from
the labor of convicted felons. The only ex-
cuse that can be offered for the practice
in vogue at the present time is that
the state reaps a great harvest of dollars
and cents from the leasing of its con-
victs When we get governor who is
able and willing to devise scheme OF
taxation which is equal in it's effect on all
the people, there will be so much money
in the treasury of the state that there
will be no longer even the vestige of an
excuse for the inhumane practice of leas-
ing convicts.
when we have solved the question OF
taxation we will have put Alabama in
such position that its officials can per-
form any beneficent action without
financial hindrance.'
Advocates Their Removal
George W. Pratt, president of the Amer
lean Finance and Bond company, is an
other advocate of the movement to take
the convicts out Of the mines.
The leasing of convicts is inhumane, y
he said. ''The principle of getting rich
at the expense of convict labor Is wrong.
We should work the convicts on the roads
OF the state and the farms of the state.
Soon we would not be in need of money,
and permeating. the state and reaching
into its every section will be the most
magnificent system Of highways in Amer
ica
You hear great deal concerning
cages and guards and guns for protec-
ton. Alabama should not use the cage.
Perhaps a few convlcts would escape, a
few more than escape at the present time
But as soon as the process of education
does it's work. convicts can be worked
on the road with a degree of safety with
out cages, and an unusual display OF
guns and brute force"