The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-10
Convict Commission Meas ure Will Receive First Attention st Hands of the State l legislators
ABOLITION BILL Is
 LIKELY TO PROVOKE
 A TERRIFIC BATTLE
Legislature Reaches Most Interesting and Important Stage of the Present Session
Hy HUGH N. ROBERTS

Fly HUGH N. ROBERTS Montgomery, August e.-tSpecial.) Bills providing for the creation of a convict commission, the members to
 be elected by the people, and provid. ing for the abolition of the convict
 lease system, are paramount house
 orders for tomorrow The legislature,
 In other words. has reached one of the
 most interesting and important stages
 of its career.
 The convict commission bill, pro- Nlding that at the conclusion of two years, or the expiration of the terms Of present officials. members must be elected by the people. will first re- ceive attention. While opposition 10 | this measure will be vigorous, the in dications are that il will survive tho storm. As soon as final action is taken the more important of the two com panion bills. the abolition bill, will be | presented for passage. one of the most 1 terrific battles of the session will be precipitated. Strong men represent
  | issue Is admittedly in doubt
 Speaker Carmichael's View The abolitionists contend that for the l sake of humanity the conviots must he | taken from the mines; that Alabama cannot longer afford to traffic In hu- | man lives. The opponents of the pro
 posed plan prove that 1t would seri-
 ously embarrass the state in respect
 to finances. and declare that the idea 1 that oonvicts would be better treated
 on the roads Is theoretical and unten-
 able.
 The aboltionists will be led by Mr. l Davis of Walker and MT Merritt or Macon. The opposing camp will be championed by Speaker Carmichael Mr. Sorrell of Tallapoosa, MT. Rogers of lspmtcr and probably Mir. Rrindley of Etowah. The members of the recess ] committee on investigation will con l tribute argument based on personal | inspection and trust that their facts l will result in an abolition victory. "My father was at one time chair l man of the convict bureau" said Speaker Carmichael and the fact that ! he was regarded as being too con I siderate of the welfare of the con- 1 yicts Is known. Nevertheless, he al- ways contended that in the mines the l convicls received better treatment than 1 elsewhere l would take any action to- ward the ameliora tion of the condition
 of men undergoing punishment for 1 crlme. but am convinced that In abol- l ishing the lease system we would de-
 feat the very object we have in view. | "Regarding the effect of the pro- posed abolition on the finances of the 1 government there Is no argument. It would require a rich state to indulge in the extravagance which the aboli- tionists propose.
 Smith Remains Firm
 l Mr. Smith of crenshaw, the other hand declared today that in his opinion I it was the prime duty of the legislature 1 to abolish the system.
 'As a member of the recess investgat- l ing committee" said he, 'l had personal I observation of the conditions under which | oonvicts are worked reached the con olusion that we should recommend the abolition of the lease system. Some days I ago, l was convinced through able argu- ment that in my conclusions, | might have been mistaken. And l told the governor that l would vote against the bill pro- viding for the abolition of the system.
 Later. studied the situation from begin | ning to end, and again reached the con clusion that could not do otherwise | than relieve the condition of the con victs. Therefore, | visited tho governor and told him that l could not carry out | my promise. that I would have to do my part towards remedying the evils which exist.
 "I do not think that the financial argu- | ment shtsild be considered In the be- ginning, the state will be taxed to- main tain the system on humane basis. but in the long run the state will be richly rewarded, and everyone connected made happy In that a system Of slavery, con stitutng stain on the good name of the commonwealth, has been eliminated" Roads in Etowah
 If the house should pass the abolition bill 1t would not even then be ''out of | the woods" For the senate would divide almost as evenly as the house Is destined 1 to divide. Senator Lee, for instance. | representing a county in which for nearly l a score of years convicts have been worked on he road holds that better l highways can be built cheaper by day l la bor than by convict lauor
 Roads in Etowah county are not model highways he said today. As matter l of fact, they are subject to adverse | criticism. Sometime ago. is known, the county issued bonds in large sum
 money with which to build roads. This 1 W ould tend to prove that to my county. where for years convicts have worked the | pads. the abolitonists cannot point with particular pride convincing argument" The battle will be joined tomorrow. To- night. the rival camps preparing their plans of attack and defense, and In these prepars tions. Birmingham citizens are