The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-09-21
MUTINY DECLARED RESULT OF LEASE SYSTEM WORKINGS
State Wide Abolition Com mittee Terms Outbreak
 Crop Reaped By State
tCoptinued from Page One,


 even more than the one who is flog- ged. Solitary confinement-not flog- ging or the crucifiXion now prac- ticed the dog houses"-is equally as effective and more humane
 The unfortunate affair at Banner and the subsequent restoration of the lash to our penal system simply bear out or contention that oure entire system of handing convicts should be cverhauled beginning with the abolition of the lease system No humane or effective method of handling convicts can be erected on a foundation that is morally wrong. and that places the dollar above every other consideration. Nor can any good results be obtained so long as prison officials look on profit as the main object of their work, rather than the restoration of the prisoner to society a better man than when he was convicted.
 This latter idea such men as Evans are incapable of appreciating. Their belief is that profits must be earned from the convict and that mean while the state must wreak ven geance upon him-an idea that Is natural and inevitable so long as the prisoner is simply a chattel the last ounce of whose strength Is sold in the performance of. labor for private employers.
 So far, as Warden Evans personal ly concerned, we are informed that he is an eXsaloon keeper, who has held several positions as warden and whose administrations have been characterized by charges of bru- tality and incompetence. We are convinced by our own personal in- Vestigations that he is wholly un- fitted to be placed in charge of prls- oners, and that the inevitable result of his methods-encouraged by the fundamental evils of the lease sys- tem-s such occurrences as the re- cent Banner rebellion.
 It further seems to us that the activities of the convict department and the conduct of the prisons arc matters of vital public interest, and that any attempt to keep secret such occurrences as the Banner mu- tiny and to prevent full investigation .and information on the occurrences and causes is subversive of the pub lie welfare.
 Commend Jim Davis.
 In this connection we desire to commend Solicitor Jim Davis of Jeff ferson county for unhestitatingly per forming his duty in conducting a grand jury investigation of the Ban ner incident and the causes leading up to it-all of which are matters of great public concern to the people or the county in which they occurred.
 Throughout the campaign for abolition of the leasing system, this committee has repeatedly empha- sized that it is not moved by maud lin sentimentality or by desire to see prisoners escape their just punish ment CT be pamphred in idleness. We have repeatedly emphasized the fact that both from the standpoint of the state and the prisoner, it is best that every convict be given some useful and profitable task, but that the prof it's from such labor should go to the state, not to a private employer, and that the proposition of salvaging the prisoner for society should not be subordinated to the mere earning of money.
 Resolutions by the legislature, stat ing 1t has thoroughly, conscientious ly and carefully considered" this question are, to say the least, strain ing the facts almost to the breakin g point. On the first day of it's ses- sion the house passed a resolution in- tended to strangle all debate, which passed the senate at it's next sitting, and throughout this campaign the legislature has steadfastly refused to hold hearings or receive petitions on this question.