I appreciate, and the Board of Directors of the State Prison appreciate your support of our position, that the Council of State should stop giving away the labor of the state convicts, and continuing to run the state in debt.

This whole policy is certain to be changed and if we Democrats don't stop this wastefulness, some other party will get in power and stop it, therefore, it is the best kind of politics to do what we are doing, and it is the only sensible thing--to run the state's business on a business principle. There is not a set of sensible business men in North Carolina that would conduct the state's business in reference to convicts as it is now being conducted five minutes, and since this matter has been exposed as it has, if it is continued, the people of the state will either come to the conclusion that the men who are responsible are crooked or lacking in business ability.

I trust that you will see to it that when the time comes to make a new contract with these railroads that it will not be a milk and cider affair and that the bond will not be a straw bond, like stock we have received in payment for the convicts. I am very glad to see that the News & Observer has a long editorial on this question in today's paper.

The Board of Directors of the State Prison have washed their hands of this proposition, and we are no longer responsible for the state throwing away $358 per day or $104,700 per year. The responsibility is now up to the Council of State and the General Assembly. I do sincerely trust that you gentlemen will put a stop to it, because if you don't, the people will. The folks are not fools enough to stand by and let a thing of this kind continue very long.