The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-06-05
Audsrson alntelli9eneex.
From Me Eigcfeld Advertiser.
Letter from Hon. Hugh 4. Shaw, Of
EdgefleI1.
HAMBURG, s. c., March, 1879.

answer 10 your KIM lcttcr OF FeOruary
in reference to the management OF the
South Carolina Penitentiary.
WAS not little surprised to learn
that q majority Of your board of Direc-
tors are 'eager to commence huge oper-
aions for the benefit of Columbia, espe-
cially in .he re.opcning of that canal as
a State Enterprise and who
claim that the last appropriation was
made for the express purpose of opening
that canal rs n State enterprise" Col.
Butler and myself dissent from that view
that "n0 appropriation was
made for the benefit of that canal com
pany except two hundred convicts, and
Canal Commissioners under that act"
Now am right or am | wrong" You
are correct and | hope no amount oi
sophistry will cause you to yield one
lnrticle in reference to this matter. Az
this "huge operation" cannot cost much
less, if any, than $500, 900, and that y, III
Board of Directors propose to Isc the
pitiful sum of $ll 900 (which wa, appro.
priatel to increase the present water
power within the walls Of the Pcnitenti-
ary) to commence this "huRe operation
to tho other will demand some explana-
ton of this prodigat use Of their money
The language of the act referred to
might be construed to mean this "huge
operation" urged by the majority of your
Board; but to commence such work
with an appropriation Of Sl1 900 does
not look like business. This "hugo OPP
eration," it is true, might be commenced
with S11 900, and suppose every dollar
Of the money would be expended in good
faith, but perhaps in such way that il
would not be worth to the State, Colum-
bia or anybody else one cent, unless fol.
lowed by other appropriations from tho
State amounting to at least $500, ,000, or,
as it is n State enterprise, perhaps to
$l,OO0,O00.
This might be called management; and
il our State was in a condition to spend
million of dollars, without material in
convenience, 1 might not object to this
undertaking; but. sir, what nre the facts
rs to our financial condition? AS YOU
know, our State debt, as it now stands, in
round numbers, is S6,000,000. The Court
of Claims have issued about 100000
worth of 6 per cent. bonds, and have
about 81 100000 yet to be reported on.
What amount the Court will report good
no one can tell.
The old South Carolina Bank bills are
variously estimated from $500, 600 to two
and quarter millions. My estimate is
about, or not less than, 81 100000. Our
railroad contingent liabilities arc very
large, and recent events convince mo
that the State will have to pay the most
if not all of those claims. This will add
To our State debt several millions more.
We pay o;i t!;s largo snioun. G Per cent.
per annum, which will aggregate at least
100000 moro than WAS necessary t. pay
all of our current State expenses, includ-
ing interest on the public debt, before
the war. A: TINT time we had near six
times as much property rs we now own.
make this short statement in refer
ence to our money matters with the hope
that our people will stop and think be.
fore they enter into any "huge operation"
that will mal,s it necessary to draw more
money from the pockets of the masses.
They haven't got the money And it
appears that men in high position will
never realize this sad fact
You think with sufficient water power
to employ 600 convicts and put sufficient
buildings, that we could rent the entire
concern for cum that will pay all ex-
penaes and bring annually small in
come. Sir, have no doubt as to your
honesty in this matter, but one great OBJ
lection IL this: it is making an expert
ment with our money at time when we
cannot afford to experiment; and besides,
tho experience of most of the Southern
States is adverse to this opinion. No
prudent man will experiment OF n large
scale at time when he is very much
embarrassed, and while he finds it diff
cult to satisfy the pressing demands of
his creditors and the constant every day
rants of his family. If this would be
imprudent in individuals, wo.ld isHc. -
equally 90 with State that is 20 sorely
pressed rs South Carolina?
We have. believe, about 700 convicts,
with constant yearly increase from
every county in the State; and, under
our present laws, within ten years we
may reasonably expect this number to
reach one thousand ut least. To provide
for this large number of convicts from
the scanty means within the control of
the people of this State ia no little mat.
ter, and should demand the most earnest
consideration Of all our thinking men.
Our present system, to say the least of
it, is very expensive machine. Our
from. thirty to ninety thousand dollars.
Our last appropriation for this institution
will aggregate about S57 900, with almost
positive certainty that there will be q
large deficiency. At this important
juncture i'll our financial troubles, am
disposed to look at this matter from a
n.oneyed point of view; at the same
time we should not lcse sight of the fact
that they are the worst of our population
who must be fed, clothed, guarded, worked
at "hard labor" and ut the same time
comparatively comfortable. Without
detriment to the general interest of the
State, can we so alter the law that the
number of conyicts will diminish in
stead of increase2 In answer to this
question the iash naturally presents ITSELF
Its cheapness Is very strong argument
to every taxpayer who finds it difficult
to pay his proportion of this expense
and it occurs TO me it would be difficult
to find any argument that would mako q
more lasting impression on large por-
tion of that class Of persons found within
the walls OF our Penitentiary. Most of
the States have abandoned .h:s :...cAc 2.
punishment for crime, as something OF
the past; but If all evil doefs, particu.
larly those accustomed to stecl, knew the
penalty for that crimo was "forty lashes,
,aye one," on the bare back, to be paid
in two installments, at short intervals,
would it not be greater terror than O
few years confinement in comfortable
quarters, with good, warm clothing, plen-
Z W to eat and less work TO do than when
n