The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-06-05

L
master, and the master should be under
q general superintendent who knows
nothing but duty. The general master
or superintendent should be required
under the most rigid laws to do his duty
in every particular. This is not the
place for details, but am convinced IL
| system can be matured that will give
satisfaction SO far as safety is concerned.
| Now, sir, what can we do 10 save this
money? Railroads, canals, &c, natural
| ly present themselves rs q class Of work
that could be successfully done by con
vict labor, but it is too fluctuaiing for /,
long term OF year,; it will do to "iil
| out" with, but not for constant work.
| From some positive information on
the subjec., am convinced all this labor
could be em lOyed, ut n handsome profit,
on the ph0s, ,hate works Of the State, ~
long ~ tley are i'll successful operation.
| Any prudent business man could make
such an arrangement within re sonablc
time; within one year, or less, perhaps,
all cou'' be employed on long contracts.
Some Of our people believe the CON
victs could not live III that climate dur
ing the late Sumner and fall months but
l am assured "y the best physicians of
that section, that with proper caution
| (such as The State could enforce) they
could be perfectly safe, and after one or
two sea.ons, would he rs safe ~ the ma
tives. You remember during the war no
troops il our service enjoyed better
health nan those on the cnast of South
Carolina. This, in my judgment, would
be IL safe outlet for this labor, and one
that would save, and, n: the same time,
make, the State some money; but is it
the best we can do for tho St.,tc Mt large
TO make suc'' business arrangement ?
his phosphate work can and will be
cone by other labor, and / suppose the
State will receive about as MUGS Sayalty
from the labor of private hands rs if they
had the convicts employed. The differ
ence will not be material
You think they should be worked on
the phosphate beds of the State as n pro-
lection to the Turning interest. The
State, in my judgment, hnd best let pri
vate individuals do this work, Tor she
will lose money by any and every specu-
lation Of this sort
Has it ever occurred to you that the
counties could take their respective pro-
portion OF this labor and work il a. cheap,
as safe. and to greater profit to the coun.
ty, aud consequently to the entire State,
than is done under our present systcm
We appropriate about $4,000 per county
annually for tho support of this institu-
ton. Some may urge that this estimate
ia too high, but it is under the average
| since the establishment Of the Pcniten-
tiary, and believe. counting interest ON
capital expended, and that to be cxpen-
ded in the improvement of this insiitu-
ton, it will be under the general average
for the next twenty years, notwithstand-
ing all of this fancy theory about making
the institution self.snstaining, paying
dividends, &c, &c. The money will 90
in some way or other, us long IN you CON
tinue this system. This class of labor,
rs whole, confined on such work as can
he done within the walls of the Pcnitcn-
tiary, "ill spoil or damage 80 much ma
tcrial, and put up such inferior work.
that it will require large appropriations
| every year To pHy deficiencies. have no
doubt of this fact.
You mny ask what the counties could
do with this labor? An average county
would hnve ut this time about, or per.
haps little over. 20 convicts, with u
yearly increase. Before we could use
this labor prudently, We should have,
according to my notion, cheap, strong
and movable barracks. I'VE should have
at least three good, safe men to act as
guards, and competent master. This
would be one guard for every five or six
convicts. The barracks should be on
wheels and 80 arranged that they could
be moved with but little or no expense
to the county. This master for the
county should be subject to the di-
reciion of the State Superintendent in
everything pertaining to the general
management of the convicts, including
feed, clothing, discipline, &C., &c. This
general master should spend all his time
in looking after the convicts Of tho State,
and he should be governed by the most
| rigid laws rs to his duties According to
my estimate, this arrangement will cost
the average county about the same, or
little less than we now pay. Under our
present plan we never get one cent in
return.
My estimate for competent mas.
ter, per annuM, observation-disclosures sec
Three competent guards, 5000 each 600
| Feeding and clothing, 20 convicls,
$95 each. ........................ 700
Feeding guards and MASTER. ,......... 40
Total. 81 $40
! make no estimate for barracks for
the want of proper data, but they could
not uo very expensive, and would lust
for Mt least twenty years or more
think yon will admit that the above esti.
mate IL ut least reasonable, If not liberal
Say it will cost us, US now, 50 900 annually
Take your County, Spartanburg, or my
own county, EdgoheId, II believe they
are about average couuties,j aud what
could we save?
The County Commissioners should
have discretionary powers ns To what
class of work the convicts should do fer
the benefit OF the county, but submit
| for your reflection Wiht iias occurred to
me they could do to build up the coun.
| ty and State.
Edgefeld has ut this time twenty. five
bridges. and IL pressing demand for ut
least fifteen more that tho County Com
missioners have not been able 70 con-
strdct, for the want of in0Tey. Il lei III
the usual way, learn from y gentleman
perfectly conversant with this matter, the
fifteen bridges cannot cost less than Si0,-
600 or S666 each. This estimate know
to be at least reasonable, if not very low,
for one of the bridges included in this
number WAS let before the war at So, 966,
and others, think, ut over $4,000 each.
This will make an average of $666 for
! each bridge nygregating &2G, ,64n This
amount Of money will have to be ex-
pended about every seven years, which is
the usual time bridge will stand and
DO safe, and thia will require an annual
expenditure for bridges Of $3,805. Or,