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


the Penitentiary. This can be done; but
to do it ehectually you must have suffi-
cient number of good, reliable men for
guards. These should be under the con-
slant direction and supervision of a
master, and the master should be under
a 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 u
system can be matured that will give
satisfaction so far as safety is concerned.
Now, sir, what can we do to save this
money? Railroads, canals, &C., natural
ly present themselves as class of work
that could be successfully done by con-
vict labor, but it is too luctuating for a
long term of years; it will do to "fll
out" with, but not for constant work.
From some positive information on
the subject, 1 au convinced all this labor
could be employed, at handsome profit,
on the phosphate works of the State, 50
long as they are in successful operation.
Any prudent business man could make
such an arrangement within reasonable
time; within one year, or less, perhaps,
all could be employed on long contracts.
Some of our people believe the con-
victs could not live in that climate dur
ing the late summer and fall months, but
/ am assured by 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 seasons, would be rs safe as the ma
tives. You remember during the war no
troops in our service enjoyed better
health than those ON the coast of South
Carolina. This, in my judgment, would
be a safe outlet for this labor, and one
that would save, and, at the same time,
make, the State some money; but is it
the best we eau do for the State at large
to make such business arrangement?
This phosphate work can and will be
done by other labor, and I suppose the
State will receive about as mucsayalty
from the labor of private hands as if they
had the convicts employed. The differ
euce will not be material.
You think they should be worked on
the phosphate beds of the State as pro-
lection to the farming interest. The
State, in my judgment, had best let prl-
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 it as cheap,
as safe, and to greater profit to the eoun-
ty, and consequently to the entire State,
than is done under our present system !?
We appropriate about $4,000 per county
annually for the support of this institu-
ton. Some may urge that this estimate
is too high, but it is under the average
since the establishment of the Peniten-
tiary, and I believe, counting interest on
capital expended, and that to be expen-
ded in the improvement of this institu-
ton, it will be under the general average
for the next twenty years, notwithstand-
ing all of this fancy theory about making
the institution selfsustaining, paying
dividends, &c., &c. The money will 60
in some way or other, as long as you con-
tinue this system. This class of labor,
as whole, confined on such work as can
be done within the walls of the Peniten-
tiary, will spoil or damage so much ma
terial, and put up such inferior work,
that it will require large appropriations
every year to pay deficiencies. l have no
doubt Of this fact. =,
You may ask what the counties could
do with this labor? An average county
would have at this time about, or per-
haps q little over, 20 conyicts, with a
yearly increase. Before we could use
this labor prudently, we should have,
according to my notion, cheap, strong
and movable barracks. We 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 SO arranged that they could
be moved with but little or no expense
to tie county. This master for the
county should be subject to the di-
rection 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 cenvicts of the Stale,
and he should be governed by the most
rigid laws as to his duties. According to
my estimate, this arrangement will cost
the average county about the same, or a
little less than we now pay. Under our
present plan We never get one cent in
return.
MY estimate for competent mas
ter, per annun,, is..................s 50O
Three competent guards, 5000 each 600
Feeding and clothing, 20 convicts,
SS5 each. Observation-Disclosures. 1UU
Feeding guards and master,......... 14O
Total. -. ..............s1, $40
I make no estimate for barracks for
the want of proper data, but they could
not be very expensive, and would last
for at least twenty years or more. l
think you will admit that the above esti-
mate is at least reasonable, if not liberal.
Say it will cost us, as now, 81, 900 annually.
Take your County, Spartanourg, or my
own county, Edgefeid, Il believe they
are about average counties,l aud what
could we save? =,
The County Commissioners should
have discretionary powers rs to what
class Of work the convicts should do for
the benefit OF the county, but l submit
for your reflection what has occurred to
me they could do to build up the coun-
ty and State.
Edgefeld has at this time twenty five
bridges. and pressing demand for at
least fifteen more that the County Com
missioners have not been able to con-
struct, for the want of money. If let in
the usual way, learn from gentleman
perfectly conversaut with this matter, the
fifteen bridges cannot cost less than $40,
900 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 1896,
and Others, 1 think, at over S2 600 each.
This will make an average of S666 for