The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-12-01


OF tho respective counties he charged witt
tho duty Of examining and auditing the ac
counts of the county commissioners. and
that these accounts lie published IN detail III
the county press for Il sufficient time lcfDrC
the session Of the court TO bring them fully
to the attention of the taXIay.rs. The com
missonois should afterwards forward these
accounts to u,c Com p; ;rolierG neral. 10 be
/ by hiu oBlbD2Scd in his annual report ~
statistical informntion and til, : should still
! be required, As now, 10 submit to The Gene
/ raj Assembly estimates of supplies upon
! which to base the annual county levy.
THE rESIrrHTiAhy.
There ran be little doubt that the most dc.
siiailc management Of u pcnitcntiary is that
| in which the inmates arc kept within it's
walls, and employed in industries which
would at least make them selfsu5;aining
The penal and rcfuimAtory discipline which
shonlh a.hcfa tp the institution. rs well as
considerations OF heal:h and humane treat
mcnt, wUn.d hc thus brst sib,crvcd. The
present board OF directors lave kept this
leading idea steadily in view, nnd have made
considerable progit s. in 'ilat dir, ction. For
the present, hove ycr. and for splIc time 10
come, unless the maintenance Of the Crnvic.s
is u be n charge upon the pnblic treasury,
the employment "i portion OF them
beyond tbs w,ii1 is necessity. Ia
this event they must be- utilized by re
proitnbiy employ them. OF they mus. be
leased To private contractors tor private or
public works The iir5t does not commend
itself to me. and when tried for tho lat two
years upon the large 'cnitcntiary r!antI-
tion below Columbia has no. proved =
marked succesi. The plan a. leasing the
convicts has also been tried. There lave
been nnIoubt,d cvils connected with il,
most Of which cxpcricnc. has eliminated.
and this system III iny judgment, is The best
that oilers itself My attention has bccu
closely given to its working. aud MY con
clusions upon tho subject have the strength
of convictions. Yon will pcrmi, ,nc briefly
TO state thcn
The cOnvicts shOu' not bc leased in small
numbers to any one contractor, or for work
that necessarily shifts from locality TO
locality; aud the ovcrsrcrs and guards in
charge OF them should be appointed and paid
by the Penitcntiary authorities. These
provisions. together with the frequent in
srcctions now directed to he made, aud the
summary power of recall now vested in these
authorities by law. will make the leasing
of the convic.s liable to but fcw obi cctions.
When the work shifts from locality to
locality, barracks aud stGckad,s, in which
security, health, humanity and discip plinc,
may be ut once consulted, are not. and from
considerations Of economy, cannot be erected
for tho temporary use which is alone re-
qnrcd. When the work is stationary tho
number of cunvicts sufficiently large, and
tho time Of the lease long enough 10 warrant
ii, thcro is no reason why structures, to bc
approved by tho board OF directors, should
not bc erected by the contractor. in which
the requirements Of health, security, aud
humnno discipline should he as fully cou-
snltcd rs in the Pcnitcntiary itself
Tho annual report Of the board Of Iircc-
tors and superintendent Of this institution,
To bc submitted To you, makes y most graft
flying financial exhibit. The entire appr0-
priation Of the Inst session for tho main
tcnsnco Of the P.niten,iary. for continuance
OF work on prison wall. and for protection
against fro, S2:},0uO in all remains undrawu
III tho State treasury. and is applicable To
such other purpose as yon shall direct.
The institution has for tho iirst time in its
history from it's earnings sustained it,
self and made necessary permanent in;-
proycmcnts; is FREQ from debt, and has To
its credit n cash bg.ancc to ho carried for
ward to noxt year. This amounts to the sum
Of $1,000, and, am convinced. can be here
after quadruplcd each year, if tho institu.
tion continues TO bo managed upon tho bnsi-
ness principles upon which it is now con
Quoted. This cannot 10 done, however, un-
less tho directors aro permitted to obtain the
market value of tho convict labor, and if
they arc hampcrcd by special legislation,
donating nny portion Of this labor to enter
prises which, however commcndahle are
moro or less loral in their character. When
such enterprises arc deemed Of sufficient
general Importance to warrant public sub
Ridy. let it bo done directly and go noai,ic.
and the net stand upon its merits. II seems
to me that such profits rs Tsy bc had from
the labor Of our criminal population shoald
either go into the treasury to tighten the
burden of the general taxes, or if il fni
special appropriation, that il should supple
mcnt the fund for cducati0r, whose benefits
accrue to all, amh whose results decrease
crime itself.
II gives me pleasure to be alir Ia bear
tcsli.no;iy to the efficient discharge of duty
by tho Superintendent Of the Pci.itcntiary
and his subordinate Oiccrs
TIE LUNaTiC ASYLUM
Tho aggregate current expenses of tho
State last year for all purposes. except in
tcrcst, was SO ,73!j aud of this Sl07 1861 was
expended upon the l.unatic Asylum. being |
littlo more than onethiId of the whole
Tho number of inmates during tho |
fiscal year was 100; and in the fact that but |
20 Of this number were supported by friends, |
and that tho remainder were charged To tho |
state rs indigcnt poor, is foun:: .he cXp!ana-
ton OF this heavy expenditures. There cannot |
no on tho part of nuy ono u desire to limit |
the benefits of this noble charity; but it |
should DO limited to its purpose and remain |
n charity. The pauper alono should receive |
tho bounty Of tho State; those who arc able |
to pay in whole q. in part for tho benefits of |
the institution should be required to do so;
and its proper share of usefulness should not
be limited by cncumboring 1t with inmates
not properly within tho putvicw OF it's cs-
tablishmcnt. III this connection commend
to your earnest consideration tho Report of
Tho superintendent of the Asylum. Tho
remedy hc suggests will undoubtedly cor
rect tho evil. 1t is to return to the mode pro-
vailing before tho war, and to require each
county to support those whom its officials
sond Rs raEpers to tho institution. This is |
entirely consistent with the scheme of our
poor laws. Tho county lcvics tho fund for
tho maintenance of it's sane paupers, and II |
Is expended under local supervision. 1t
should also levy tho tax and retain supor-
vision OF the fund applicable to tho support |
oi these more Unfortunate persons among its
indigent population. Tho part of tho State
should DO limited to appropriations fer tho
salaries of officers and tho general pnrposes
OF buildings and repairs. The ropcrt Of tho
superintendent also with much force dwclls |
upon tho existing modes of commitment of
patients and tho necessity OF rcvi ion of
tho lunacy law. His suggestions are cntitlod |
to tho weight of coming from one who has
made tho subject n study, aud has exhibited
much ability in tho discharge Of his special |
duhcs.
The Asylum under its present manage
ment. in securing all that pcrtains to its |
bencticcnt objects, l am happy to believe, |
compares favorahly with similar institutions
elsewhere.
DEPARTMENT or AGRICULTURE.
The lately instituted department of agri. |
culture has during tho past year undertaken |
very fully the duties intrusted to ie, and |
gives promise Of taking place in the dovel- |
opment Of the State beyond what was antici- |
pated when 1t was established. The report |
OF the commissioner to be submitted to you, |
Tho oxtent of the duties imposed |
upon him, and tho zeal with which they |
have been discharged. / have myself had |
occasion to observe the intelligent and ear- |
nest effort given by tho board to their work. |
No part of the work of .his department is !
mn nrIrnr Il, IL a..