Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-12-01
pervision of the management of public funds d

than that by those of the locality in which they
are contributed and in which they are expend
ed I renew the suggestion that the grand ju
ries of the respective counties be charged with
the duty of examining and auditing the ac'
counts for the county commissioners and that
these accounts be published in detail in the
county press for sufficient time before the
session of the court to bring them fully to the
attention of the taxpayers. The commission
to the Comptroller General, to be by him, en-
bodied in his annual report as statistical infOr-
nation, and they should still be required, as
now, to submit to the General Assembly esti.
mates of supplies upon which to base the an
nual county levy.
| THE PENITENTIARY.
There can be little doubt that the most de-
sirable management of penitentiary is that
in which the inmates are kept within its walls,
and employed in industries which would at
least make them self-sustaining The penal
and reformatory discipline which should adj
here to the institution, as well as considera-
tions of health and humane treatment, would
be thus best subserved. The present board of
directors have kept this leading idea steadily
! in view, and have made considerable progress
in that direction. For the present, however,
and for some time to come, unless the main
| tenance of the convicts is to be a charge upon
the public treasury, the employment of por-
tion of them beyond the walls is a necessity.
In this event they must be utilized by the
State engaging in enterprises which would
protitably employ them, or they must be leased
to private contractors for private or public
works The first does not commend itself to
me, and when tried for the last two years upon
the large .Penitentiary plantation below Co
lumbia, has not proved a marked success. The
plan of Pleasing the convicts has also been tried.
There have been undoubted evils connected
with it, most of which experience has elimin-
ated, and this system, in my judgment, is the
best that offers itself. My attention has been
closely given to it's working, and my conclu-
sons upon the subject have the strength of
convictions. You will permit me briefly to
state them:
The convicts should not be leased in small
numbers to any one contractor, or for work
that necessarily shifts from locality to To-
cality; and the overseers and guards in
charge of them shouldbe appointed and paid by
the Penitentiary authorities. These provis-
ions, together with the frequent inspections
now directed to be made, and the summary
power of recall now vested in these authorities
by law, will make the leasing of the convicts
liable to but few objections.
When the work shifts from locality to local
ity, barracks and stockades, in which security,
health, humanity and discipline, may be at
once consulted, are not, and from consldera-
tions Of economy, cannot be erected for the
temporary use which is alone required. When
the work is stationary, the number of convlcts
sufficiently large, and the time of the lease
long enough to warrant it, there is no reason
why structures, to be approved by the board OF
directors, should not be erected by the con-
tractor, in which the requirements OF health
security, and humane discipline should be as
fully consulted as in the Penitentiary itself.
The annual report of the board OF directors
and superintendent of this institution, to be
submitted to you, makes most gratifying
financial exhibit. The entire appropriation
of the last session for the maintenance of the
Penitentiary, for continuance of work on pris-
on wall, and protection against fire, S23, ,OO0
in all, remains undrawn in the State treasury,
and is applicable to such other purposes as
you shall direct. The institution has, for the
first time in it's history, from it's earnings, sus-
tanned itself and made necessary permanent
improvements ; is free from debt, and has to
it's credit cash balance to be carried forward
to next year. This amounts to the sum of
SIS, 900, and, am convinced, can be hereafter
quadrupled each year, if the institution con-
tinues to be managed upon the business prin-
cipleS upon which it is now conducted. This
cannot be done, however, unless the directors
are permitted to obtain the market value OF
the convict labor, and if they are hampered
by special legislation, donating any portion OF
this labor to enterprises which, however COM
mendable, are more or less local in their char
acter. When such enterprises are deemed OF
sufficient general Importance to warrant pub
lie subsidy let it be done directly and co NOM
me, and the act stands upon it's merits. 1t
seems to me that such profits as may be had
from the labor of our criminal population
should either 60 into the treasury to tighten
the burden of the general taxes, OF if it find
special appropriation, that it should supple
ment the fund for education, whose benefits
accrue to all, and whose results decrease crime
itself.
1t gives me pleasure to be able to bear testi-
mony to the efficient discharge of duty by the
Superintendent of the Penitentiary and his
subordinate officers.
THE LUNATIC ASYLUM.
The aggregate current expenses of the
State last year for all purposes, except in
terest, was 1854, 739; and of this SLOT ,l64 was
expended upon the Lunatic Asylum, being a
little more than one-third of the whole
amount The number of inmates during the
fiscal year was 400; and in the fact that but
81 of this number were supported by friends,
and that the remainder were charged to the
State as INDECENT poor, is found the explana-
tion Of this heavy expenditure. There cannot
be on the part OF any one desire to limit the
benefits of this noble charity ; but it should
be limited to it's purpose and remain charity.
The pauper alone should receive the bounty
of the State those who are able to pay in
whole or in part for the benefits of the institu-
tiOn should be required to do so and it's prop
er share of usefulness should not be limited by
encumbering it with inmates not properly
within the purvew of it's establishment. In
this connection l commend to your earnest
consideration the Report of the Superinten-
dent of the Asylum. The remedy he suggests
will undoubtedly correct the evil. 1t is to re-
turn to the mode prevailing before the war,
and to require each county to support those
whom it's officials send as paupers to the instl-
tuition. This is entirely consistent with the
scheme of our poor laws. The county levies
the fund for the maintenance of it's sane pau
pers, and is is expended under local supervis-
ion 1t should also levy the tax and retain su-
pervision of the fund applicable 10 the support
of these more unfortunate persons among its
INDECENT population. The part of the State
should be limited to appropriations for the
salaries of officers and the general purposes of
DullulIRS anu IepdlIS. Liz IepOlI VI Iile Cu-
perintendent also, with much force, dwells upon
the existing modes of commitment of patients
and the necessity of a revision of the lunacy
law. His suggestions are entitled to the
weight of coming from one who has made the
subject study, and has exhibited much abili-
ty in the discharge of his special duties.
The asylum, under its present management,
in securing all that pertains to it's beneticent
objects, am happy to believe, compares ia
vorably with similar institutions elsewhere.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.