Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-12-12

Governor Mcdaniel has given some very
commendable instructions respecting the
Treatment Of sick c0nvicts in camps. Our
dispatches do not state the reason for
these instructions. 1t is probable, now
ever. that there have been complaints oi
Entertainment. The Governor IS wise IN
enforcing all necessary rules ana regula-
tions for the protection, health and COM
fort of the couvicts. our convict system
+ not nonuIar because il is liable to grave
ofusas There is considerable hostility
r., il throughout the state. and there are
fraouant attacks upon it by the press
az Northern States. Lately the New
York Tribune contained letter from
Atlanta in which the system was severely
criticised. and that paper supplemented
the letter with an editorial article
i'm which the Georgia Senators
were called the ..Chain-Gang Senators"
because one Of them is lessee OF conVIcts
and the other at one time had an interest
in a convict lease. 1t is true that the
1ltterances Of the Tribune on matters per-
tanning To the South are not entitled to
much respect because they are intention
allv partisan and unfair, but with Ger
tain class Of people they are accepted as
truth. and if uncontradicted are calcula-
ted to create a false impression on the
publfc mind. The Georgia convict system
Is the system Of a number Of the Southern
states. That it is liable to abuses and Is
abused Will no doubt be admitted by its
advocates: but what convict system Is
not liable TO abuses: Gov. Butler gave
the people Of Massachusetts an inside
view Of their Tewksbury almshouse,
and If he had been reelected he
would probably have shown them horrors
in their prisons. Every once in while a
story Of the horrible treatment Of prison
ers. where prisoners are confined within
urison walls. reaches the public. In the
! last number Of Do LetriS' Monthly the
destructive and brutal treatment Of insane
persons in insane asylums is alluded to.
[ Little is known Of the abuses to which
prisoners shutup in prisons are subjected,
but everything that goes on in a convict
camp is known. not only to the people Of
the neighborhoOd. but to the entire
/ country. Would-be philanthropists
/ seize upon isolated eases Of cruelty, and
Judge the lease system from these cases.
/ With a very few facts picture full
I Of horrors is presented. In the
effort to excite public condemnation
Of the system the truth is disregarded
! But what do those who condemn the pre-
/ sent system propose in place Of it? Is 1t
/ proposed to keep the convicts in the peni-
Tertiary in idleness? The cost would be
enormous. and the people would refuse to
bear the necessary taxation. Georgia has
! now about 800 convIcts. The most of
them are negroes, who would not care
how long they remained in the peniten-
tiary If they had plenty to eat and moth
! ing 10 do. Their number would be quickly
doubled. Why should the people Of the
| state tax themselves to maintain these
thriftless. thieving Migrants in idleness!
/ They are already taxed heavily to pro-
| vide for them in their county jails. Until
the condition Of the negroes greatly i'm
| proves and they cease to furnish so large
a per cent. Of the criminals, the chain
| gang system will remain in use in the
states which have large negro popula-
| ton unless 4 better system is discovered.