The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1883-02-08
AN OFFICIAL OUTRAGE.

We refer to the use by the Marietta and
North Georgia Railroad company Of hundreds
! OF cOnvlcts of the State, without pav to the
Treasury and worked wholly for personal
behoof of Boston spectators. 1t is impossible
that Governor Stephens should be ignorant Of
the facts. They are 30 glaring that the whole
State knows of them and marvels at hs mac
ton and indisposi.ion to interfere with the
arrangement atlanta Herald
The Herald is the partizan defender and
supporter of Penitenliary Companies Nos. 2
and 3, and the real object is not in the interest
the hands for those companies. But the trou.
BILE is the NJ, & N. Ga. Railroad has the hands
building railroad which the Penitentiary
companies want in making brick and cotton
for private gain. Penitentiary Companies
Nos 2 and 3 cant stand comparison and a
just criticism as to the use of the convicts by the
two parties. The Lease act of 1876 under
which they aud the N. n N. G. Railroad hold
is SO plain and palpably outspoken in its pre-
ference for railroads that it cannot be mistaken.
The Penitentiary Companies only paid $1l
per annum for able bodied men until 1870
Now they pay $4,000 per annum or abodt
so per month From this fund all the officers
of the Penltentiary- Principle Keeper, Assis-
tant Keeper Surgeon and Chaplains a:e paid,
Where is the increased taxes from the labor of
their thonssnd able bodied convcts Not a
cent is added to the taxable wealth of the State.
Whereas, the NJ. IL N. G. Railroad has
about lo0 convicls-9 women, several boys,
and about thirty of the number not able TO sup
port themselves, and who We're sent in that
inefficient condition. The NJ. Il N. Ga. Rail
road pay their own physicians, furnish med-
cine and keep standing hospital for those
who We're sent to them for treatment The
road supports these dead heads and the re-
mainder of the convicts are grading a road,
which s building towns, factories, opening
farms, building churches, school houses, edu-
eating white children, who never could have
been educated, opening mines of copper and
iron which never could have been utilized
opening quarries of marble and slate, and Civ
ing market for the best timber OF hard woods,
in great demand by mechanics and builders
All this adds to the taxable property of Geor-
gia and will increase her revenues every year
aud Tighten the burden of taxation all over the
State.
Georgia refused any other aid in this work
except convict labor and the loan OF about
S62 600 from convict fund, for which she holds
first mortgage bonds on the road then built
and every dollar hereafter invested. When
Georgia and her citizens failed to carry on the
work, and when the 1000 was regarded
worthless because the road was 30 short |
Messrs K,nsey and Eager and their associates
were induced by the persuasion of our people
to come forward, buy engines, feed and care
for the oonvicts to complete the road buy iron.
rolling stock employ and pay skilled labor to
build bridges trestles, etc, and they were as
sured by Governor Co!qutt, Senator Brown !
and others that they would have the right to
was completed Now they are denominated |
" Boston spectators" to excite prejudice and |
draw off these men and give the hands to Pen
itentiary Companies Nos. , and to "specu-
late" on in making brick and cotton in competi- |
ton with free labor. Hundreds of our labor |
era, Southern men with wives and children |
have been driven out Of employment because
they could not compete with stout able bodied |
men in chains at $50 per annum. Every sec
ton of the NJ. & n. Ga. Railroad completed
gives employment to a section boss and track
hands, wood choopers, engineers, train hands,
agents. etc aud makes way for the tran por
tation of produce to support farmers and their
families, merchants and mechanics, and give
food and employment to consumers. And yet
the Atlanta Herald in its blind zeal to serve its
partisans calls all this AN courage" on the
people OF Georgia.