The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-12-18
The Convict System. n

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The bill having been introduced in the
House of Representatives to regulate the
working of couvicts hired out from the
penitentiary by which the supervision,
control and punishment of such convicts
is given to a deputy superintendent
appointed by the State and to be paid
by the parties hiring the copvicts through
the penitentiary, the committee charged
with the bill reported unfavorably.
When it came up for action on Tuesday,
the 9th inst, MIR. Haskell moved to lay
the report on the table and take up the
bill, which was done. -
Mr. Hemphill moved to strike out the
enscting clause.
Mr.. Haskell said that the Bill was
almost identical with one which the
House had passed almost unanimously at
its last session. This measure was not
designed to prevent the hiring out of the
convicts-t that is manifestly impossible
at the present time on account of the
inadequate accommodations for convicts
within the walls of the penitentiary. 1t
is fact that the deaths among convlcts
hired out without the control and super.
vision of the Superintendent was over
thirty per cent, while, under such super
vision, the death rate was only seven per
cent, and it was only the demand OF
humanity that system which produced
such results should be remedied, if pos
sible.
Mr. Lee of Sumter opposed the bill
and hoped that the enacting clause would
be stricken out.
The vote was then taken on the mo.
ton to strike out, and the result, when
announced by the Speaker was, yeas 45,
nays As. The Speaker voted nay and
the effort to kill the measure failed.
Then came the most earnest, protract-
ed and able debates, which have yet
occurred in the House, displaying on
both sides mastery of the subject in all
its aspects, and a common purpose,
though by different methods, to secure q
more humane management of the con.
Victs.
Mr.. Hemphill said that the bill vir-
tually destroyed the system of hiring out
convicts, for it hedged about the hiring
with conditions 80 onerous as to act as
an absolute bar to the making of con.
tracts for their hire outside of the peni-
tentiary.
Mr.. Haskell had hoped that the neces'
sity would not have been forced on the
friends of this measure to lift the curtain
upon one of the darkest pictures which
has disgraced the history of our State
Government. But he was impelled to
state the truth in this matter so plainly
that members would be compelled to face
the responsibility which vote OH this
question would involve. He gave facts
and figures respecting the murderous re-
suits of the prevailing system-a system
so appalling Units operation that two OF
the Judges had been compelled to say
that they shrank with horror from the
duty of sentencing convicts to the penis
tentiary. He admitted that the bill was
but the first step in reformation which
was intended to lead ultimately to the
employment of these convicts within the
walls of the penitentiary, but the primary
consideration of the advocates of the
bill was humanity to this unfortunate
class, which the State was bound in their
utter helplessDess 10 protect them from
the inevitable results of this bloody sys'
tenn. If he could contribute to the
overthrow of this system, and the ame'
Iteration Of this unfortunate class, he
" ould feel that he had done more in the
service of the State than he had ever
hoped to accomplish, and he appealed to
the higher sentiment of philanthropy
and Christian duty of the members OF
the House, not to forego the opportunity
whichsthe bill presented of .wipipg out
SO foul a blot from the proud escutcheon
of the State.
Mr.. Blake of Abbeville opposed the
views of MIR. Haskell, taking the ground
that the very evilsso eloquently portrayed
By him and worse had, in the experience
of the Western penitentiary manage
ment, resulted from hiring out the con-
victs. Incurable and loathsome diseases
contracted within the prison had thus
been disseminated through the commu-
nifty outside, and the policy of leasing
out was everywhere being abandoned. !,
Mr.. Raysor, supporting the bill, said
it was, imp portant to the State that the
penitentiary should be self sustaining,
but he was confident that there was no
one in the House who would have it so
at the expense of the humane treatment
1 of the unfortunate criminals who were
the subjects Of its discipline. There
could be no doubt that under the con-
tract system great wrongs and enormities
had been committed and from past
experience be regarded it as absolutely
i necessary for the protection of the con-
I victs that certain restrictions should be
thrown around their management when
outside the walls of the penitentiary. 1t
would not destroy the contract system to
do so, as the lessees now have to em>
ploy guards to supervise the convicts,
and the bill only makes the guards
directly responsible to the Superintend-
ent and appointed by him.
Mr.. Lee said, if the underlying MOI
tive of the bill was that of humanity to
leased convicts, as claimed by its author,
then it should prevent the leasing OF
convicts entirely; but the bill does not
propose to do this, but continues and
legalizes such hiring, but under such
harsh restrictions as practically calls in
all leased couvicts and insures them en-
ployment on the Columbia Canal. The
inconsistency of the author of the bill
can only be explained by himself. II
the leased convics were called in, ii
must result in overcrowding the peniten.
tiary, and in the language of the Surgeon
in his report "would be positively danger
GUS. to human life." The penitentiary
! would be no longer self sustaining, but
4 an expense to the State. The existing
laws carefully guarded the welfare Of
the convicts, it being the duty of the
Superintendent and Surgeon to visit and
inspect the camps. This duty had been
performed, the annual report declaring
that "the condition of the hands has