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

The bill having been introduced in tht
House of Representatives 10 regulate the
working of co1victs hired out from The
penitentiary by which the supervision
control and punishment Of such convcts
Is given to 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 unlavora6ly
| When il came up for action on Tuesday
the 9th inst, Mr.. Haskell moved to Law
the report on the table aud take up the
| bill which vas done. ,lf
Mr.. Hemphill moved TO strike out the
enocting clause.
M. Haskell said that the Bill was
| almost identical with one which the
House had passed almost unanimously at
| it's last session. This measure was not
designed to prevent the hiring out of the
| convicts-that is manifestly impossible
mt the present time on account of the
inadequate accommodations for convicts
within the walls Of the penitentiary. II
is fact that the deaths among conyicts
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 o system which produced
such results should be Iemedied il pcs.
sible.
Mr.. Lee of Sumter opposed the bill
and hoped that the enacting clause would
bo stricken out.
The vote was then taken on the mo.
tion TO strike out, end the result, when
announced by the Speaker was, yeas As,
nays 45. The Speaker voted nay and
the effort to kill the measure failed.
Then came the most earnest, protract-
ed and able debates which have vet
occurred in the House, displaying on
both sides mastery of the subject in all
its aspects, and q common purpose,
though by different methods, to secure, O
victs.
Mr.. Hemphill said that the bill vir.
tually destroyed the system of hiring out
convicts, for it hedged about the hiring
with conditions 90 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.
slty 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. Blu: he vas impelled to
state the truth in this matter 80 plainly
that members would be compelled to face
the responsibility which q vote on this
question would involve. He gave facts
and figures respecting the murderous re-.
suits of the prevailing eystem-a system
30 appalling in It's 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 10 reformation which
was intended to lead ultimately to the
employment of these conyicts within the
walls of the penitentary, but the primary
consideration of the advocates of the
bill was humanity to this unfortunate
Class, which the State was bound in their
utter helplessness 10 protect them from
the inevitable results of this bloody sys.
tenn. IF he could contribute to the
overthrow of this system, and the anne.
Iteration OF this unfortunate class, he
would 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
aud Christian duty of the members of
tho House, not to forego the opportunity
which the bill presented of .wiping out
80 foul blot from the proud escutcheon
Of the State.
Mr.. Blake of Abbeville opposed the
views Of Mr.. Haskell, taking the ground
that the very evils 80 eloquently portrayed
by him and worse had, in the experience
of the Western peIritentiary manage.
rnent, resulted from hiring out the con
victs. lncurable 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, important 10 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
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 aud ,fron, past
experience be regarded it as absolutely
necessary for the protection of the con.
victs that certain restrictions should be
thrown around their management when
outside the walls Of the penitentiary. It
would not destroy the contract system to
do 80, as the lessees now have to ems
ploy gnards to supervise the conviets,
and the bill only makes the, guards
directly responsible to the Superintend>
ent and appointed by him. ="
Mr.! Lee said, il the, underlying mo>
tive of the bill was that of humanity to
leased convicts, as claimed by It's 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 convicts and insures them EN-.
ploymenton the Columbia Canal. The
inconsistency Of the author of the bill
can only be explained by himself. If
the leased cqnyic,s. were called in, 1t
must result Ia overcrowding The peniten.
tiaTy, and in the language Of the Surgeon
in his report "would be positively danger.
ousEto human life" The penitentiary
would be no longer self sustaining, but
an expense to the State. The existipg
laws, carefully guarded the welfare Of
the conyicts, It. being the duty Of the
superintendent and Surgeon to visit and
inspect the camps. This duty had been
Al - n . II