Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-07-01

Gen. z. BTinkerhof, OF OHIO, who lately
visited the Southern states for the purpose
Of inspecting their prisons and asylums,
and who spent day or two in this city
few weeks ago, has taken occasion sew
eral times since his return homo TO cor
rect erroneous Impressions existing in his
state relative to the Southern people, and
the condition of affairs in the south.
he lately replied to an editorial article
IN the Cleveland CO.. Leader, in which
unjust, and even Brutal, language was
used with reference to the people Of south
Carolina. The subject of the article was
the cruel treatment 10 which some Of the
South Carolina conyicts had been sub
jccted. There is no reason to doubt that
some of the c0nyicts had been cruelty
whipped, bat an Investigation was Im-
mediately instituted, and the person re-
sponstble for the cruelty discharged. The
facts in the case did not Justify the harsh
language used by the Cleveland Ledder.
Gen. Brinkerhof, in his reply to the
Ledder, said
Now it has so happened that ! have been
a missionary, or, more properly, an inves-
tigatOr, in several Southern States upon
this and other subjects, and three weeks
a4O ! visited the South Carolina peniten-
ti1ry at Columbia | found pententiary
now rapidly approaching completion,
which, when finished, will be equal in all
its appointments to the average of North
ern prisons, and certainly will be superior
10 our own in Ohio. The south wing is
already occupied and the north wing will
be ready for use in a few months. The
grounds upon which the prison and shops
are located consists Of IA acres, and is en-
closed by substantial wall already COM
pleted.
The superintendent, Col. Thomas j.
Lipscomb, will compare favOrably with
our best prison wardens at the North, and
the whole tone OF the prison was elevated
and humane, and am willing to guaran-
tee in advance that an investigation by
him Will not be a whitewasbing process
by any means. The total number of State
prisoners is about 1000; of these about
300 are leased out, and the re-
mandeT are inside OF the prison
walls, and mostly employed upon
contract labor the same as in
Northern prisons, and 1 have no doubt
are as kindly treated. 50 far as the lease
system is concerned ! did not find man
in South Carolina who approved it, and
everybody seemed delighted at the near
prospect of its entire abolition in the
State. The same can be said of North
Carolina and Virginia, and within year
or two il will cease to exist in all three of
the States named.Y
In Georgia the State is tied up by 30
year leases, running from 1879, and
change is difficult of attainment, but it
will come in time, and may come soon by
forfeiture of contracts on account of
abuses.
The truth is the South is rapidly ad-
Yancing in all directions, and no where
more noticeaDly than in its methods Of
dealing with the dependent defective,
and criminal classes.
Because slavery had existed, it does not
follow that the Southern people are sin
ners beyond all others. Let us remember
that tor twenty five years aftel Ohio was
settled our criminal code authorized whip
ping posts, stocks, pillories and ear-cr0p-
pings as civilizing Institutions, and for
longer period the poor were sold out to the
lowest bidder, aud vet it would hardly be
fair to clam that our fathers were inhu-
man monsters.