The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-07-30
THE CONVICT QUESTION.


Penitentiary. The late furry about the
alleged maltreatment Of conyicts at
Twiggs' camp, on The faYannah Valley
Railroad, aroused The officers Of the
l'enitentiary, and has also excited the
attention of the people aud Press, and
will doubtless result in some permanent
and wise policy in regard to the convict
labor Of the State. The humane treat.
ment of these convicts in the Peniten.
tiary, and of those employed outside the
walls, should he carefully provided for
and rigidly enforced but the security of
the people, and the punishment of the
convict with his reformation, if possible,
must also be steadily kept in view AZ the
primary object of this penal institution.
There is no room for windy sentimental.
ity or popular notoriety, to be manufac
tured in the proper consideration OF this
subject. The people Of the State must
see that all necessary laws and regula.
tons nre enacted and honestly and zeal.
ously obcyed, for the humane treatment
of the convicts by oil officers, contractors
and agents. Still the convict should
realize every moment that he is under.
going due and prOportiouate punishment
for his crime against the peace of society,
and that society owes him nothing,
except 10 protect him from improper
treatment, and TO allow him such chances
OF reformation rs punishment is expected
to inculcate. The brutal treatment Of
one or two convicts at Twigg.' camp
recently has naturally and properly
aroused indignation. An anxious inquiry
as to the fault, whether in the officers of
the institution, the contractor or Oyefseer,
or the laws and regulations governing it,
il by no means slified or satisfied. That
the man who inflicted the blows and
stripes should be hunted down and
punished, there is no difference Of opin.
ion. Have the officers Of the institution,
including the Board Of Directors, exe-.
cised that constant care in awarding
contracts, and vigilant oversight over the
conduct Of contractors, in regard to
treatment, hours Of work, food, &C., in
all the details as contemplated and re.
quircd by the laws Of the State. If this
has been done, honestly and faithfully,
and still these cases Of cruelty and bru.
tnlity will occur, then tho officers are
without fault and the cause must be looked
for elsewhere.
That the institution must be sustained
by the labor of tho convicts may be re-.
garded as settled policy. That the walls
arc not large enough to contain all the
convicts under sentence is equally Ger.
tain.
That to construct buildings and walls
sufficient, and employ all convicts in the
institution, would hardly be advocated
at this day. Hence the necessity and
sound policy of leasing portion from
time TO time.
In the General Statutes, from Sec.
2729 to Sec. 1886, pages 759-76O, will be
found tho laws regulating tho leasing Of
convict labor in this State. In Sec. 273l
may be found on opportunity and sci.
fish excuse on the part of contractors
who lease this convict labor for illtreat.
mept, hard driving and immoderate
work of the conyicts. Sec. 273l is as
follows:
"That it shall be the duty OF the Board
leasing convicts, to hire them to the
highest responsible bidder; Provided
That the Board of Directors shall have
power to reject any and ali bids; Prori.
ded further, That no bid shall be received
that does not include the board, clothing
and all other expenses connected with
the transportation and safekeeping of
said convicts, to be paid by the bidder
Provided further, That the said bidder do
agree that If any convict or convicts 40
hired shall be proved to the satisfaction
OF said Directors TO have been illtreated,
or the contract in relation to them to
have been in any way violated, to return
said convict or convicts Immediately to
the Penitentiary upon the order OF said
Directors"
Sec. 1882 provides for heavy penalty
for the escape of convicts, &c.
If n contractor, therefore, bids $l2 Der
month, or even $40 per month, for an
able.bodied convict, and also furnishes
barracks, guard. food and clothing, med.
ical services according to the stringent,
the necessary regulations Of the Board Of
Directors, where Is his profit to come
from, except by immoderate and long
continued hours of labor, by scnnt food
a disregard Of cleanliness and health.
and taking advantage of all shifls which
his cupidity may devise. Hence tk,,
tiiteen and seventeen hours of labor. this
dragging of shackles and chains miles
to and from place of work, squeezing all
the profit possible from the very life.
blood Of the convict. While the con.
tractor should be held strictly to the
term of his contract, and heavily LIN.
ished and mulcted for any violation
thereof, or cruelty or overwork, still is
the State entirely free from reproach,
when the law requires these conyicts to
be hired to the highest bidder, coupled
with all the conditions referred to above.
The contractor, who bids for aud re-.
ceives convicts Mt $l2 per month, as per.
haps Twiggs does, really agrees to pay
nearer twenty dollars per month than
twelve for each convict. Can it reason.
ably be expected that fair margins of profit
can be realized for ten hours of lnbor.
performed rs it should be, over and above
such wages The higher the wages. the
harder and more unrelenting must be
the labor, considers the contractor: If |
tho State demands the most money, the
certainly will not permit his
benevolence or kindness of heart to
stand in the way of his project. Hence,
between the policy Of the State in letting
her convicts out to the highest bidders,
and tho general greediness of mankind
for gain, of which contractors for convict
labor do not form any conspicuous excep.
ton. the convicts Themselves are apt to
fare badly.
II this be so, then this provision should
be expunged from the law, and certainly
The Board of Directors could ascertain
and fix O system of wages which would
be just to the State and the contractor,
and remove all temptation and induce
ment to oppress and overwork the convict:
The labor of the convicts within the |
walls and employed otherwise should be |
made to sustain this Institution in oil It's |