Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-02

In view of the meagre profits realized from
tn" cultivation of our soil, "A 1 the -upport
WI en- that ludu try furnl-hes every olhcr
Interest. il becomes the high dnty Of the sta lie
government TO foster our agriculture by
even legitima encouragement WItn"oIu-
in- n recon- meudation on the tuDjeCt,
venture the SUI ge-tlOn that such encourage
ment may De afforded without taxing othtT m
( duslrles To Interests. and that 1enltentldFg
system. free from serious objections. may at
the same time be permanently established,
for at least a certain class and numOer OF
convicts. In order to attempt the accom-
/ pls1ment, in one act, Of both these ohJecls the
Legislature might establish one farm
as an experiment. To be worheh
by short term convIcts, con-
trolled by the State. rs these cOnvlcts are re-
ceived from the present leases. either through
forfeiture, voluntary surrender or Otherwise
If the Legislature shall authorize the Gov
error to act in the premises, ! shall nope 10
secure for the Stale 4 sufficient number OF
| these prisoners 70 supply one such farm
Such limited experiment could not involve
The State IN much loss and If un satisfactory
, could be abandoned and changed by the Leg
L AZURE winch viii meet two wears hence. IL
the esulJ shou prove satisfactory Audltiohat
/ farms might be establ-hed In dlnerenL sec
lions the state; but IN no case would re
omincnd The establishment Of sucn additional
larme except a. and until exp rlence bh"ud
prove them to he self sustaining. The aJien-
ton Of The General Assembly IS -pecialy IN
WED To the probable results 10 follow such
system If properly organized and II success
should be secured by the Stale. To whatever
extent profitable employment could thus ne
! found for The cUnyicts the results from The
! system would be most important.
IT WOULD Al ONCE ELIMINATE
from our penn entIary system The serious OBJ
Ject!ons To the OLD plan OF close confinement
and the equally grave objections to the pres
ent plan OF leasing.
II " ould conGne he convicts thus employed
to such labor az would east compete with the
honest ldb Dor " the 81 lite.
1t would place the STATE in direct and full
control OF It's prisoners.
II would restore to the State the full power
to enforce tue exact punishment Imposed by
the courts.
1t would place upon the State the just re
sponslbil1ty for guarding the health OF the
convlcts and would cOntine them 10 the most
healthful empiOJ ments.
1t would enable the state to separate them
at ali times according TO classes, conditions.
sexes, and fitness for different slnds OF labor,
ana 20 institute methods for reformation with
greater promise of success.
1t would make such portion of he peni-
tertiary at least self-sustaining, | think, and
with proper MANAGEMENT, m ght cause II to
y cid larger net revenue per capita, than
that now derived from leasing.
But porlant a are these results in them
selves considered, they become OF stlll greater
value when coup ed with the benefits that
would probably accrue to our agriculture
from such experimental farms.
WITH SUCH LABOR, UNIFORM,
certain, constant and under absolute control,
dencc, aided by the Agricul ural Society OF
the state, and by scientific chemists, the cX-
periments suggested by The Agrcu tural De-
partmenJ should be thorough, Of great variety
and absolutely reliable. The cost of bushel
OF grain or bale of hay or Of cotton, measured
by days or hours OF labor, and produced by
different methods OF cultivation ana
manuring. could be definitely determined
and re orted.
The relative expense and value of deep and
shallow pIowlng IN various sols, az qlnereut
seasons and for different crops, should be re
liably ascertained and made known to the
farmers of the state.
The comparative profits to be realized in
various localities. from various crops, fruits
and vegetables could soon be known and made
p bic.
The best and most economical fertilizers for
different soils and crops and seasons, and the
proper times and methods OF their appl-
cation could be reliably determined.
But experimental farming should not be re-
| sorted TO until The farm has become self-sus-
! tanning.
The amount of money requisite for inaugu-
| rating one farm for thirty or forty convicts,
| and for testing the practlcability of such sS s
| TEN would he small, as the operations could be
| conducted upon leased lands If the Legls AZURE
should so direct; and the amount to be eX
| pendeu for ma ntenance and expenses during
| the year could, l think, be returned rom the
| farm products. AS stated above, the test could
| be made 10 the two years TO intervene be-
| fore the meeting of the next Legislature ana
| The result of the trial made known. J suggest
| nndlly,thatlt Is Impossible tOflnulVluual farm =
ers To conduct these needfui and essential eX-
| periments. They have neither the time, nor
means, nor facilities for such tets. And 1t
seems to me probable that no other kind Of
| labor and no other basis for organization and
operations will likely furnish so economical.
so definite, 20 minute, and at the same time
so vast and valuable and requisite Informal
| ton and such needful ad.
| These views are the Outgrowth Of a careful
| investigation of these i'm ortant subjects, and
are presented with profound sense OF my
responsibility to the people. Aud while |
| indulge the hope that the plan suggested
would prove, il tried, both safe and practi-
cable, yet / shall be glad to give
such aid as the executive may fur
nish in carrying to successful execution any
| better system which the General Assem- bly,
may devise. If this limited test should be
made and should prove unsatisfactory, the
| tax upon the states treasury would have
! been very small. If the test should demon
strate the feasibility of the plan, it would
| have furnished an important contribution to
! the satisfactory solution OF the penitentiary
| problem on the one hand, and to the necessary
| encouragement and aid to our agriculture on
! the other. j. B. GORDON.