The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1889-11-07
THE LASH.
SOME THOUGHTS ON
The Whipping Post.


extensive and costly penitentlaries,
which load is made heavier by the
tremendous annual appropriations
that become necessary TO keep these
extensive establishments in exists
ence.
The State prisons cf the South
may be said to swarm with inmates ,
a very large proportion Of whom are
those who have been convicted for
petty offences. In one instance a
negro boy has been sent up for steal
ing a chicken that was probably
worth in the neIghborhood of twenty
five cents; again a negro woman
who purlOlned number of hand =
kerchlefs from her mistress, was
given the privilege of living at the
States expense for period of five
years. These instances are sufficient
to illustrate the point i'll view; they
could be followed by scores, if not
hundreds of additional instances,
were 1t necessary.
The conviction of these petty
criminals entails a great expense up
on the taxpayers of State, which
is augmented by incarceration in the
State penitentiary.
That this class of offenders against
the laws of the State should have
punishment of some kind meted out
to them goes as matter of course +;
and just what kind of punishment Is
the most effective IN suppressing
such crime and which at the same
time does not cost the taxpayer too
much, is q question that is now res
ceiving a good deal of attention in
tbs South. 1t is a phase of prison
reform that neels adjustment in
every State, AMI this can only be
accomplished by wholesome and dis
passionate agitation.
1t is said that there were several
measures before The last North Car
olina legislature looking to dealing
with this class Of petty offenders,
and that one of these provided for
the Institution of the whipping post +,
which Is still in vogue in Delaware,
where it Is claimed that the per>
centage of crime Is less than it is in
any other Stase Of the Union.
Captain English, who Is in charge
Of one of the criminal camps IN
Georgia, has recertly expressed the
opinion that a return 10 the whip
ping post for petty crimes and miss
demea0Ors would be instantly fol-
lowed by great decrease Of that
class of criminals large parcent~
age of whom, he declares, do not
mind the chain,gang. He advances
the argument that this system would
relieve the counties to great ex-
.ent Of tie burdens of a chain-gang,
and be the means of quickly reliev-
ing the people Of the heavy tax for
the courts.
But Captain English does not stop
here. He atfirms that the county
chain gangs are the great feeders of
the State prisons and that the whip
ping. post for miSdemeanOrs Will not
only solve satisfactorily the chains
gang problem, but will inevitably
work a wholesome revolution il. the
penitentiary, where the number of
convicts would be reduced by the
constant expiration of sentences, and
there would be fewer criminals sent
TO supply their places.
''Of course 1t will be said that it is
barbarous SYSTEM" says Mr.. Eng
glish, 'but it Is not. The negro who
is convicted of stealing chicken, a
ham or peck of potatoes, is now
sent to the chaln-gang and his family
| left to be the real sufferers. In
many cases they are driven to crime.
But" concludes NJ. English. ''if the
petty criminal Is givea a few lashes,
well applied, he Is turned loose and
will 90 to work. He is not hurt
much but be will he exceedingly
careful how he subjects himself
again TO the whlpping>post. Tue
disgrace Of it Is no greater than the
chais-gang, but it Is more effective
punishment
The Globe does not profess to say
that the revival Of this system is the
proper solution of the question under
discussion, because there Is to US 9
semblanCe OF bar barism about il land
it does seem that some more humane
and equally as effective mode ot
punishment ought to be devised.
We are convinced that a different
system from that now in existence
has become necessary. To increase