The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-04-06
Southern judges siandered.

Mr.. Chauncev VI. Dspew stopped in WASH
i1gton on Friday on his return to New
I Yor.- from the south, and was inte-vie vel
/ by the Post of that city. In the course of
some remarks which he made on the south
Z ern convict system he said ''Ons thing
which more than any osher has de5auchei
public sentiment in the south is the co1yict
( labor system. which holds in certain
states. Unless Kennan's stories Of the Sibs.
rian horrors are absolutely true, taere
can he no scenes ia a civilized country
so terrible as those in the so Tthern convict
camps. Thsss poor convicts are Leased to
men who have no interest in their welfare
or reformation. No one SEES whether they
are properly fed, clothed. housed, treated
or cared for. Sometimes the contracts call
| for a certain number of convicts aud the
/ state furnishes them. Howl Ii they can't
/ fill the quota otherwise the most trivial Of
lenses are made excuse for ioag terms OF
/ Imprisonment. have no doubt that many
| innocent men are serving sentences in south
| ern convict camps that the quota might be
/ filled"
We have no defense Of the convict lease
| system TO make, though we believe that the
convicts in southern convict camps are
treated, as general thing, just about as
well as the c1nvicts of most northern
prisons. but we assert, without
fear of successful contradiction,
that Mr.. Depew's statement that
criminals are sentenced to long terms of i'm
prisonment for the most trivial offenses, In
order that the lessees may have the benefit
OF their labor, Is false, AID his assertion OF
his belief that innocent men ara sent to the
convict camps to fill the quotas Of convicss
which the states have contracted to
furnish to lessees is n SANDER of the most
outrageous kind. Mr.. Depew. in effect,
says that southern judges, juries aud grand
juries deliberately conspire to send men
and women who are not guilty of any crime
to the convict camps.
Is there judge or juryman in all the
south who has ever bean guilty of such a
thingf We do not believe there is We
are certain that Mr.. Depew never heard the
name of one. Why, then. should he have
made charge of which he had no proof
whateverl Why should he desire to bring
southern courts into disrsputel What
reason had he for expressing a belief that
judges and jurymen in the south are men
without mercy, without honor and without
any regard for the oath they take before
entering upon the discharge of their duties!
We have nothing harsh to say of Mr. Depew.
We have been accustomed to regard him as
an honorable, courteous gentleman, who
would not knowingly do any one an injus-
tice, and it therefore seems strange to us
that he should have gratuitously slandered
people that have never expressed any
thing hut a kindly feeling for him.
1t is true that there may be Innocent men
in the convict camps of the south, just as
there may be innocent men in the peniten-
tiaries of the north, but if there are any
there, neither the governors of the state; in
which the camps are located, nor the judges
and juries by whom such innocent men were
tried, know it, They are there by mistake
and because there was convincing evidence
of their guilt.
Grand juries in the south do not find in
dictments except when they are compelled
by their oaths to do 80. They excuse
otfenses, particularly where the defe 1dants
are bucks, when they can conscientiously
be merciful, but also because it is their
duty and inclination to keep down the
court expenses of their respective counties.
1t Is rare thing to find among the whites
any disposition to do the blacks an in
justice. The shortcomings of the blacks are
too frequently overlooked.
If Mr.. Depew could have little expert
ence in grand jury room ia the south he
would express in the north very different
views. In his trip south he saw only such
blacks as are about the hotels. He saw
nothing OF that great mass of ignorant
blacks with whom the tourist never comes
in contact. A short experience in grand
jury room would convince him that all the
blacks are not honest, thrifty and peaceable,
as he seems to think they are. 1t i, quite
safe TO say that three-fourths of the crimes
against persons and property are committed
by blacks, and they are responsible for at
least three-fourths of the criminal expenses.
The charge that innocent men are sent to
convict camps to fill quotas is absurd.
What interest have judges and iuries in
having large number of convictS in the
convict campss None whatever.
MI. DepeW mas done the south great
wrong. He one of the most widely known
men in the country, and this SANDER to
which he has given utterance will attract
general attention. 1t will be believed by
many who have heretofore refused to credit
the falsehoods about the south that have
been circulated by partisan newspapers.
The south is willing for the truth to be told
about her. but she objects to being made
the target for the Islander of those who visit
her and are honored by her people
1t is highly probable that the republican
senate will confirm the nomination of Dave
Dudley as postmaster at Americas, but 1t is
being noticed that Dawes political bre thren
of the white race in Washington are not
Shaping him familiarly upon the back, or
walking arm in arm with him along the