New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-09
CHAIN GANGS IN THE SOUTH.

rrrENCE OF THE SYSTEM PURSUED IN UTIIZ.
ING CONVICT LABOR.
=, tho Editor OF the Tribune:
s. a Nor;herner who has spent several years
40 cortb-long enough to become intimately ac-
anoin,eA with the people and customs of Georgia
sai Tennessee-I crave the favor of space in your
,,er for the purpose of making few remarks on
sundays article, Chained Negroes Compelled 10
Work ~, - 49,
,, a. the back of il. 1t IS true that in Georgia
.,e chain gang is established institution ana
worry desirable one in many ways. as snail eN-
,oir Each town has its lookup. each county
,,e chain gang and the State its convict camps
rho ,ockups are mainly for Neutrality-suspicious. SEN
,s,ces and for those awaiting trial As in the
North no work is done in the lookup. The chain
c.ng is made up of persons convicted OF mis-
deneanors Each gang is In charge OF an expert
encei road master, and their work Is IN cleaning
city streets occasionally and in macadamizng the
county roads
Tho convict amp contains the felons. Such n camp
resembles somewhat contractors camp of Italians
evcAnt that the quarters of the men are Cleaner
o,d more permanent and are surrounded by stock
ade such camps are established wherever required
tho convics being rented by the State 10 conirac-
TORS. who feed the prisoners and guard them the
State retaining an inspectorship merely over It's
guilty subjects.
States is somew hat sparsely populated. The north
western part Of the state is mountainous. and the
water-side swampy. good roads being therefore eN-
pensve. with but few people to stand the expense.
The county chain gang. therefore. meets want
which can be supplied in no other way. and for this
reason is not acting as a rival TO free labor GOOD
roads are the rule in the greater part OF Georgia
Such roads cost the county about 60 cents per con-
Wet per day. and he docs 81 worth Of work each
day. In other words. the county gets paid pract-
caly - cents per day for each convict with good
roads thrown in a bonus. This Is surely better
than sending a convicted of misdemeanor to
prison. where the taxpayer is obliged TO support HIM.
Where the former scheme may be considered as con-
ducive 10 heavy sentences. the latter is not free
from the suggestion Of causing inadequate ones.
Icannot champion the cause Of convict camps with
much enthusiasm. the felons who compose them
are employed in digging earth. mining coal, making
bricks or telling timber In this way they com
peting with the free laboring men. and are objec-
,onabe The plan OF labor for felons is good one.
but 1t is in this way msapplied. maintain that the
convict camp should have 10 do only with pubic
improvements OF such magnitude as preeluaes me
enlistment Of private capital in the undertaking So
cety is then furnishing the criminal at the latter
expense. not al its own.
/ claim for Georgia that her laws are as fairly
administered as are those Of New-iork Election
stares me in the face. | cannot throw stones; The
person who gave your reporter the material Tor
the article in question was very careful not TO
state that white the very same style OF
chains in the gangs with the negroes. am
inclined to doubt the statement concerning a four
mile walk each way day. 1t IL customary TO
provide wagons for the men, If the distance IL
worth considering. The chains are caught up 10
a belt about the waist usually, thus taking most
OF the weight from the ankles. Upon becoming
accustomed TO the extra weight walking IL quite
easy although running is out OF the question the
chain limiting the length of the step The Shackles
usually leave permanent red mark on the ankles.
such mark serving for Identification In case ii man
is brought up for second crime.
The guards carry loaded rihes-yes. and re-
peaters at that. But each watch tower OF North
ern prison is a vertabe arsenal. New-York re-
sorts to firearms: why should not Georgia? There
the ferocty OF the bloodhound. The hallucination
was implanted with the appearance OF IT ncle
Toms Cabin" and has been carefully nurtured by
the politicians since. The bloodhound - a
marvel in the matter of seeming. man may
walk through the heart OF q convict camp. change
his shoes ard proceed onward. If one OF the DIS,
csrded shoes is offered the hound the latter VIII
trail the owner through the camp and eventually
run him down. Notwithstanding the fact that the
latter part Of the trail is made of shoes which The
hound has not smeiled The hound merely holds
his prisoner at bay. and will never modest him. un-
less the latter moves He then merely throws the
man down and awaits the keeper.
An article like that OF Sunday, innocently printed
aids the politicians OF all parties in maintaining
an unbroken front for that solid South. which,
honeycombed by political dissensions would other
wise fail to pieces H. :. N1NkOof.