The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-29

leave 10 your wisdom 20 determine Wnat
shall be done II Is probable that 10 viii
take Sl-3.lu1 to meet the requirements or
this act. I cannot f0rbear saying that
the motives which prompted the passage
of this act We're generous. noble, and
worthy the great state Of which you are
accredited representative. There Is no
class OF our fellow citizens. no class OF
our pensioners. who are more deserving
of the states bounty than thse who are
entitled 10 pensions under Ine prOFis-
ions of this act. and / most earnestly rec
ommend that you make provision for the
payment Of this class Of pensioners.
PENITENTIARX
The report Of The principal keeper OF
the penitenuary VIII give you all necessary
ana growing department Ii is gratifying
20 know, however, that during the last
or c1uvicts has been smaller than the year
previous, and. with few exceptions, small
er than any year since the lease act went
INTO eHect- me greatest trouble with
the lessees during the year Just past has
grown out Of what is known as TRUSTEES
ln the convict service. From my know
ledge OF these camps and the way they
are concluded, am satisfied that ID is wise
10 permit this to some extent under strict
Fuifs ana lInl ions, put as 10 whether
oL not llilS pfacLlce OF making TRUSTEES
Of some convicts is being abused Is now
q grave question. j have instructed the
principal keeper ana his assistant TO make
dilgent inquiry into its custom. its use
and abuse, and report 20 me with such
recommendations as may in their Judg-
The principal physician Of the peniten-
uary reports that, in his opinion, two
of tine camps now being operated in South
georgia may prove disastrous to the
health of cOnvicts which are required 10
labor therein. As both these are COM
parauEeiy new camps, We have not as
yet had sufficient opportunity to thorough
~ determine this question 10 my satisfac-
ti0n. / Will have these camps closely
cared for and take prompt action if the
conditions should at any time demand II.
The enforcement of the criminal laws
OF this state has been carried on for the
last twelve months with gratifying results.
on several occasions IL has been found
necessary 10 call out the militia. 1t af-
fords me pleasure TO say that In each
instance the troops have borne themselves
~ a commendabie and soldierly manner,
and for their prompt and efficient services
rendered on these occasions they are en-
titled TO the thanks of the commonwealth.
Since the day of my Inauguration there
have been five persons lynched in this
state In each instance the party lynched
one has been lynched during my admin
tstfation except for the crime of rape.
! nave Nalnly endeavored, by an appeal
10 the civil authorities and by Offering re-
wards Tor the lynchers, TO bring to trial
some Of these viOlatOrs Of the law; but
neither an appeal to the courts nor the
offering Of rewards have had the desired
effect The courts have been unable TO
secure proof. and without this they are
pQWerless TO enforce the law. Our peo-
pie are pecuhGrly situated. NO civilized
people on earth other than southern states
are surrounded as we are Our country
i'm many sections is thinly settled. and
fully one-third Of our population is COM
posed Of those who up to a few years ago
were slaves, large percentage of whom
lack moral training, and have not the
proper respect for law or the rights Of
others.
In some portions of the state our women
I'm the country are constantly EXPOSED 10
the brutal attack Of the outlaw. who
has respect for neither virtue nor law.
lt is for this reason that sometimes, when
these outrages upon women do occur,
people-who feel that the safety of
our women depend upon prompt pun
ishment find their Indignation uncon-
trolable and iniiict penalties which should
only be imposed by lawful authority after
a trial by a court of justice. This is
wrong. 1t sacrifices the good name of our
state in the eyes of the civilized world,
the good opinion of which should be de-
sired by all These mobs, by violating
the law, create spirit of lawlessness and
indirectly increase the very crime which
they seek to suppress. In several in
stances the parties lynched in this state
have been taken from the hands of Off
GERS ana most br1taly cruelty, and inhu-
manly treated. Such conduct cannot be
too severely condemned. In my opinion,
II will be wise for the general assembly to
enact a law providing that wherever a
person is taken from the hands Of Officers
and maltreated or murdered, that the gov
ernor be authorized to remove from Office
tne man IRON WHOSE CUSTODY ne was taken,
that the administrator or the family Of
the deceased shall have the right to re-
cover from the county the full value of
his life The state has no right to permit
its officers to take charge of a man, rem
der him powerless to protect himself, and
while in this helpless condition in the
custody of the state to be taken by an
armed mob and maltreated or murdered.
In all such instances their legal represen-
tatives should have redress in the courts,
with right to sue In any county adjoining
the one where the Offense was committed,
and the governor should be empowered
in his discretion, to remove the officer
Such provision would make more active
our law-abiding citizens in suppressing
lawlessness and encoura ging all of our
people to resort to the courts for the pun
ishment of the crime, even where the Of
Tense charged is the most brutal. the
most dastardly and the most heinous. In