The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-29
LEASE OF COUNTY coNWCTS.
THE PoPULISTs SPRING A NEW
CHARGE IN THE CAMPAIGN.

The Governor Accused of WinIine
mt Illegal Management of the Mis-
demeanOr Convict Camps in order
That the Members of the SO-CaIled
Court House Rings May Reap Pc
cuniary Beneht-The Charge Abso-
IuteIy UnfOunded.
Atlanta, Ga, Sept. 2S-Chairman Gun
ningham OF the populist state committee
made to-day what he regards as great
move in the state campaign. He thinks
that he has hit upon scheme that viii
offset the general good effect Of Gov. At
kinson's administration among the col
ored people.
The manner IN which the colored peo-
pie have aocked to the support Of the
governor and the democratic state ticket
has been a source Of great trouble to
the populist managers, who expected that
they would get that vote this year, as
they did two years ago. But the attitude
he has taken in his administration had
so inspired the confidence and friendship
of the colored people for Gov. Atkinson
that the populists have met with no
success in their efforts to draw them off
A scheme finally hit upon, and which
was put into execution to-day by Chair
man Cunningham, was to attack Gov. At
kinson and the democratic judiciary upon
charges Of Illegal management of the
misdemeanor convict camps for the pc
cuniary gain of the officers Of the courts.
The first step taken was to instruct ].
Gordon Jones, an attorney of Cordele, to
proceed to apply for a writ of habeas
corpus to secure the release Of some eigh-
Ty-siX misdemeanOr ConVicts employed at
Dakota by the firm of Greer Bros. 1t is
alleged in the action that these convicts
are held illegally by the firm named. and
that the counties are expressly prohibited
from leasing their convicts out to indi-
viduals. Greer Bros, who run an extern
sive saw-min, it is alleged, have
secured the convicts in question from the
counties of Macon. Dooly, Worth, Cal
houn, Taylor, Early, Stewart, Jones, r.
win and Mitchell In addition to these con-
convicts, the populists claim that the
practice has extended to other firms and
other counties, all of whom win be ar
raigned If the test case which has been
made against Greer Bros results accord
ing to their desires. The charge is made
that the rental Of these convicts, which
amounts to about $50 each per year, is
applied TO the payment of insolvent costs.
and thus turned to the advantage of the
solicitors sheriffs and officers of the court,
who are the friends and supporters of
Gov. Atkinson.
Chairman Cunningham also charges
that it is the duty of the governor to
prevent this practice but that he winks
at 1t in order that his friends may reap
the benefit which benefit is itself clearly
in violation of the law as the Illegal hire
of convicts cannot be applied on the pay
ment of insolvent costs to the officers of
the court.
Gov. Atkinson is absent from the city
and could not be seen for an interview on
the subject Attorney General Terrell.
however, gave out statement which
clearly relieves Gov. Atkinson or the dem
ocratic party Of any responsibility for the
county chain-gangs. Both Gov. Northen
and Gov Atkinson" says the attorney
general, sent special messages to the leg
islature recommending that the misde-
meanor cOnvicts be placed under the state
penitentiary department so that the off,
GERS of the state might see that they
were disposed of by the county
authorities and treated by the lessees as
the law demands This recommendation
was made to the last legislature, at both
its sessions, by Gov. Atkinson, but that
body saw fit TO let it go by, and refused
TO enact the suggestion into a law.
Neither Gov. Atkinson nor any officer
connected with the penitentiary depart
ment. as it is at present constituted,
knows anything whatever as to the dis
position of misdemeanor convicts, nor as
TO their treatment, except as on such in
formation as may be given them by dis
interested parties.
The charge that Gov. Atkinson has
winked at such conduct on the part of
the different county commissioners is alb
solutely without foundation, as he has on
two different occasions sought to obtain
authority from the legislature correcting
this and other abuses in the management
of misdemeanor convicts. He could no
more be held responsible for the acts
of the county commissioners in this mat
ter of leasing out convicts than he could
be held responsible for the acts of any
other county officer in any county in the
state. Within the last three or four years
/ have received letters from many
sources asking about the authority of the
county commissioners to lease convicts
10 private parties, and in each instance
! have advised my correspondents that
county officials had no authority to hire
convicts TO private individuals"
In launching his campaign scheme
Chairman Cunningham issued a manifesto