The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-29
MESSAGE OF THE GOVERNOR.
THE LYNCHING QUESTION GIVEN
MUCH PROMINENCE.


Deceased Victims-Death Recon-
mcnded as the Punishment For As
smut with Attempt to Rape-The
Governor Also Looks Upon the
Abolition of Public Hanging as "a
Mistake-The Convict Lease Ques-
ton Also Referred tO-Cheaper
school Books.
Atlanta, Ca. oct. 2S-In his annual mes
sage delivered to the general assembly to-
day Gov. Atkinson deals vigorously with
the question of lynchings and the delay of
the law in other cases He recommends
the passage of a law that Will make coun-
ties liable 10 $1,000 damages 10 the heirs
of the deceased victim of lynching
"Since the last session of the general as
sembly." says the message, "the courts
have been permitted to try several cases
in which the offense committed aroused
TO their depths the passions of the out
ragged community, and when the tempta-
ton to resort to lynch law" was strong.
in each instance the courts have justified
the confidence of the people and the law
has been administered in a way to in
crease respect for and fear of its DEGREES.
In a number of cases lynch law has been
resorted to where the offense committed
was upon women. In one Of these cases the
marty accused was in court on trial. lie
was taken from the court while in session
by a mob and hung in the streets of one
of our principal cities, where the arm OF
the law is supposed to be strongest. l am
of the opinion that it would be better for
us to amend the law providing for the
punishment of assault with intent TO rape,
and 10 fcb IA W h
rape is punished, leaving it to the jury to
recommend imprisonment in the peniten-
tiaries for a term of years II, in their
judgment, such punishment is adequate.
Death is not too severe penalty Tor the
dend who deliberately makes an assault
upon a woman, and the knowledge that
the criminal cannot be hung for this
offense has doubtless often aroused that
Indignation which has led the outraged
community to take the law in their own
hands, and inf1ct the punishment
After a trial of some years, / am, after
careful consideration. led to the conclusion
that the law passed several years since
which abolished public hangings in this
state, of which / approved at the time
was a mistake. l am still of the opinion
that the impulse which leads people TO
seek eagerly to see one of their fellow
beings hanged upon the gallows is not
noble one. But we must deal with people
as they are, and not as they should be.
] believe that ten private hangings are
not so effective in deterring evildoers and
in commanding fear and respect of the
law as one in public.
I'm order that the officers of the law
and the substantial citizens of a county
may have material and personal interest
in securing a submission to the law and
the courts in every case, / recommend the
passage of an act which will authorize
the governor to remove from office any
odSc x4rhp
defendant is taken by mob whenever,
in the opinion of the executive, the ar
resting officer did not use due diligence
or resort to the necessary force to pro-
tect the prisoner and keep him in custody,
and that in every instance where a pris-
oner is taken from the custody of an
officer and lynched, the administrators
of the deceased shall have the right to
recover from the county in whose SER
vice the officer is the fun value of his
life, which in no case should be less than
LOCO
Il desire to say to you in perfect candor
and frankness that l do not believe that
confidence in the speedy administration
of the criminal law in our courts can be
established by the expeditions trial of
that particular class of cases only. The
people will not discriminate in this way.
AS they view it, the courts are either
slow or prompt Our entire judiciary sys-
tenn needs overhauling. Justice should be
more speedy, trials more prompt in every
class of cases.
"Of the convict lease question, which
must be settled by this legislature, Gov.
Atkinson says: THE present lease con-
tract with the present lessees of the PEN
itentiary convicts will expire on the first
day of April, 1899 The number of con-
Victs has grown from l go at the date of
the lease to 2,357. To permit the necessary
arrangements to be made for the protec-
tion, care and employment of this large
number we should decide considerably in
advance of the expiration of this lease
what disposition is to be made of them.
advise that such steps be taken by you
at your present session as will enable you
10 secure all needed information to act
upon this question at your session of 1897.
The people of this state will not, and
should not, tolerate the reinactment OF
the lease act now in force. Under what
ever plan that is adopted the young Grim
inals should not be confined with the older
and more desperate ones, but should be
placed in a reformatory, where punish
ment may be inflicted upon them under
circumstances which will bring to bear
such moral and Christian influences that
we may reform their characters and re-
store them to society as good citizens.
AS this question cannot be disposed of at
the present time do not think 1t advisa-
bile that l enter upon an elaborate dis
Gov Atkinson recommends a law that
will give the state supervision of the mis-
demeanor convicts, which he recommend
ed to the last legislature.
He shows that he has imposed fines
upon the penitentiary lessees aggregating
s., 300, for escapes and cruelty. The col
lection of interest from the banks on
state money is referred to and the sale of
$4,000 of state bonds at a rate of in
terest lower than ever, the state debt
was fioated before. Under this head I'm
Gle Bob" Hardeman, who retires from the
office Of state treasurer, is paid high
compliment.
The governor makes a detailed showing
of the pension business of the state and
recommends the establishment of a pen
SION department TO do the work which is
burden on the executive office.
He also urges the payment Of the old
Hayes and Scott bonds.
OF the new registration law. the gov
ernor says: THE decided advance taken
by our state in the passage OF the regis
tration law recently enacted has met with
the hearty approval Of the people of the