The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-11
The CONVICT QUESTION.
EXTRACTS FROM TIE MESSAGE OF
THE GOVERNOR.

sends Advance Sheets of His Annual
Message TO the Penitcntiary Com
mittee For Its Information and
Guidnnce-The ola system Must Go.
What IS Suggested I'll It's Stend.
Gov. Atkinson has sent to the joint
penitentiary committee ot the legislature
an extract from his forthcoming message
to the legislature covering the convict
question. He gives the committee the
benefit Of that feature Of the message in
advance, in the hope that it may thereby
be aided in reaching conclusion with re-
gard to recommendation to be made to
the general assembly.
The governor puts especial stress upon
the fact that the peuitenuary problem
must be met and solved at the forthcom-
ing session of the legislature, since the
present leases expire on April /, 1899 This
will be but three months after the ad-
journment of the session, which will as
semble in October, 1888. Should the mat
ter be left for that session, the time would
be altogether inadequate. The message
goes on TO say:
AT the very threshold Of this discus
sion, the proposition should be accepted by
all that the law consigns men to the peni-
tertiary not to become petted children of
the state, but to punish them for wrong
doing.
THE purpose of the establishment of a
penal system is to deter others from VIC
laung the law and to protect and improve
society by the punishment and reforma-
ton of the criminal. In the accomplish
ment of this purpose the convicts should
be safely kept, surrounded by healthy
conditions, humanely treated confined at
hard labor and encouraged by good infiu-
ences to reform their characters and be-
come law-abiding citizens
"Our prison popula ton is about 4 100, of
which 2,224 are penitentlary convicts. The
problem presented is the gravest which
has confronted the state government for
many years. We are not only to direct
how the products of industries are TO be
affected by the direction given the energy
of these workers, but protect taxpayers
from a needless burden and meet the re-
quirements of humanity and Christianity
by securing for the c0nyicts merciful treat
ment and throwing around them in
huences which will elevate and reform.
We cannot afford to inaugurate a system
which will make worse citizens of the in
mates of the penitenliary Such an one
will wrong the individual increase crime
and multiply the dangers which threaten
society,""
The governor says he asked the last
democratic state convention to embOdy in
its platform a plank against the present
tom h11t Afea ma "a 70
and when he was uncertain whether 81
lence favored re-enactment he announc-
ed that if elected he would veto any bill
re-enactng the system.
'"To this announcement" says he in the
message. q must adhere because it is my
pledge made-to the people, Ald because in
my opinion now, it is the proper position
for the state to assume.
ANY penal system is fundamentally
wrong and vicious which requires the
state to part with the control OF the con-
Wet, and gives him into the custody of
private parties. / do not care to so fur
Their into a discussion of this system, than
to make this statement.
ITO say in general terms that the con-
victs should be put TO work upon the pub
lie highways is an alluring and captivating
suggestion. Yet a thorough and intelli-
gent study of the question leads uniform
ly to the conclusion that this should not
De QOtc. w Z are greatly Ill HeeQ VI SOOtl
roads. and have reached the point where
we must engage in the building of smooth
and permanent rOadways, but the state
should not bear the burden of building
them nor should the penitentiary conviets
be employed upon them. The roads within
the respective counties are of local inter
est, and can be better and more economi-
cally attended to by county authorities. If
the responsibility of building, repairing
and establishing local roadways is to be
| surrendered by the counties, and assumed
by the state, where is this new danger of
state Capitalization to end?
THE state has already gone far enough
with its interference in county matters,
and the time has arrived when the coun-
ties should insist upon retaining all pow
er now vested in them by law.
Railroads are now the channels for
freight and passenger traffic. Dirt roads
are only local and not state highways If
this was ever debatable question, it was
when dirt roads were the means of trav-
ell and channels of commerce, not only
from one county to another, but between
states. The advent of the railroad has,
beyond question, localized the wagon road.
1t being a matter of local interest, and one
which local authorities can attend TO with
greater economy and efficiency | am I'M
alterably opposed to so extending the pow
er and duty of the state as to have these
roads worked by state authorities and at
state expense.
The governor asks whether the coun-
ties are prepared for the additional taxa
ton which will be necessary to maintain
such a system.
He asks how hard it will be to main
tain 1877 camps for road work if it is diff
fcult to keep q in good order, and calls
attention to the heavy expenses of equip
ment He thinks misdemeanor cOnvicts
better suited to this work as they are
really imprisoned for misbehavior. while
felons are in the penitentiary for heinous
crimes. Two hundred and fifty-siX for
attempt of murder, S7S for murder, $40
for burglary, and in all over 1,400 for
heinous offenses. He thinks il dangerous
to turn loose such people on the public
roads, and says it would be very expen-
sive TO guard them.
The governor outlines his plan as fol-
lows:
Every person sentenced by the courts
to penal servitude should remain in the
custody and control of the state, and owe
obedience to none but officers of the state.
II private individuals receive the output
of his work they should pay the state a
stipulated sum therefor without having