The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-05
ISLANDER PUT ON THE STATE.
GOV. ATKINSON DENIES a YARN
ABOUT THE CONVICTs.

Dispatch 10 New York Paper Rep
resents the Coming Leasing of the
FeIOns as an Auction of Human
ChatteIs-The Governor Cites the
New Convict Lease Law to Dis
prove the UnfOunded Sensational
Allegations.
Atlanta. Ga, Feb. 4.-The Joking"
newspaper correspondents who serve the
yellow journals of New York and else
where have got Gov Atkinson to card
writing in defense of the convict lease sys-
TEN of the state again.
Upon the appearance of the prison COM
mission advertisement for bids for the con-
victs. the New York World made a sensa-
ton out of it. describing the lease as an
auction of human chattels to persons not
officers of the state.
Tomorrow the World will print denun-
citation of this story from the Governor,
who wired it as soon as he saw the SLAM
derous publica tons. In his refutation the
Governor says, among other things: This
dispatch contains so many misrepresenta-
tons and is such a tissue of falsehoods
that it is imposs bic 70 refute all Of them
in a short space, and I shall therefore con-
fine myself to such of them as appear most
prominent. 1t states that more than two
entire regiments of state convicts will be
auctioned off to the highest bidder
and thus will be witnessed
the renewal of a system which has already
been condemned. In the
coming auction of human chattels to per-
sons who are not officers of the state
This whole fabrication is based upon
the fact that the prison commission of
h1F q hon q e a.
general assembly approved Dec q, 1897
have advertised for bids for the labor of
able-bodied male convicts to go into ef-
feet upon the expiration of the present
lease contracts a definite price per cap
ita per annum, the state, through it's pen
itentiary officials, agents, and guards en-
ployed and paid by the state controlling
the convicts, and with them performing
the work so contracted for, the contrac-
tor having absolutely no control over the
convicts and paying for such labor as fur
nished.
This advertisement is in strict conform
ity with the law and no other construction
can be justly placed upon it, This being
the statute and the advertisement, 1t fol-
lows first that the statement that more
than two entire regiments of state convicts
VIII be auctioned off to the highest bidder
is untrue.
Second, that the statement that thus
will be witnessed the renewal of a system
which has already been condemned is I'M
true.
Third, that characterizing this step as
the coming auction of human chattels to
persons who are not officers of the state
is untrue
This dispatch further states that the
worst feature of the new law is that these
men thus hired out to traders in human
labor may be sublet to others, though
the state assumes 10 keep an eye upon
them The premises upon which this
conclusion is based having been shown to
De false the conclusion is likewise untrue
and has no foundation except in that pro-
vision of the law which by and with the
| consent OF the commission allows the con-
tractor for his labor to engage the same
in contracts for others than himself, the
state still controlling the convicts- through
its own officers, agents and guards. If
the interests of the present lessees as
| believe to be falsely stated in the dis
patch, moved them to attempt to influence
| the legislature for a continuance of the
old system, they certainly failed to ac-
complish their purpose, for the old system
was entirely repudiated.
1T is easy to SANDER a state or a pub
lie institution and hard 10 correct the
impression made by the slanderous publ
cation, but where the truth can be so
easily obtained as i'm the present case,
| when copy of the law could have been
had for the asking, ii is remarkable that
a great newspaper like the World should
have been so easily imposed upon and
| thus become party to the injustice done
| the good name of the state"