The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-08-16

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rcctors thought the hire had been paid,
shows that their knowledge Of the al
fairs of the institution was entirely su-
perfcial. The fact that they paid him
so a month stable rent for six years
and two months for allowing Panlten-
tiary horses to stand in his stables,
where they we're kept purely for his
convenience, and now profess net to
know they were payingit, is another ey-
ideuce of the somnolenee OF their tacul-
ties when approving accounts.
They either knew that such was the
case, or they did not know it. If they
knew they we're paying it, they were
deliberately yielding to Mr.. Meals de-
sire for money, to which he was not
entitled, and were therefore culpable,
or, if they didn't know it, they were
approving and paying an item monthly
for several years which was wrong and
rcver found out. Either supposltlon
is sufficiently humiliating. We would
note here that We know Of no law au.
thorizing the directors to keep lot OF
horses and carriages for the use OF the
Superintendent family, and we regard
it as an unwarranted extravaganza. The
evidence here is that the bookkeeper
had to use his horse on penitentlary
business. for which the State fed him
| in part, while the horses Tor whose
stable rent We were paying handsomely
we're being used by the superlnten-
dent S family. The evidence is that
there was stable room for these horses
at the penitentiary. The custom OF
entertaining largely at the penitentlary
grew up also nder Mr.. Neal. Crowds
ate there free st the bounty OF the
State, making the taxpayers their -otel
keepers, and exercising thrifty in
stinct to get all they could at the pub
lie credit. Unfortunately the board OF
directors set the example by boarding
themselves there thus adding to the
pav allowed bylaw the further provis-
| ion of hotel bills. la justice to the
board, however we will say that after
this investigation was begun and that
matter was brought out they decided to
discontinue that practice and pay their
own board. This is as it should be.
The lavish entertainment there, though,
was such as should not be tolerated
again. Politicians, contractors, State
constables. and personal friends all
found a welcome and good cheer there
The result has been that the Institution
came to be considered as place W here
anv accommodation desired could be had.
and as result we find many things to
report as wrong. We find that he has
given away many articles produced by
the penitentiary to prominent men,
such as a bookcase to Congressmen
Latimer, furniture to D. H. Tompklns,
| secretary of State, and T. j. Cunning.
ham and S. P.J. Garris, directors, and
Senator Tillman, who also got carload
Of brick, which he says Neal gave him:
but which Neal says he sold him.
Most Of these articles Neal now pro
fesscs to be ready to pay for, although
he had never charged himself with
them up to the institution OF this IN
vestigation. Mr.. Garris also got a
carload of brickbats and some pigs and
turnips, for which Mr.. Neal does not
think he should pay. Mr.. Garrls had
been anxious to settle the pig bill, but
could not ge, it made out, and the
other items we're presents and they
contend were worthless. We do
not think it wise, though, for directors
to be accepting even valueless pres.
ents from he.enitentiary. 1t Mr.. Neal
had paid for these things when ne gave
them away it is a questionable prac
tice for an officer to be making pres
ents to public men, but when he fails
to pay for them and takes the State
property and gives 1t to public men he
does two wrongs, he misapproprlates
public property and attempts, appar-
emily, to control the influence of public
men by the use Of it. Further than
that, he has allowed the governors OF
the State during his administration all
to get srch thingsas they desired from
the penitentiary, and has neither pre-
sentcd the bills for them nor placed
them in the assets and on the regular
books. \ list of their accounts which
he should have presented and collected
or published in the list of accounts due
is hereto attached. He has himself,
also, taken supplies to large amount
at very low price and has never paid
for them. an account Of them being
also set forth in this report. We lind
also that there has been rule that the
Superintendent shall be furnished with
wood and coal free. This is not war
ranted By law. and is merely another
device to increase the salary OF the su'
pcrintendeat contrary to law. Again,
the governors have been allowed the
use of conyicts, tools and stock to cul-
tivatc Land near the city, and this has
not been charged to them. This IS ex-
cused by Mr.. Neal on the plea that the
governor is cx oiiicio chairman OF the
| board Of directors and has in conse.
4ucncc always gotten what lie asked
for If that is correct, it IS time that
the governor should be taken of the
board. We do not refer in speaking OF
the cul,ivating Of land to the patch
around the governors mansion, which
is public property and properly cult
waited by convicts, but to independent
farms outside. Again, the board had a
steam laundry established in the peni-
tenticry and operated by the convlcts.
Mr. Neal and Governor Ellerbe have
both had their family washing done
there ever since free until the termin-
alton of Mr.. Meals term Of office.
Now, while it is disagreeable to refer
to these matters, we deem it our duty
to call them to the attention Of the gen
cral assembly. If the governor salary
is too smallit should be increased BY the
general assembly, not supplemented by