The Washington bee., 1899-05-20
The COLORED RACE In AMERICA.
ISSUED BY THE HOWARD ASSOCIATION
LONDON, 1899.

LONDON, 1899.
Dur,np the past year, the Howard
Association has, on various ocCdslons'
received from those Southern STATES
very grieyous accounts OF crueltles III
HIcte both upon prisoners and others
of the colored race, and In particular
in the convict camps and chain gangs
where a shocking condition OF affairs
exists.
THE CONVICT CAMPS AND cHAINGAN0s
There are comparatively 1ery lew
prison buildings In the South: Olehu-
ers are chiefly leased out, tor open all
work. to contractors or bidders, VINO
nav their labor, SO much a head. TO
the state or county, and then become
absolute masters of sucl. prisoners;
SO that the taxpayer is entirely re-
lieved from the burden OF Criminals
who actually become source OF large
revenue 10 the state and TO lndlvio-
uals. This may, at first sight, seem to
be a great advance upon the general
systems of the North and of Europe,
which are so costly to the community
But in reality the lease system pro,
duces the most terrible sufferings ana
fatalities to many thousands annually.
REVIVAL OF SLAVERY.
Ii is practically, a revival of slavery,
and on a very extensive scale. In
Florida, public sales of convicts tmost
of whom are negroesl occasionally
take place, when they are sold by auc-
ton to the highest bidder, for various
periods, up to four years. Usually the
sentences in the South ION colored
people even for minor offences, such
aS stealing eggs, are for very long
periods.
There are several classes of leased
convictS. Firstly, those under the
immediate supervision of the state, in
camps, or farms, corresponding some
what to British convict establishments
These, though open to grave objection
are comparatively free from the gross
est evils, and have, of late years, un-
dergone considerable Improvement
in several of the states. Secondly,
there are the county camps, which are
worse And, lastly, and worst of all,
there are the numerous gangs farmed
out 10 private sub contractors, or bid.
ders, who, in many cases, sweat
their victims to death by excessive
labor, wretched food, brutal violence
and the grossest neglect of sanitary re-
quirements And of course, religious
and moral obligations are utterly
ignored in most instances.
In the best prisons of the Northern
States, as in New York lat Elmira,
Massachusetts, lat Concord Junction
and Snerborne,D Illinois. tat Joliet ano
Pontiac Ohio. lat Columbus,) Min
nesSota, lat Stlllwater,) and in Penn
sylvania, Michigan. Rhode IslanC
and other states, the reformation o
the prisoner is, at least, earnestly at
tempted, and often successful,
achieved. But in southern camps ant
chain gangs it is the very reverse.
"INFERNos"
The "cantains" employed by tn
Sub-contractors are often of the claS
depicted in "Legree" in "Uncl
Toms Cabin" Their conduct t
the female convict is indescriba BILE
A large number of illegitimate birth
take place in these camps. Th
wretched children born in them are
in some instances, permanently re
tanned as slaves. And the breeding
of such has become an avowed pur
pose, at lease in one state Woe L
the women or girls who are sent t
such camps! Their life is, and mus
be an inferno. Men and women fire
quently run a way and are then chase
with bloodhounds and guns; thos
killed being sometimes registered a
escaped"
The Coiored population furnishe
about nine tenth of the southern cor
Yicts, and II is reliably stated that
considerable portion OF them ar
either quite innocent or are puniShei
by long sentences for the most trif1in
offences, and frequently, on merel
trump-up charges Ii is 10 the inter
est of the local officials and contrac
tors that the number of convict
should be as large as possible an
iheir detention as prolonged as
can be made
CHILDREN IN THE CHAIN GANGS
A very sac feature in these chai
gangs is the number Of young childre
sent TO them. A leading philanthropis
of Baltimore, Mr.. O.. 5. Griffith, pres
ident of the Maryland Society for tn
Protection of Children, was panied t
find in the gangs so many childre
S. from nine years of age and upwards
In one OF the better class of chai
gangs, in North Carolina, he found s
persons, including three women an
/ boy of IL years Of age. And he SAYS
These men women and boys, a
sleep under tent 10 by II feet" Thi
promiscuous and most demoralizIn
association of the various ages an
sexes, by day ard night, is the usus
feature Of the private camps, an
sometimes, even of the state estat
liShmentS.
Judge Chandler of Georgia, says
"My experience is that when a boy
sent to the chain gang, he is ruined
Judge Berry of Atlanta, Savs:-"I hav
seen too MANY cases where bows hav
been ruined by being sent TO the chai
gangs" Then what must they be fo
girls?
BRUTAL CAPTAINS"
Fearful brutalities are perpetrate
by these captains" in the lonely, re
mote places where many OF the gang
are located, as in forests and mines
Sometimes cOnVictc have heen Aova