The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-09-20
That Is What London Concernls
Telling on the South.
A scURRlLOU5 DOCUMENT.
The Howard Association Caps the
Climax of a Series Of liz
bels on the South
ern States.
ern States.

mstory literature about the southern
people, has recently issued a document
when caps the climax in a series OF
Wholesale libels Of the cotton states.
The full text appears below:
The noble spirit Of sympathy, with
the victims Of Spanish tyranny IN Cuba
and the Philippines, which has lately
been manifested by the great nation OF
the United States, has successfully re-
moved an incubus which had long
weighed terribly on those splendid Is
lands. May il now be hoped that
similarly humane feeling will as deter
lDinedly grapple with still more exten-
sive form of oppression in the southern
portions of the United States them
selves?
During the past year the Howard as
sociation has on various occasions re-
ceived from those southero states very
grievous accounts of crueltics inflicted
both upon prisoners and others Of the
colored race, and, in particular, IN the
convict camps and chai1gangs, where
shocking condition Of affairs exists.
There are comparatively very few
prison buildings in the south. OHen-
6ers are chiefly leased out for open-alr
work to contractors or bidders, who pay
for their labor so much head to the
state or county, and then become abso
lutte masters Of such prisoners, 50 that
the taxpayer is entirely relieved from
the burden of criminals, who actually
become source of large revenue to the
state and to individuals. This may at
first sight seem to be 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 produces the most terrible
suferings and fatalities TO many thou
sands annually.
1t is practically revival Of slavery,
and on very extensive scale. In Flor.
ida public sale of convicts (most OF
whom are Negroes) occasionally take
place. when they are sold by auction to
the highest bidder for various periods
up to four years. Usually the SEN
tences in the south (on colored perpie),
even for minor ofenses, such as steal
ing eggs, are for very long periods.
There are several classes Of leased
convicts. Firstly, those under the I'M
,rediatc 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 grossest
evils, and have Of late years undergone
considerable il provement in several OF
the states. Secondly, there are the
county camps, which are worse. AND,
lastly. and worst Of all, thele are the
numerous gangs farmed out to private
sub contractors or bidders, who IN
many cases sweat" their victims to
death by excessive labor, wretched food,
brutal violence and the grossest neg.
lect of sanitary requirements. 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 state (at EIml-
RAY, Massachusetts, (at Concord juno
ton and Sherbone), Illinois (at joliet
and Pontiac, Ohio Cat Columbus, Min
nesota (at Stillwater) and in Pennsylva-
MIA, Michigan, Rhode Island and other
states, the reformation of the prisoner
is, at least, earnestly attempted, and
often successfully achieved. But IN
the southern camps and chaingangs it's
the very reverse.
The "captains" employed by the sub
contractors are often Of the class de-
picted in "Legree," in Uncle Toms
Cabin" Their conduct to the female
convicts is indescribable. A large nu n
Der of illegitimate births take place in
these camps. The wretched children
born in them are, in some instances,
permanently retained as slaves. Ard
the breeding of such has become an
avowed purpose, at least in one state.
Woe to the women and girls who arc
sent to such camps. Their life is and
must be an Inferno. Men and women
frequently run away and are then caaS-
ed with bloodhounds and guns-those
killed being sometimes registered as
escaped.
The colored population furnishes
about nine-tenths Of the southern con-
victs, and it is reliably stated that
considerable portion Of them are either
quite innocent or are punished by long
sentences for the most trliing otfenses,
are frequently on merely trumped-up
charges. It's to the interest Of the To-
cal officials and contractors that the
number of convicts should be as large
as possible and their detention as pro-
longed as it can be made.
4 very sad feature in the chaingangs
is the number of young children semitic
them. \ leading philanthropist Of
Baltimore, Mr.. G. S. Griffith, president
of the Maryland Society for the Protec-
ton of Children, was panied to lind IN
the gangs so many children from nine
yearsof age and upward, In one OF the
better class of chaingangs in North
Carolina he found ffty-fve prisoners,
including three women and one boy OF
eleven years of age. And ne says:
These, men Somen ana Boys al Sleep
under tent 10x24 feet. This pro
miscious and most demoralizing assoel-
alton Of the various ages and sexes, by
day and night, is the usual feature OF
the private camps. and sometimes even
! of the state establishments.
Judge Gambler, Of Georgia, says:
My experience is that when boy is
sent to the chaingang, he is ruined.
Judge Berry, Of Atlanta, says: L have
seen too many cases where boys have
been ruined by being sent to the chain
gangs. Then what must 1t be for
girls?
Fearful hrutallties are perpetrated by
the Captains in the lonely remote
places where many Of the gangs are To-
Gated. as in forests and mines. Some
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