The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1900-11-22
WHIPPING POST NEEDED

CHEAPER AND MORE EFFECTIVE PUNISH
MENT OF PETTY OFFENDERS.
Give the Trial Justices rlore Latitude
and Final Jurisdiction of Petty
Crimes, Return to the Whipping
Post as the Best, Cheapest and
nost Effective Mode of Punishment
and q Great Improvement Over Ex-
isting Conditions.
Correspondence Wilmington Messenger. }
Scott's Hill, n. c., October 3Oth.
Editor rMessenger:-The Legislature
will again be in session. AS that body
takes cognizance OF legal remedies for
the prevention OF crime and the pro-
lection of society. with your permits
sion | desire to present a few facts
which in my humble opinion, the
General Assembly would do we'll to
consider:
On the statute books Of North Caro-
lima are two laws which, in general,
q
class Of persons. These two laws are
polygamy and that statute which
finds definition in the Seventh COM
mandment. Any one who has OBJ
served closely the criminal docket of
our superior courts knows that few
cases appear there for violation of the
laws mentioned. The reason for this
is not that these laws are not broken,
but that an aversion to prosecute the
wrongdoer rests in the public mind.
Why doe. this aversion exist? Because
il every violator of the before men
toned statutes was vigorously prose-
cuted in the courts. the jails and peni
tertiary would not accommodate the
malefactors. The country. towns,
and cities in Eastern North Carolina
are filled with them. The money
necessary for their safskeeping and
support would run taxes far beyond
the constitutional limit. Under our
present system Of punishmsnts the
laws mentioned are imperative. Not
only thi. but Il large number OF per-
sons are now serving terms in the
State penitentiary for petty offenses,
who, if reformation were had in our
mode of punishment, would be gain
ing their own support. Take for in
stance petty thief who approPriates
a pig, who is tried, convicted and
sent to the State prison for two years.
He probably has wife and number
of small children. AS soon as his de-
parture is taken his wife applies
either for admission with her children
to the county home or for an allow
ance by the county commissioners to
enable them to get along. Would it not
be better for the criminal, the wife,
the children and the axpayers if the
sheriff were empowered to place this
offender in the stocks and administer
a proper chastisement? Is it more
humane to house this thief for two
years in the penitentiary to be fed,
clothed and doctored at the expense
Of honest people, many of whom are
widows and orphans struggling for
an existence? This whipping post is
no new invention. 1t has done good
service in the State in the days gone
by. Its presence would WELD a more
more potent influence for the sup
preston Of vice than any one force
now in the hands of justice.
Before the Civil war the whipping
post was an institution in North Caro-
lima, but when civil government was
overturned by the Federal army in
the South in 1865 and negroes and
carpet t-baggers were, later on, placed
in control Of affairs. this mode OF
punishment was. not re-established,
as it was very obnoxious to these wise
and humane law-givers. The negroes
were bitterly opposed to the lash and
the carpet-baggers and scallawags
could not (even if disposed toy advo-
cate such mode OF punishment.
They Ohe carpet-baggers) were in the
same predicament in reference to this
matter AS was colored preacher on
one occasion, when asked did he talk
about stealing in his sermons, and
who replied by saying, '.No sab! dat
would throw coliness on de meet
in, sah."
The penitentiary is stopping over
and numbers of cOnvicts are employ
ed on farms in various parts Of the
State. Each OF these convict farms
is an institution OF itself, that is to
say, an establishment separated and
disconnected from the central prison.
requiring superintendence, overseers,
guards. and all the munitae incident
to order and discipline found neces-
sary at the Raleigh prison. This be-
ing so, each Of these convict farms is
pcnitentiary of itself. and altogether
they form one Of the heavy item. cf
expense, which the taxpayers of
North Carolina must meet. Not only
is this so, but the number Of conyicts
is increasing, and il my information
i. correct, thi. penal colony is getting
to be both burdensome and unwieldy.
Like a cancer on human BODY, it is
eating itself into the vitals of the
Commonwealth. Every General As
sembly OF North Carolina is sorely
puzzled to know how to deal with
this problem in proper and econom-
ical way.
The convict farms have but been
experiments. They have never paid
expenses except, perhaps, in few
isolated instances.
To check and punish crime is essen
| tial, and to do this in as economical
and humane manner as is consistent
with the needs of an enlightened civ
ilization, is imperative upon the
legislator.
II the burdens OF the taxpayers
can be lightened, it is the duty of the
General Assembly to do it, provided
such relief does not jeopardize what
is necessary to the best interests of
the general good.
| If the whipping post was necessary
as corrective in ante-beilum days,