The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-05-23
AS TO SELLING THE STATE
FARMS.
Director A. Z. Sanders Gives Facts
in Defense of the Farms as
Now Managed.

Now Managed.
Mr. Editor:
have no desire to enter into a newspaper
controversy with ycu or any one else, but
Of the State farms and the employment Of
the convicts on the public highways, are 60
misleading aud unfair to the present man age
ment that feel it my duty to take issue with
you, and in presenting the other side of the
question will cay that l am director Of
the penitentiary, my fam edjoios the State
farm, I have beea close observer Of the
management ever sioce the farms have been
operated by the State, and l think l know
whereof shall speak.
At the outset wish to say that am aware
OF the fact that the past administration did
great desl to bring the farms into bad repute.
They operated them as a great political ma
chiue. did some ine farming on paper aud in
spite of the msgui6ceo. crops produced, the
cash balance was on the wrong side of the
iedger In your last editorial you said {:
"We know that majority of those who have
given the question ofconv1ct farming thought.
full consideration, are agreed that thus far it
has been delusion and snare.' As far as
am concerned, aod believe am in posi-
ton 20 know, will deny that assertion.
have pothiug to say in justification of the past
ADMINISTRATION, bat ss far as the present nao-
agemeot is cosceroed, Gao say chat it has
good men at the bead, the farms are now
we'll managed, they are run os economical,
business principles, and l know they are
making money In passing, please allow me
to ssy, that two years ago. there vac planted
on the farms about fourteen hundred acres Of
cotton last year about seveo hundred and
shis year there has not been planted over
four hundred and City acres.
When Col. Griffith took charge of the pen
itentiary on March 18th, last year, be had to
commence to buy coro. not only for the
prison but also for the farms. There was
made on the farms last year. SO near as it
could be measured, $1,000 bushels of corn,
enough to run the farms, aud everything in
connection with the prison; and the super
intendent Informed the board at its last meet
ing that he thought be would have more than
l,e00 bushels that be could put on the
market was one of committee of three
that took stock at the farms last winter aod
wrote the report to the Legislature. We
charged up every legitimate expense we could
to the farms, viz: Commissary account, in-
,erest on investment, labor, fertiliaess, feed
of stock, &C., and after doing that the report
showed that the three farms operated had
made over So 900 net. do not remember
the exact figures. but the report will show for
itself You said further: ''We know that
the people who live anywhere nesr the State
farms are prepared to furnish information
that will convince any reasonable man that
the State farms have been positive iojary to
the farmers IN the neighborhood As Que
of the neighbors whose farms adjoins the
State farm, and who lives in sight OF it, who
is thoroughly acquainted all over the ueigh-
borhood and have heard the matter discussed
from time to tins, | viii deny your statement.
A few years ago, under the Neal administra.
ton, there was sooe friction among the
neiphbors on account Of the management
hiriag fres labor The neighbors met, pass
ed series of resolutions il condemnation of
the practice, which the management recog-
nized the evil was corrected and since then
there has been 40 trouble along that line.
Instead of the State farms being 'posi-
tive injury to the farmers in this ueighbor-
hood,'' will say that il has been great
objsc. lesson, and of much benefit to them for
it has demonstrated to what high state Of
cultivation our lands can be broaght, aud
what yields they are capable of prod ucing.
I have never known q mao, practical farmer
to visit the farms without being favorably
impressed eod went away With new ideas.
A visit to them now will compensate any
man in Sumter County or anywhere else.
The trouble with most people, and editors in
particulars, is that they are too prone to con-
demn without koowiog or investigating.
Come up, Mr.. Editor, and see for yourself,
get better posted, and I believe you will cee0s
your hostile attitude to the farms If you
will come / will take pleasure 10 showing
vou the mosr magnificent spectacle in the
way os grain crop you ever cav will
show you l20 acres of wheat that will make
from IL to Is bushels per acre, will show
yoa over 500 acres of oats, that are as 6ee as
was ever made io this country. will also
show you two as we'll regulated aud we'll
managed farms as you ever saw, and lot of
happy and contented coovicts. believe, if
you will ooly come that you will retnro to
your editorial sanctum with new and better
L. hoyo conEdaoca