The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-07-18
BILL ARP ON THE CONVICTs.
He Is Deeply Concerned About
the Increase of Crime and I'M.
morality.

lie IS deeply Concerned AbOu,
the Increase of Crime and I'm
morality
Atlanta Constitution.
Next in Importance to the education
OF the children of the State comes the
care OF the convicts, the lunatics and
the deaf and the blind. These arc
charges, fixed charges that rest every
where upon the citizen and taxpayer
and cannot be avoided. a careful
pcrusal of the last reports of the officers
OF these Institutions give us deep con-
Germ, for their inmates are increasing
faster than population and this increase
indicates a growing dcgencracy in
mental, physical or moral condition of
our people. These reports give much
Interesting matter for there is hardly
a State in the Union where similar in-
stitutions are 80 ably and faithfully
otlicercd. We are especially fortunate
III having such a capable and cX-
pcrienced man as DR.. Powell at the
head Of our sanitarium. The apprc-
hcnsiOn is that when he dies we can
not fill his place for we cannot find a
man who has both his ability and his
long experience. The same can be
SAID of Professor Connor, in charge
of the school for the deaf. These two
arc veterans in the service and have
by their long and faithful work allayed
all public anxiety about those institu-
tions.
But why should SO many more
children be born deaf and dumb than
formerly, and why should so many
more people become insane? Only il
few years ago Professor Connor re-
ported lOj, and now he has 2l5 in
charge. DO folks keep on MARI, lug
their cousins and will The law keep IN
allowing it? AS to the sanitarium,
ton Of the rapid Increase and as fast
as more room is provided more still is
wanted.
DR.. Powell reports That on October
l, 1900, there were ZOO whites and
112 colorcd on hand, and the new APP
pllcations now average about e;X per
day. or course nany die and it is a
comfort to know that many recover
their reason and are discharged. Two
hundred and fifty-mne whites and
nlncty-four negroes were discharged
last year. One hundred and liiLy-slx
whites and lSG negloes died. The
doctor gives pleasant and easy employ
mcnt TO all who can and are willing to
work. lie is a philosopher of my
own kind for he says he has found
that work, manual labor, is more con.
ducivc to restoration and contcntment
than any other medicine. Gardening,
sewing, washing, canning fruits, etc., :,
is done on large scale. Much more
of this IS done than formerly and the
report shows an immense business.
just think Of last years work. 900
aprons, 1900 bcdticks, 5000 chcmlscs,
500 calico dresses, 700 homcspun
dresses, 400 pair drawers, 4 800 pill
low cases, 5000 pair pants, $500, shirts,
| 600 undershirts and quits by the
score crazy quilts | suppose making
il total of over $4,000 articles made by
crazy women. Good gracious, what
AN industrious female family the
doctor has got. In this way he has
greatly reduced the cost of main
lenancc and brought down the per
capita to &ll7. But on the other hand,
he has 10 be continually repairing or
replacing something, for he says " i'll
sanity means destruction and that the
tendency Of a large number of patients
is to destroy furniture, crockcry, bed
ding, clothing, lights, sash and some
times tearing their rooms to pieces"
Now just imagine what an army Of
lunaLics we have. Cartersvillc is quite
large little country town of $500
people, but tl.rec-fourths of them are
children under age. We have only
ahont 500 grown-up people who are fit
to be lunalics, but here at the SANTA
rum arc three times rs many, and the
number increasing every year.
But the report of the prison commits
sion gives us most anxiety, for that
concerns CRIME and involves the safety
of our people from the 'awlcss who
fear not God nor regard man. The
maintenance of the sanitarium costs
the State 1915, 900 annually, but there
is one good thing, and only one about
the convicts. They cost the State
nothing after the trial, but on the con-
trary they bring in considerable rev.
cnuc, and under the new system this
revenue is rapidly increasing. General
Evans, Mr.. Eason and Mr.. Turner in.
auguratcd this system only two years
ago and it has already proved sigma
success. The State now has The abso
lutte control Of all its convicts and lia:
purchased large farm near Mi.lcdyc
vile, where the old men and the boys
and all the women are kept. Undc
the skilful management of Mr.. Fostc
the farm paid well the first year, ant
the convicts are nearly as happy a.
they were in old slavery times. Mos
of the able boiled ccnvicts are LEASED
TO farmers at good prices, but th'
State provides guards and medical at
tcntiOn.
Here is another army Of $500 tc
look after, but these are not all
There arc 1850 more at work in TIT
county cllaingangs, making a total 0
500, of whom 3jS are white. ton ar,
white women and 2l5 are negro wo