The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-01-16

chain-gang l44 Total cost of cor
stables $3G, 40 Gl.
From the report Of the State Boar
OF Directors it will be seen that the ne
profit to the school fund from the busi
ness Tor the past r, after expense
are paid, IS $l7G,Ul2 Is, and TO tn
towns and counties $29S, ,lGG.2S. Thi
report covers eleven months, as tn,
fiscal year has been changed so as (,
close November 80.
In dealing with this question / fee
sure that you will be guided by low,
Tor your State and an earnest purpos,
and sincere desire to d. that whicl
VIII be for the best interests of tn,
greatest number, and not be actuatc(
by prejudice or partisanship.
TIE STATE rENITENTIARY.
The annual report of the board oI
directors and superintendent of tn,
penltentiary shows most gratifying
condition of affairs in this institution
W hilc no money will be covered into
The State treasury this year, yet per.
mancnt improvements have been made
out OF the net earnings amounting, in
round numbers, to $4,000 and there
is still cash balance on hand for cur
rnt expenses of about IS 900. lnal.
dtlon to this, the farms have Welded
corn and provisions sufficient to run
The institution until the next crop is
harvested. The number of convicts
iemmns practically the same as one
year ago ~ modern prison, which
was very much needed, is nearing COM
plction, within the walls of the peni.
tentiary, Mt cost Of Sl4 800. In ad-
diilon to being safe prison, il is built
with view TO the health and comfort
OF the prisoners, and will be paid for
out OF the net earnings Of the pcnitenti.
airy during the past year. At the last
session Of the Legislature provision
was made for the erection of a re-
1ormatory for youthful criminals. A
neat and substantial frame structure
for this purpose has been erected on
the Lexington farm, in which will be
Kept all prisoners under Ii years of
age. While it will be the purpose of
the superintendent to furnish them in
struction in morals and, if possible,
make better citizens of them when
they are released, yet they Will be re-
quircd to labor as other prisoners, but
will be kept entirely separate from the
older and more hardened criminals. At
present there are only fourteen prison.
crs under lG years of age, and these
aic all negroes.
a good many needed and permanent
improvements have also been made on
the State farms, and everything there
is now in good condition. There has
been some discussion III regard TO the
ACCESSIBILITY of the State owning and
operating farms. a careful and
houGhlful investigation of the subject,
| am sure, will convince you that il
would not be good business Judgment
to dispose of these farms. 1t REQUIRES
only lao convicts to operate the farms,
and in this way corn and provisions
and other things necessary for the
support of the convicts al" made at
less expense than they could be
purchased 1t is argued by some that
these convicls could be worked upon
the public roads. l am as heartily in
favor of anything that would give us
good roads as anyone, but / do not see
how the State could undertake tins
work except through the counties. 1t
would be good plan if those counties
in which chaingangs are maintained
would so arrange as To secure enough
prisoners from the State to keep up
good chaingany force all the time.
From the best Information available,
and from those who have had OK.
periencc with chaingangs, il is not pro-
iitablc, even to the county, tC maintain
a chaingang when the number falls
below fifteen. In most of the counties
the average is below that number.
The farming out of convlcts to indivi-
duals should be discontinued. If this
were done it would call in 475 convicts
who alc now hired out to individuals
and that number put on the roads in
the various counties in the State where
are maintained would in
a few years greatly improve our public
roads aud at the same time not in
tcrGcre with the State farms.
The present system of chaingangs
in most of the counties is very
expensive luxury, but by the couuties
hiring a sufficient number of con-
victs from the State, as suggested
above, we could very soon have in
those counties n good system of public
roads, and nothing could he done that
would add more to the comfort and
and saving to the people
who live in the rural districts. A
system of good roads would do very
much to stop the flow of population
from the country to the towns. The
counties could not spend the public
money more wisely, or with greater
benefit to the public, than by maintain.
ing good chaingang in each county
on permanent road building. Good
roads would bring churches, and
schools, and towns closer to every
country home, in addition to the saw
ing which would result from the wear
and tear upon stock and vehicles, and
upon the people themselves. And this
can be done by wise legislation with
out interfering in the least with the
management or maintenance of the
State farms.
TIE NEXED PROBLEM OF TAXATION.
Government has no right TO take
more from the people than is abso-
lut'ly necessary for wise and eco.
.nical administration of the affairs
OF the State, and it should he so taken
that the burden will bear evenly on all
property. 1t is the duty of every
citizen to contribute his portion to the
support of the government in pro
portion to his ability. This is tho
standard laid down i'm our constitution