Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1908-08-09
AS WASHINGTON POST
SEES CONVICT SYSTEM
{ Washington Post.)

The sun shines warm in Georgia,
but thermal conditions are never
permitted to interfere with the meet
ing of the legislature. Just as pres
ent that august body is engaged in
momentous work which makes it
oblivious to all sunspot theories and
the Importance of the conservation of
energy. 1t is doing a little house
cleaning, which, from all reports, is
painfully needed.
Georgia's convict lease system has
been the subject of so much COM
plant that it developed a good-sized
scandal of which the legislature was
forced to take notice A committee
was appointed, which Immediately en-
gagged in probing the condition of the
cOnvicts on the State farm and under
the control of convict lessees.
Among the disclosures made to the
investigating committee was the fact
that convict wardens all over the
State, who were receiving pay from
the State to guard men under SEN
tence at hard labor, also were receiv-
ing additional pay from lessees for
work done at the camps. The war
dens and deputy wardens who were
examined on this point justified them
selves upon the ground that the COM
pensation allowed by the State was
too meager to sustain them. In
stances of cruelty and inhuman treat
ment were testified by wardens and
convicts. A former employee of the
State prison farm admitted having
given negro so lashes with a leath-
er strap. The man worked we'll for
several days, he said, and then his
feet became sore from walking in the
sandy fields. A physician from At
lanta examined him, and expressed
the opinion that he might be suffer-
ing from a malady affecting the low
er part of his back. Nevertheless, he
was given so ticks.
The general manager of a coal
and iron company, employing con-
vict labor, testified to a fight to the
death between two convicts armed
with picks, encouraged by a deputy
State warden. He stated that a giant
negro. becoming enraged toward the
deputy, planted himself against a
bank, and raising his pick, threaten
ed to Kill the officer ii he APP
preached The deputy, it was stated,
called another convict, notorious for
having killed five men, and who had
a SiudSC against Tic IlulIn6GIJ anu
told him to Eget" him A duel with
picks followed, and the rebellious
negro was killed
The Georgia house of representa-
tives was so impressed by the dis
closures that it passed a bill provid-
ing for the termination of the pres
ent system of leasing convicts on
January l, 1911, and prescribing reg
luations for shoft-term leases until
the system shall be abolished. Con-
victs from the District of Columbia
having more than two years to serve
are committed to the penitentiary at
Atlanta, and are not taken to the
prison farm or leased to contractors
They at least, have been fortunate
in escaping the cruel treatment which
the prison officials have inflicted upon
their own people. The ground for
declaring certain acts to be crimes,
and prescribing the proper punish
ment, is the public good, and this is
the foundation of criminal law The |
primary object of the state in inf1ict-
ing punishment is to deter and is not |
indulgence of revenge, for of itself |
retributive justice does not warrant /
the infiiction of punishment. Leav-
ing public policy out of the consider I
alton, therefore, the state would have /
no right or excuse to punish a man.
Further than this the common law
does not go.