Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-06-25

the convict lease system aCollsneu, IneTe
Is less to be done by the commission, and
one capable man at the head of your
penitentiary system would be of far more
use than three commissioners.
If the legislature would create boaro'
consisting OF the governor, the attorney
general and the commissioner of agricul-
ture, to be known as the board OF super
vision of the convict system of the state
and give them authority to elect super
visor of convicts and of roads, at
salary which would command the ser
vices of a man of marked executive abil-
ity, this would be a great step to improve
the management of the system. He should
have an efficient bookkeeper and a steno-
grapher to handle his office work. He
should have two or more assistant engi-
neers to act as supervisors of camps and
70 aid local authorities in handling their
road problems.
STATE FARM.
I have visited the state farm at Mil
ledgeyille You have there 400 acres or
land. The whites and the negroes are
substantially in the same quarters Inc
white and the negro women are In the
same building. The white and the negro
boys are at the same reformatory. The
land is ample and the whites and blacks
should be entirely separated.
As q plan of management Tor the STATE
farm / would suggest general super
intendent for the entire farm at q salary
of 81 500 a year, with an assistant super
intendent in charge of each of the sepa-
rate quarters. One competent bookKeeper
should keep separate books for each OF
the institutions. ,,.
A system of acquisitions for supplies
from each of the superintendent on the
; general superintendent. and a system OF
senarate accounting for the sales from
eoch of the localities. would make
check upon the different officers, and FUR
nish a plan by which the entire enter
prise could be put upon business
basis.
MANAGEMENT IS BAD.
Conditions at the farm can be improved
and expenses decreased. / resLet ~ go,
that the management OF the prison iafHi
hos been bad. From the prison COM
mission on down to the superintendent
| a. has lacked that method and SYSTEM
which is necessary for the best results.
/ Purchases and sales have been maoe
| without proper records ana WIFI
| out checks on purchases or safes. AoV
MANY men are there on salaries. Iouhu
to nv surprise during the month OF May
that Mills for supplies for the farm had
been left unpaid during 1907 and 1915.
and that money which / was drawing
| from the appropriation for 1909 was oelng
used by the commission to pay oeots
| contracted in prior years. empioyeo
expert accountants to examine the oooks'
both in the office Of the commissioners
and at the prison farm. The report OF
| these expert accountants / hand you lot
the use of the chairmen of your commit-
tees charged with the consideration or the
convict system.
IMPROVE REFORMATORY.
/ desire especially TO urge an improve
uoent of the reformatory. I do not mean
10 criticise the managers Of the REFORM
atorv. but the scope of their work mas
been limited and their opportunities cur
tailed. The white reformatory. as re-
suit of the Juvenile court bill passed last
| summer should contain many boys VINO
have committed no crime. but who should
be sent to the reformatory TO protect
them from the danger Of crime. The white
reformatory should give an opportunity
fer the devotion of one-half the time
Of the bows there confined to mental de-
yeIopment and to the study OF books. ano
only one-half of their time should be
given to manual labor. Such an init
tuition properly organized and managed
would not prove very expensive. ana
would be a great blessing to the boys
there confined.
PARDON OF CoNvICTs.
You will find in my report the names
OF q large VI COhNANeo WIZ
been pardoned since the last session OF
the legislature. This large number has
been due in part to the fact that the leg
islatIve investigation OF the convict
system brought to light many merito-
ri6us cases. which, in my judgment, had
been neglected but which called for the
exercise of the pardoning power by tne
chief executive.
AS a rule, l have pursued the policy
snoT1npfQlINy
reference to those things which had de"
yeloped since the trial of the convict. Sub
seouent evidence which threw light upon
the question of guilt or innocence; the
worn-out condition of the convict caused
by his service in the penitentiary; IN
juries received by the convict while In
the penitentiary; special service rendered
by the convict while in the penitentiaryi
these and similar facts, not before the
Judge and jury at the time OF trial. nave
largely Influenced my exercise of execu-
tive clemency.
I have also been much Influenced by the
recommendation OF presiding judges VINO
have advised that under existing circum-
stances arising since the time Of sentence,
Communication to present service OF par
dons should be extended to convlcts
named regard the expression OF sucn
an opinion by a presiding judge as really
judicial opinion, anu Oh iiOAS fOANS
than the opinion of pardon board De-
lieve 1t would be well. by statutory en-
actment, to make it the duty of Judge
to furnish the governor, when called up
on, his opinion as to the advisaoihty Oh
extending executive clemency.
A parole bill was passed at the extra
session of the legislature. and believe
IL is working we'll. although l would IA
vor a more liberal use o. the power OF
parole.
USE OF PARDON POWER.
With 5000 convicts in the state, most OF
whom are negroes, an opportunity for
study, differing in many respects from
the ordinary problem OF how to handle
criminal. Is presented. The greatest effort
should be made to utilize the punishment
of crime for the reformation of the GRIM
inaI. and TO check the criminal disposition
of the negroes still at large. l am con-
WINGED that clemency extended by the
executive to long term convicts, who, al
ter serving portions OF their terms, have
made good records, will prove most heip-
full. The policy of waiting for applica'
lions for clemency Is a mistake. FIRE.
ouently those most deserving of clemency
are without friends and without money,
and we should see to it that they are not
forgotten.
As all the convicts are now in the hands