The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1911-04-21


with no hopes Of freedom and nothing
in the future to look for in the world,
is in fact in no condition to labor at
all, and when hard driven, as our
convicts are, soon, yield up the ghost.
I have thought for years that conVicts
should be required to do only mod
crate hard labor, Of course lighter
::ork in proportion. But to get it
Gown to a working principle | make
the following statement Of a fact
which I hope will reach our peniten-
tiary guards and overseer, and cul-
inmate in an act Of our legislature to
regulate and correct the conditions
referred to, to wit: Say that ten hours
a day is full labor for a healthy young
freeman, this is all that he can stand
in moderate labor. The average free
man can not stand that much, and
live, considering the ordinary condl-
tions of life among men and women,
many weakly and sickly and perma-
nently diseased. The freemen are no.
in prison, are not doWncast, they are
not shackled, but have something to
look to, and they work Voluntarily
and for it's enjoyment and comfort.
Now, beg that We ;cnlr'st IN our
minds the conditions Of the convict as
mentioned above and tell me yoAr
conclusion. Can the poor convict un-
der his conditions stand what the
freeman can stand in labor, and live?
Your answer is no. Then [ say that
the system that will work a convict
as much as q freeman will work is
killing and murderous. If I had the
control Of our penitentiary I would
never allow a convict worked at hard
labor ten hours a day, law or no law.
At the highest estimate I think seven
hours a day as limit for convict
at hard work should be observed and
be enacted into an absolute law. Un-
der this rule these poor people will
have all that they can endure. Many
can; not stand that much. Many may
live to get through these terms, but
all. if long then under present condl-
tons are broken in health and soon
pass away.
Humane Purpose.
T write in the interest of humanity
only, and I expect to- pursue this
theme further in the future, and will
have much more to say. l design
very shortly to make call for a con-
vention of some of our Christian peo-
ple of our State to meet for the pur-
pose of organizing State Prison as
sociation, to have for its object the
Improvement of prison conditions and
the protection of the States prisoners
in the penitentiary, in our county
iails and upon the chain gangs. I
think this of exceeding great import
ance and it must be done quite soon.
Our State association would connect
itself with the National Prison asso-
citation. l would like to have sugges-
tons from good people in this State
who are interested in this question.
, would suggest further while 1 am on
the subject that the system Of Sen-
fencing convicts is most irregular ana
dangerous. One judge would give ten
years when another Judge with a soul
in him would make it tive One would
civ year, another would make it 2
years. TO the strong and hearty con-
vict it may do, but to the sickly and
weakling it is death very soon. The
unfortunate accidental criminal is
punished as the hardened criminal 1t
is usually left with the chief executive
of the State to investigate these con-
ditions, and we sometimes see that
relief is given in the exercise or a
humane system of INQUIRY into such
cases adyerted to.
Pleads for Governor Blease.
Now, Mr.. Editor, I wish to remark
that this article has been prompted
just at this time by the positive and
vigorous action Of our governor,
Blease, in the pardon and relief of so
many suffering human beings in our
prisons. I beg the newspapers to
hold up in their criticisms of his par
doning work, unless they know OF
wrong being done, which has not yet
occurred to my knowledge. Governor
Blease is in a position to know the
conditions and facts upon which he
in humanity decides to act. Let him
be the Judge and be allowed to pur-
sue the good work he is doing. I
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