The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-01-16
BLEAsE ON HOSIERY MILL.
Calls or Legislature to Abolish the
Mill-Says il it Does Not That
BE Will.


al assembly Friday afternoon the fol-
lowing special message, relating to
the hosiery mill at the State peniten-
tiary:
Gentlemen: I recommend that you
require the board of directors CT the
State penitentiary to improve the
buildings which they have there now;
to tear away the old rock building;
put up new buildings that will be IN
keeping with up-to-date sanitary rules
and conditions, and that they be re-
quired to build hospital for tuber-
culosis on the farm in Lexington
county and put all cases of tubercu-
losis out on the farm, where they can
have plenty of pure fresh air, plenty
of sunshine and be given such food as
the doctor thinks most advisable.
Change Prison Rules.
further recommend that you re-
ouire that the prison rules be changed
so that the prisoners be allowed to
talk to each other at certain hours;
that they may be allowed to read good
books, magazines, ETC.; that they may
be allowed to hear sermons, by those
who wish to preach to them, and that
your body stop useless whipping OF
convicts, particularly when they are
assigned to a. task which they are not
able to do, either from physical dis
ability or from want Of experience
along the line of work assigned to
them, because I am satisfied that un-
der some of your prison rules, you
make criminals out Of men instead of
reforming them.
Chance for Economy9
Another matter to which I most re-
spectfully call your attention is the
fact that the State of South Carolina
is now paying laborers on the new
asylum buildings 81 per day, at the
expense of the taxpayers, and yet they
are hiring convicts to Graham & co.
at 81 1-2 cents per day and feeding
them, clothing them, and as extra pay
giving them tuberculosis. These con-
yicts would do more work at the asy-
lum than the paid labor, and be health
ier and labor longer in the service
of the State than at present.
Therefore, T recommend that the
penitentiery furnish the labor at the
asylum and save the money, giving
the convicts sunshine and pure air
and longer lives, and showing that
South Carolinians are not barbarians
and treat their convicts like brutes
but are civilized and show mercy and
kindness even to the unfortunate and
misguided; and, would further rec
ommend that yel require that better
food be given to the convicts.
r Many Not Guilty.
It is true that many of the people
are criminals, but at the same time
there are many in there that are moi
guilty and have been put there by
perjured testimony, and by whatever
rule or law they are there, do not
think that it is right to abuse them OF
not to give them sufficient food upon
which to do the work required o1
them. Neither do I think that they
should be numerically whipped OF
cruelty treated in fact, gentlemen
every time one of them is whipped, il
is a violation of the constitution ot
the United States and of the State o!
South Carolina, and if the man who
plies the lash was indicted, unless {
jury perjured themselves, he would
be convicted, for our consututloI
plainly and distinctly says that cor
poral punishment shall not be infiict'
ed.
Better Conyicts' Condition.
In conclusion, I plead with you, gen
tlemen, to better the condition of these
men. They are human beings; nc
man has ever yet fallen so low bu
what there is some good in him; ev
cry man is made in the image of hi!
God, and as long as that image lasts
so long will there be something goot
in that man. They are human beings
unfortunate, but that is no reason VIII!
they should be abused. When yol
were children, reading your histories
you would hold up your hands IL
holy horror at the idea of a human be