Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-04-15

far a. am able To see that the
methods in the treatment of the
states prisoners are made more hu-
man rather than more bsrbarous-
There IL, NO qucs ion that Georgia is
backward IN this respect. There are
.prc.f, evils ami there are general
evils. For the former. the wardens
and othr- penal officials undoubtedly
are largely To- blame. For the latter
the responsibility must be placed
upon the antiquated system.
"Wsrd-ns. drums with power abuse
their positions. They are the appoint
ICES Of the system. They are ineXpc-
ri,r,ed ana incompetent in many
cases They are chosen. not because
os their nn-ss. but more likely 10
repay some political favor. Some OF
them nak" good. Dut they are in The
minority. When good warden is
found r. is more or less an accident
Give them permission to whip the
women ccuvicts as they please and
the public would be Mortified at the
rcsult-that is. if the public ever was
permitted 10 know the circumstance
Cochran Also Against Plan.
The movement encountered another
enemy n STATE Representative r. q.
Cochran, Of Atlanta who declared
hat hr never had been able to recon
ellie himself to the idea of whipping
or beating woman as punitive
measure. lie declared his belief that
his mode Of punishment has no place
in dIsciplining stubborn cOnvicts.
AS a general proposition. ] am OPP
posed TO the whipping of women he
said. III tine matter should be brought
TO the ltrcntion Of the Legislature. !
1m inclined to think that ] would
vote against any measure sanctioning
the practice.
"To NV mind. it is brutal and bru-
taliziug ] can not believe any roa
.ons D>fst that would induce ne to|
alter my position"
state Representative r. b. Biack
burn regarded as extremely danger
ous the policy OF giving such wide
discretionary power i'm the matter Of
punishment TO wardens scattered
about thu State. In his opinion. such
q plan nigh. very easily give rise to
te -rIbIc abuses ana mistr,a;ment
Entitled 70 Humane Treatment
THE sovereign power Of Furnishing
ia. citizens who refuse to obey the
laws OF the Commonwealth rests en-
tirely in the State" he said. Per
sonaHy ! do no, think that this SOW
,rcign power should be delegated to
here and there who are
only remotely accountable to the
state.
The punitive system should be
very carefully safeguarded. Other
wise evils are almost certain to creep
n The lne Of punishment should be
Well mapped out. No corrective
mea sures should be used that border
IN cruelty
1T always should be borne in mind
that a prisoner white or black. male
lr female-is human being and $
such is entitled to humane treatment !
70 boz sure discipline is necesz AIRY, alb
-olutely necessary That makes the
problem delicate one. The condi-
ions in Georgia make il more diff
cult herr, perhaps, than in almost any
other State in the Union, but ! am
confident that tn solution will come
vithou. resortiug to the barbarities
that almost invariably accompany the
free employment Of corporal punish
nent
Personally. / am opposed to whip
ping at ala. and I can not conceive of
he need Of hogsing women. real
ne that they aye obstreperous, but |
un convinced that other methods will
present themselves of dealing with
his class of prisoners.
Avoid Torture" He Urges.
"If those in authority feel that there
Is no other way of disciplining. let
them see that this discretionary pow
"a is we'll safeguarded. Let them be
.rtain that the punishment does not
become mere torture. There is al
great possibility on the shoulders
n those vino are sponsors for the
old system of corporal punishment
from watch the world is rapidly iii
Nor.iug itself"
CharaCteriziug as maudlin senti-
meut all the arguments made by the
opponents of logging the warden
and guards AT the county camp claim
that the dungeon" has no terrors
FOR the average convict under their
care and without the power to use
the leather" as the whip is common
ly known at the camp. they can not
handle the uuruly ami insubordinate
negro women.
Warden A. A. Mitchell and the
guards claim that since the whipping
of the women was abolished last Au-
gust conditions at the camp have
grown steadily worse. and that in
their opinion they VIII not he able
To properly control the women until
son. I.HYt.g Dot, -