The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-05-28
AN uNWISE ORDER.

AN UNWIsE ORDER.
We cannot agree with the Gov
ernor's recent order requiring
the counties to take back all
prisoners from the penitentiary
which are in that institution for
safe keeping. Our objection is
simply this: The penitentiary is
better fitted for a human BEINGS
/; long confinement than the aver
age jail, if a man is in the hands
of the law for trial, it is not the
purpose of the State to infict
punishment upon him until he
has been regularly tried and con
victed, and it is the duty Of the
State to make him as comfortable
as it can pending his trial, at any
rate, he should not be subjected
to having his health impaired
because of i'll ventilatedbuildings.
such as the average jail is, but
even where these institutions are
properly ventilated there is no
opportunity for needful exercise.
The Governor refers to the Be.
thune case from this county.
This prisoner being kept in the
penitentiary is a heavy tax upon
the people it is true, but if be is
brought back and boarded in jail
there is no assurance the tax
payers will save money thereby,
especially, since the law in it's
intracicies permits so much jug
Cling with technicalities to de-
feat or delay it's enforcement.
1t was our impression that the
purpose of taking prisoners fc
safe keeping to the penitenti. J
was to prevent mob law from be
ing exercised under sudden i'm
pulse, and we have always
thought it a. wise precautlon;
true, in the Bethune case we
never did believe there would be
any attempt made to lynch him,
as those most interested were
not disposed to encourage such
action. and we believe he would
have been perfectly safe in this
county Jail, at the same time, we
would not say he would have
Jared as we'll physically as he
has in the penitentiary where be
is permitted to get out in the
open within the walls, and take
such exercise in the way of labor
as he will volunteer to do. But
the Beth1ne case is perhaps one
of many; failure to give bond re
quires incarceration, and it is
frequently the case the charge
cannot be heard for several terms
of court, all of this time the ac-
cused must remain within the
close walls of Jail, and when he
is tried. if convicted, his physical
| being is so weakened that it
takes much of his sentence time
to get back his strength in time
for him to render service to the
| State. or if he is acquitted, an
innocent man has not only suff
cred mentally but his health
often has been ruined by the
confinement
The Governors view that
it is a reflection upon tn e
people of the counties to have
their prisoners taken from
them and placed in the peniten.
tiary for safe keeping we cannot
agree with. because, the precau-
, ton is invited by all who would
wish the law to be observed, and
when a condition arises which
fires the public mind there should
be a place of refuge for the un-
fortunate who may be accused,
to escape the wrath of an arous
ed people that may have had
their minds infamed from some
injudicious source-perhaps an
irresponsible source, or worse, a
source with a sinister motive,
when at last, the public mind
has cooled, the accused is shown
to be innocent. whereas, had he
been apprehended by an excited
mob, his life might have been
taken, or severe bodily punish
meut inflicted, while the guilty
made good his escape.
The more we think OF the re.
cent order, the more are we con
v,nced the Governor has made a
mistake, he should rescind it to
the extent of requiring all cases
carried to the penitentiary for
safe keeping t. be thoroughly
investigated to ascertain whether
or not it is for the public welfare
and for the best interests of jus,
tice to the accused.
The report published in Sat.
urday's press dispatches to the
effect that Charles M. Galloway
will be made a member OF the
civil service commission is graf