The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1914-02-03
SHOWS NECESSITY FOR
SALE OF STATE FARMS
GOVERNOR .BLEASE DISCUSSES
PENDING BILL.
Is Sending ConYicts to Chain Gangs.
And Farms Will Very Soon
Be Depleted.
Special to The Herald and News.

Special to The Herald and News.
Columbia, Feb. 2.-GoTernor Blease
has given out the following statement
in which he stresses the Importance
of the passage by the general assem-
bly, of the pending bill to provide for
the sale of the State farms, saying
that he is steadily sending the con-
victs back to the chain gangs, as they
are asked for by the counties, hay-
ing already sent back 81 within a
short time, and now having the ap-
plications of three other counties be-
fore him, which applications will be
granted as soon as a few omissions
in the papers are supplied.
The governors statement follows:
Eyes; my record, as cited in my an
nual message, as a representative and
as senator, has been in favor of the
sale of the State farms, and the plac-
ing of all convicts upon the public
roads, and l am in hopes that the
legislature will promptly pass this bill
However, I have a more important
reason for asking it than my own op-
inion. l have adopted system
which will soon Of itself do away with
the State farms, that is, as each county
makes the application and files prop
er affidavits that it is properly able
to handle its own convicts, am
committing all sentences Of able-bod-
led male prisoners from the peniten-
tiary to the county chain gang. With
in the last few days 81 have been re-
turned, and I now have on hand three
other counties applications, which
will be granted as soon as one or two
little points which they omitted have
been filled in. Consequently it will
be seen that the probabilities are
that all conyicts will be back in their
respective counties within the next
80 or so days. Then the State farms
would be depleted, the land would be
on hand with no one to cultivate it,
and the mules and stock would be on
hand with no one to use them. Of
course, this can only be brought
about by the representatives of the
counties themselves, who are making
requests for these prisoners.
Therefore, l think it would be
very nice for this general assembly
to provide>for the sale of the farms,
and to do so now. They have been
put on notice. They cannot say that they
were taken by surprise. and if they
find themselves feeding Is or 100 head
of stock through the summer, with a
few acres of land standing idle, it
will be their fault for not passing
this bill. They are in session; they
have three more weeks to go, and they
have certainly been given good and
proper notice.
"In my opinion, the public roads
are the place for the convicts, and on
the public roads they go.
"In addition to this, the sale Of
these lands will relieve the financial
situation of the State to some extent,
just at this time, and really think,
outside of all other considerations,
in view of the large appropriations
that will be asked for, that every
available dollar should be brought
in"
The following is the number, by
counties, of 81 already sent to the
gangs:
Anderson, 6; Dorchester, 2; York,
s; spartanburg, s.. Lancaster, 3; Lee,
4; Union, 5; Lexington, 5; Fairfield,
6; Newberry, 8; Cherokee, 8.