The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1918-12-17
TUESDAY, DECEMBER IT, 1913.
THE CHAIN GANG.

ties and, Correction was created by
Act Of the legislature, we were
among those who opposed it, chiefly
because we believed it would call for
another set of office-holders who
would make considerable noise for a
little while, and then cease to do
anything except draw the salaries
provided by law.
We were, however, agreeably sur
prised when we saw the members OF
the board take up the matter of
free tuition in state institutions OF
learning, with the result that a great
many people perfectly able to do so,
but who had been imposing on the
state, were forced to pay their just
obligations to the state for the edu-
cation of their children. 1t has been
stated that the saving to the state in
this matter alone justifies the Gre
alton of the board.
It appears, too, that the members
of this board have not been idle in
other matters. They have been in
vestigating among other things, that
old friend of ours, the county chain
gang, and what they have to say
makes interesting reading. 1t is
confrmatory of what we have been
telling the people of Abbeville coun-
ty for the last several years, but
the long suffering people of this
county have been sitting idly by, al
lowing this pet institution to eat up
the entire resources Of the county,
with no visible results, justifying it
on the ground that other counties
were making good use Of the chain
gang.
It would seem however, that the
observations Of the secretary of the
Board disprove the statement that
other counties have profted by hav-
ing the chain gang work the roads
in those counties. With regard to
road building by the convicts in the
several counties the report Of the
Secretary says: !.
"From our four years intimate
knowledge Of the chaingangs in
South Carolina we have reached the
conclusion that the entire system is
wrong and should be abolished BY
the legislature. We know many coun-
ties which are working less than ten
or IL men, with hired white men
for guards. One county was work
ing five convicts, to guard whom
three men were hired and fed by the
county. This is a losing proposition
for the taxpayers. The best that
can be done with such gang on the
road is repair or patch work, which
tears up again before the gang works
ten miles away. The treatment by:
the authorities of the men is not
what it should be in any respect, and
it never will be so long as the fore
men and guards are men chosen for
their positions because of services
rendered to the supervisor in his
campaigns. We recommend the
abolition of the county system, and
urge that the convicts who have vio-
lated State laws and have been tried
and sentenced in State courts, be
punished by State officials instead of
by county officials. !
eve believe that the convicts
should be used for road work, but
the management Of the men, the Be-.
. lection of food for them and of
:, guards to care for them should be
under the authorities of the State
penitentiary. The actual working Of
the men on the roads should be done
" the State highway commission.
This system would allow enough men
to be concentrated into one camp to
reduce overhead costs to a minimum
and would allow for the hiring of a
higher type of manager. In addition
better roads would be built by train
ed engineers. Supervisors have
Dragged to US of their ability as
road builders, but we have yet to