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The True Citizen,
TV A Y N KB HO HO, <JA., FRIDAY. MAY 5, 1883-
‘The Survival of the Fittest."
The Penitentiary System.
* In our last issue appeared a com-
launiea ion upon the subject, of the State
convict system. Our correspondent
was in favor of a continuance of the
present convict system, and seemed to
grow angry that any one thought of a
change which might ameliorate the suf-
multiplied criminals fifty fold. And,
until the ruling principle of the one is
reversed, and the methods of the other
are reformed, the evil will go on, eating,
like an acid, deeper and deeper into
the material and moral vitals of the
State.
A man commits a crime. The State
arrests, tries convicts, sentences him.
He is thrown into prison for a term of
years. No discrimination is made
among criminals. No provision is
made to survive the term of prison ser
vice. The man comes out a pauper in
all things—in pocket, in morals, in re
pute—to commit another, and, perhaps,
ferings of the poor unfortunate victims
ol ignorance and vice, and went so far a deadlier criine - Nay, this is not the
as to say that the punishment at pres
ent. inflicted Upon the convicts was not
severe enough. In this assertion, in
our humble opinion, our correspondent
made a very grave error. The law does
not contemplate a*y punishment as ade
quate to crime, but inflic s punishment
to restrain evil doe s, to cause them to
pause and think before they again give
rein to their passions and evil disposi-
tl an. But if, as our correspondent
hoids, the punishment must be made
adequate to crime, let Georgia expunge
from her statute books every form of
punishment except, one—and let that
one be—DEATH! We know that
our correspondent would start with
horror at such a proposition, but his
theory leads to that—and nothing less.
But. wc set out to say why we ob
jected to the present system of leasing
the convicts to private individuals, and
our first objection to the present system
i- that it transfers to private parties
the right and power to enforce the sen
tences imposed upon persons convicted
of violations of State laws, by our State
courts, whan in oar opinion and judg
ment there res s upon the State a
solemn moral obliga ion to enforce the
sentences of h. r courts. The welfare
of society and the principles of human
ity require that the '-tate shall retain
control i f these convicts, and have the
sentences of the courts enforced by her
own proper officers. '1 he very dignity
of die State is at.ached by the pres3nt
le *se system.
'This oejection it elf, is enough even
in the few wonts that our limi cd space
will allow us to sta e it, but when we
(cme to consider the hundreds of cases
of inhuman cruelty which have been
perpetrated upon the defenseless con
victs, and which come too well sub
stantiated to be gainsaid, or doubted,
then ! he lease system becomes a blot
tin the State’s escutcheon, and a stain
upon our civilization. The proud
lesee of a few scores of misreable con
victs, iolla in his easy chair, cats of
the lees of fat things, and sips his wine
from golden goblets—his rich viands
and his noctar are seasoned with the
groans and blood of suffering humanity.
The penitentiary ought to be a place of
of punishment, but there is no excuse
for the brutal cruelty proven to be
prac iced upon these erring, but defense
less, creatures, and we can but imagine
that when one is beaten to death, as
has been done in many cases, and the
State uutohriiies winked at the deed,
be rejoices when death comes to release
him from the refined cruelties of men
i i re savage than the untamed liger of
the forest. Our correspondent, how
ever, says there is a State Commission
to control and regulate these things.
In this he is mistaken, there is no such
Commission in existence, no law has
been passed in the State creating any
such Commission, and if there were, it
would be as impotent to stop these terri
ble abuses as our correspondent would
be to check a cyclone in its course, or
hold back the tide of the ocean.
We are not uttering the language
ot a sublimated philanthrophy, or using
the argument of an inflamed benevo
lence. The operations of our criminal
law, and the treatment bestowed upon
those who come thereunder, drive at
the very root of our political and do
mestic fabric. Our whole system of
legal punishment is wrong. Our prison
system is a monstrosity. The union cf
twin relics of barbarism has been
jated curse. It has scattered
TRUE CITIZEN.
PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY,
AT WAYNESBORO. CA.
half of it. This man has a wife and
abroad of children. Whilst the trial
progresses these hover in the corner of
the court room clinging tearfully, fear
fu'ly to one another. The lawyers
jower. The Judge scowls. The jurors
put their heads together. No thought
for this poor woman and her little ones.
The State—of which we profess to be
so proud—finally decides that the man
shall be confined for twenty years, and
he is taken away to prison. His pre
lection—no matter how small—his
earnings no matter how meager—are
withdrawn from his family. They are
totally lost sight of. There is but one
refuge for them, and that is c ’ime,—
The man emerges at last from the moral
death, to which he lias been committed,
co find his sons grown up to be mur
derers and thieve 3 , his daughters har
lots, and the mothers of murderers and
thieves. And thus the State, tho law,
with its damned and damning c n.-ev-
vatism, encourages crime, multiplies
our criminal classes and keeps hell con
stantly red-hot with lrcsli relays that
were never meant by God and nature
tor anywhere but heaven. Everybody
knows this to be true. Each of us can
give examples within his own know
ledge. We see truth of it. all about us ;
in the hovel, where the wail and shrink
ing widow of a living husband, red
eyed and hopeless, gives up the fight in
despair ; in the brothel, whither igno
rance and vice, born of wretchedness
and squalor, have driven the untended
young of the victim the State and the
law have immolated on the altars of
virtue.
Is there no remedy ? Why, certain
ly there is, and equally smiple and
efficacious. Society has no right to
that man’s labor. It must punish
itself as well as him if it be wise and
just. It must constitute itself the cus
todian of his person, his morals and his
earnings. It must do what it can to re-
form him. It must make some provision
lor his family. Discrimination should
be exercised in disposing of criminals,
and, to this end, there should be two
prisons—one for perpetual convicts and
those who are hardened beyond the hope
of redemption, and one for reform.—
If to these, a system of provision for
those who are dependent up an the work
of the convicted, be adopted -an noth
ing is easier—we shall diminish crime and
the criminal classes, and make the ope
rations of the law really a blessing and
not a curse.
Here is a work, gentlemen of the
General Assembly, worthy of you as
statesmen, as philosophers, as law
givers, as Georgians, as men. It is in
no sense Utopian. single sheet of
legal cap is long enough and broad
enough to take in a sufficimit measure
with every detail. It will ameliorate
human misery oil every hand ; it will
reduce crime and criminals in every
quarter ; it will make sleep sweeter and
safer under every roof, from the man
sion in tho city to tho farm house and
cabin in the country, and it will redound
to the glory of old Georgia all over tho
land. Stop your piddling, personal
schemes and peddling out of local fa
vors, gentlemen, and it you really wish
to do the State some service, give your
time and thoughts to this great but
easy question in domestic morals and
economy.
- *. ^ +
Dr. John J. Gregory, formerly a
citizen of Jefferson county, died in
Corpus Christi, Texas, March 22,
BY TIIE-
A short time since, Mr. Ste
phens declared hi< intention to re
tire from public office to private life
at the close of bis present term of
service. We did not think so when
the announcement was made, and
promptly said so—we could not
believe that the people of Georgia
were ready to dispense with the ser
vices of “the old Commoner,” who
had served them so long and so faith
fully in the House as Representative
in the United States Congress. We
were not surprise*.! to hear that lie
had agreed to be a candidate for gov
ernor by the pressure brought to bear
upon him by thousands of Georgians
who understand this grand old St des
man. We know Mr. Stephens inti
mately, and believe that if there is,
or ever will be, an honest politician,
he is that man.
Mr. Stephens does not seek office,
and wid not be the candidate of any
party, but will be the people’s can
didate, and receive the support of all
shades of political opinion. Should TT - ~ T VT w ™ a «« r* w . «
Mr. Stephens be a candidate for gov-1S U L. L I V A II J2 R Q T REUS*
eruor The Citizen will give him its
cordial support. The latest intelli
gence leads us to believe that Mr.
Stephens will now be a candidate fur
governor. It is not rumored that
the resignation of Senator Hill has
been sent to the governor, and that
he has tendered tiie appointment
to Mr. Stephens—and he will doubt
less accept. While we know that
Georgia would fimi at tbe same time
an honest and able governor in Mr.
Stephens, we prefer infinitely to see
him in the United States Senate,
where be will be a’>le to do us much
b-1 or service than ill tin gubernato
rial chair of the State.
■:oOo:-
Independent in All Things,
Neutral In Nothing.
UgT 5 The expose of tbe schemes
and intentions of the junta, lately as
sembled at the Markham House in
Atlanta, by Smith Clayton, is surely
a terrible rebuke to those dishonest
office seekers, provided they have
any vestage of conscience left. We
have believed from the very beginning
that this cabal meant mischief, pro
vided they could accomplish ttieir
nefarious schemes by any trick
which they could concoct. Many of
our con temp varies express the opin
ion that this clique is attempting
to lead the Democrats over to tin*
Radicals ; but we entertain no such
opinion, for we do not believe they
would not have hesitated to have
broken faith with the Radicals, and
have sacrificed them for their advan
tage as quick as they would sacrifice
the Democrats or any other party or
individual if they thought that their
own designs could he any easier ac
complished. Self w.'s in every move
they made, and deception the instru
ment by which they expected to refth
their aim. But the exposition of Mr.
Clayton has opened the eyes of the
people, and every member of the
cabal is to all intents and purposes
eternally politically dead.
Let us here once more utter a
warning to the people. Tbe doctrine
that “a party will not nominate a bad
man,” will not do. If a good man is
nominated, vote for him; if his an
tccedents cannot stand close scrutiny
reject, him—and put up an honest
man in the place.
A dispatch to the Augusta News,
dated Knoxville,Term., May 3d, says:
Hon. Horace Maynard died at hi-
homo in this city at 1 o’clock Ini-
morning, of heart disease. Mr. May
nard was a prominent and well-known
politician of Tennessee, a staunch He
publican, and United States Minister
to Turkey by appointment of Presi
dent Hayes.
-o:0:o
Not Pledged
to Any Pa:
\ 1
l * w
Ft|tion, or Individual.
-o:0:o-
A JOURNAL FOR THE PEOPL
— -o:0:o-
Devoted to the interests of the people of Burke county, their in
struction, entertainment and advancement a faithful and impartial
chronicler of all Burke county happenings—a fair recorder of all import-1
ant events elsewhere occurring—a sturdy advocate of correct Jeffersonian'
principles of government by the people and lor the people—a just, upright
and honorable journal.
In all these things the CITIZEN hopes not to prove remiss in its
duty—it is a public institution, and every subscriber and patron is a
stockholder- the Publishers are merely their agents, and their duties and
responsibilities are reciprocal—we think we can promise that the man
agement will do its duty, and if the public will do theirs, it will prove an
immense power for good in the community.
It has 11882.
Chatham, the Atlanta correspondent
of the Augusta Chronicle, thinks it
safe to say that Senator Brown is
improving in health, and vvill no
doubt soon lie able to leave for Wash
ington and resume his seat fi the
Senate.
Gen. John B. Gordon, contem
plates leaving for Europe about the
10th inst.
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