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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. \ T&SHS OF SUFSCaiFTIffN; On^copy on^year, Cash in advance, “ \ “ six months “ “ ^ “ three months “ Advertising rates liberal, to he obtained on application. Address, $2 00 1 00 50 S. L. SULLIVAN, Business Manager, WAYNESBORO, GEORGJ