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VOLUME 111
Atlanta Wrhlg
Offices Weekly Post, 32 and
35 Broad Street.
ATLANTA, GA., AUG. 18, 1881.
CIRCULATION.
Iu April, 1880, the present innnnger took
charge of the Weekly Post. .The following I
shown the actual mail circulation ’or the Hist
year, through the Atlanta postoffiee :
Atlanta. Ga., June 28,1881.
No. of pounds Weekly Post mailed by E.
Y. Clarke from Ap 11 Ist, 1880, to April Ist.
1881. » 040 lt>< Postage SIBO 80.
Kee’U payment, Wallace Rhodes,
Chief Mailing Clerk.
The post weighs 13 to a pound, which gives
117,520 Copies.
This 1s oxci tisively t he number sent through
the mails by the publisher Thousands were
mailed by others or distributed otherwise,
running the circulation up to at least, one
hundred and fijly thousand copies.
The Penitentiary Debate.
The Weekly Post, containing a ten col
hinn report of the great debate on the
Penitentiary, will be sent pris'-paid, or will
be delivered to any one, if nt on ;;e applied
for, at 5 cents per copy.
A STATEMENT OF F itT.
An experience never before known to a
Georgia journal is just now enjoyed by the
Weekly Post. The members of the Leg
islature have given it over eighteen hun
dred subscriptions for theii constituents,
who are of coureG the best people of their
counties. This circulation added to our
previous large one makes the Post the best
medium in Georgia for advertisers or pub
lic men to reach the masses. At least 10,-
000 Georgians will read this issue of the
Weekly Post.
THE PENITENTIARY.
We present our readers this week with a
very fine report of the great, debate on the
penitentiary occurring in the House last
week. The report covers about ten col
umns, and is the best printed in Atlanta
by any journal since the Legislature as
sembled.
We doubt not that at an early day the pres
ent system, if not abolished will have to be
very radically changed. A Sta'e has a
right to dispose of the labor of the convict
but not his management. Whenever it
does the latter, it destroys one fundamen
tal idea of a true penitentiary system —the
reformatory idea. The bill passed by the
House providing a board of managers is
a step forward, and therefore a good one.
We regret that we could not give the
speeches in full. The chairm;.n of the ,
•■■fuHary vomiAittee, cir.',Tu
ner, of Bartow, in supporting the action of <
the committee made one ofthe most thrilling
and eloquent addresses ever heard in the ,
Capital. The entire debate was one ol
great ability, and evoked profound at'en
tion and emotion. But the reader however,
will discover this from the speeches.
NEWS ITEIIS.
A gentleman writing from Cartecay, Ga.,
says, that the people there want some tem
perance bill passed.
> President Garfield is in a critical state.
He eats.nothing, but has liquid food injected
into him. See account elsewhere,
• A Mr. H. P. Dooley, of Arkansas,
claims to have invented a perfect' cotton
picking machine. May the Lord bless him
if he has. One man and two horses only
are required to work it.
WILL GET ALONG.
Mr. Kenner, of Kenner, Tibbs & Co.
the largest shippers of dressed poultry in
Atlanta, says that Atlanta will come ui
fully to all the demands of the Expositioi
and its crowds in the way of eatables—
turkeys, chickens, eggs, and like toothsomi
things, and at no greatly increased prices
Oc-omeo Foil*,
On October 10th the Oconee County
Fair beeins. They are making big prepara
lions for it, and a big crowd is expected.
The horse Tom Bollin is on the ground.
Hamilton Female College.
Our readers will have noted the pictun
of this handsome building in our paper
It is one of the firn st institutions of th'
South and has established a high reputa
tion. It is so well known that it is unneces
sary for us to enlarge upon its merits. It
is in the healthiest section of that noble old
State, Kentucky.
Virginia Military InHtllnte.
Established some forty years ago after
the general plau of the United States mil
itary academy at West Point, the above in
stitution has made much character ns a
superior place for students. Over 1,200
cadets have graduated there, and many ol
them have arrived at. distinction iu theii
ehosen professions. The institution is lo
cated at Lexington.
Card From Mr. Ntrotlier.
Atlanta, Aug. 4th, 1881.
Mr. E. Y. Clarke, Editor Weekly Post :
Deak Sir: I see in your paper of to-day
a lull report of the discussion of July 2-th
in the Representative Hall, upon a bill al
lowing tenants to make a pauper’s affidavit
against levying by distress warrants. As 1
■— am not correctly reported, 1 will state cor
rectly my questions. I thought the bill
would create a much greater evil than the
. one it sought to remedy, and therefore pro
pounded the following:
K Ist. Do not our present laws furnish am
pie protection to tenants, by throwing open
the courts of the State to them, to project
suits against landlords for the recovery ol
any damages they may sustain in such
business relations ?
2d. Suppose, a landlord, by signing a
homestead waiver, makes arrangements
with his merchant for supplies for his ten
ants; and at the end of the year, under the
provisions of this bill, his tenants file pau
per affidavits and hang up in the courts all
the property by which the landlord could
make his rents, and by appealing keep it
there six months or longer. What would
be the fate of the landlord if his merchant
should keep him to a settlement at the end
of the year, and his only resource was the
rents due him by his tenants ?
A. E. Strother.
Sufferers, Head This.
If you are afflicted with Neuralgia or Head
ache. you can be speedUy-Telieved by taking
Hie specific Neuralgtne. Hpeedy in its ae
on, entirely free from Op um and other ni'r
voUca, it commends Itself Ln being as inno
mnt as efficient. SiUTEHISON <t BRO., pro
prUtars, Atlauta> Bold by all Diugglsu.
GEORGIA LEGISLATURE.
Tliirty-iirst Day, Tlmrsslny, Anj. 11.
[Atlanta Weekly Post RCport.r
SENATE.
Resolutions passed by the agricul'ural
convention at Rome, asking the general as
sembly to grant the Cole charter and en
courage the propagation of carp were read.
Bills were read the second time.
Bills were then taken up for a third read
ing. The following bill was read :
A bill to fix the fees of public weighers
of rotton and to punish the taking of ex
cessive fees.
The majority report was adverse to, and
minority report was in favor of its passage.
Mr. Fouche moved the adoption of the
minority report.
Before the close of the discussion of the
bill the senate suspended in order to go in
to joint session for the election of a judge
and solicitor for the new judicial cireuit,
after which the senate adjourned to 10
o’clock a. tn., to-day.
HOUSE
On motion of Mr. Davis of Lumpkin, a
bill to appropriate $20.(100 to rebuild the
North Georgia agricultural college, at Da
lonega, was made the special order of next
Wednesday.
The special order ofthe day was the con
sideration of a bill to incorporate the Cin
cinnati and Georgia railroad company (the
bill commonly known as the Cole charter).
The amendments offered by the commit
tee were read.
Rep. Branson of Bartow, offered amend
ment making charter void if railroad is not
built in three years. Agreed to.
Rep. Jemison offered an amendment that
no competing corporation should become
interested in the railroad thus chartered
and if any such corporation should become
interested in it, then the charter should be
ipso facto null and void.
R p. Barrow said the amendment weut
a long ways, and dictates to citizens
of Georgia what property they shall
not own. On this line we shall soon
reach the point where we • say to
a man who owns land in one county that
lie shall not own land in another county.
The amendment of Mr. Barrcw to the
amendment of Mr. Jemison, was adopted.
Mr. Rankin, of Gordon, offered a substi
tute for the amendment that no person in
terested in this road should be interested in
any way or capacity in the Western and
Atlantic Railroad.
Mr- Barrow —One word. That is a kitten
out of the same litter as the amendment of
the gentleman from Bibb. [Laughter.]
Mr. Rice, of Fulton—Would not that
amendment exclude persons now interested
in the State Road lease?
Mr. Ba row —Why, of course.
Mr. Rice—l understand that Colonel
Cole has a small interest iu the lease, and
this would exclude him from going ahead iu
this work.
The amendment of Mr. Rankin was lost
The amendment offered by Mr. Jemison
and amended by Mr. Barrow was agreed to.
Mr. Jemison offered an amendment U
the section providing for the forfeiture o!
took which declared that no more stock
shall be forfeited than an amount equal tc
that calk d tor and not paid. Agreed to.
Rep. Turner, of Monroe, moved to recon
-ider the action of the house in adopting
the amendment offered hy Rep. Jeaiison.
de argued that it' would virtually kill the
charter. A person owning a controllins-
Merest in a competing line would be the
very person who would wish this charter
forfeited, and he could, by purchasing one
hare in this road, forfeit its charter.
Rep. Jemison said that the amendment
-elated to a controlling’interest in the new
line, as well as in other railroads.
Rep. Milner, of Bartow, favored the mo
tion to reconsider. By such a clause thi
stale had probably lost half a million dol
ars in the sale of the Macon and Brunswick
railroad. 1 hope the house will reconsider
his amendment and vote it down.
Rep. Turner’s motion to reconsider pre
vailed.
Rep. Barrow moved to amend the amend
ment by making it read that no persons o:
corporations owning a controlling interest
u any other railroad should own a controll
ing interest in this line- Agreed to.
On the final passage of the bill the yeas
were 124, nays 25.
Y’eas—Adderton, Anderson of Cobb, An
lerson of Newton, Arrington, Awtry, Bacon
of Chatham, Barrow, Basinger, Bates,
Beatty, Bennett, Bird, Branch, Branson,
Brewer, Brinson, Bull, Burch, Cameron,
Barter, Carithers, Christie, Clark, Cook,
Jrumbley, Davis, of Habersham, Davis, ol
Lumpkin, Denton, Dußignon, DuPree ol
Macon, DuPree of Pike. Dyer, Dykes, Ed
wards; Estees, Farnell, Feagin, Elynt, Ford
lam, Foster, Fuller, Garraid, Glover, Good
rich, Hale, Heard, Heath, Hester, Hill
dillyer, Hunt, Jackson of Carroll, Jackson
>f Richmond, James, Johnson, of Lee, Jones
if Baker, Jones, of DeKalb, Julian, Kina
;ey, Lamar, Lamb. Lonnon Lester. L wis.
Little, Maddox, Martin of Houston, Martin
of Talbot, Mays of Butts. Mcßride of Me
Jlellan, Mclntosh, McKinney, McLsod,
McLucas, Middlebrook, Miller, Mitchell,
vlilner, Moore of Hancock, Moore of
Taliaferro, Morrow, Nichols; Northern, Orr.
Palrnour, Park, Patterson, Peek, Perkins
Price. Quillian, Rainey, Rowlius, Render,
Bice, Richie, Robins, Roney, Sapp. Scruggs,
Shockley. Singleton, Silinan, Smith ofOgte
horpe, Spence, Spearman, StandforJ.
Stapleton, Story, Strother, Summerlin
Sumner, Sweat, Thompson, Turner cl
l-'loyd, Turner of Monroe, Turnipseed,
Twiggs, Walker of Berrien, Walker of .Tas
tier, VVhittie, Wilkinson, Wilson of Greene,
'Vingfield, Winslow, Withrow, Wright,
Youngblood, Zachry, Zellars —134.
Nays—Barnes. Broyles, (Crozier, Daniel.
Dial, Gaskins, Gray, Hall, Hammond,
Henry, Hightower of Early, Hightower ot
Stewart, Jemison, Keil, Kennedy, Mat
thews, McClure, Post, Randolph. Smith of
Union Tharpe, Walker of Crawford. Wheel
dr, Willingham, Wilson of Bulloch—2s.
JOINT SESSIONS.
The senate entered the hall of the house
at 12 o’clock, and President Boynton in the
chair, the election of a judge and solicitor
general of the Northeastearn circuit was
declared in order.
For judge, Mr. Silman of the house,
nominated Hon. W. L. Marler, seconded by
Mr. Estes of the house.
Rep. Davis, of Habersham, nominated
Judge C. II Button, of Habersham, second
ed by Mr. Mosely of the senate.
Mr. Guerry of the senate, nominated
lion. C. J. Wellborn, of Union, seconded
by Mr. Davis, of Lumpkin. Judge Well
born was elected.
The vote stood, Wellborn, 141 ; Marier.
41; Sutton. 11.
The election for solicitor-general was
next in order.
Mr. Price, of the senate, nominated R
H. Baker, of Lumpkin, seconded by Mr.
Lamar, of the house.
Mr. Polhill of the house, nominated Mr.
H. W. J. Ham, of Hall, seconded by Mr-
Raney, of the house.
Mr. Butt, of the senate, nominated W,
8. Erwin, of Habersham, seconded by Mr.
Barrow, of Clarke.
Mr. Estes, of the house, nominated W.
F. Findlay, of Hall, but withdrew his
name during the ballot and voted for Ham
The ballot stood: Ham 71; Erwin, 64;.
Baker, 54.
Changes began and went on rapidly,
Baker’s votes leaving him and going to
Erwin and Ham. The final result was Er
win, 89; Ham, 83; Baker, 22; Findlay, 2.
Mr. Price withdrew the name of Mr. Ba
ker. The second ballot resulted in the elec
tion of Mr. Erwin, he receiving 171 votes
to 81 for Ham.
The joint session then dissolved and the
house adjourned.
Thirty-Second liny—Friday Aug. 12.
SENATE.
The bill which was under discussion at
the close of the session Thursday was again
taken uo. This was a bill to fix the fees
of public weighers of cotton, making the
same ten cents for the first weighing and
fife cents for the second weighing.
After a considerable amount of discus
sion the minority report, which was favor
able to the passage of the bill, was agreed
to, and the bill was tibled for the present.
Mr. Jordan moved to take from the tab'e
the house bill in relation to the place of
holding the sheriff sales of Baldwin county,
The bill was taken up and passed.-
Bills were read the second time:
A message was received from the house
notifying the senate of the passage of the
bill granting the Rome railroad charter.
HOUSE.
Mr. Dußignon. of Baldwin, on behalf of
the majority of tho committee ou the luna
tic asylum made a report setting forth the ,
need of larger accommodations at the ,
asylum and recommending the enlarge
ment of the present buildings rather than
the establishment of a branch asylum. ,
A minority report, signed by Rep. Davis
of Habersham,recommended the establish- <
meat of a branch asylum at Gainesville or ,
elsewhere, and submitted a proposition to .
donate ground.
'J he majority report appropriates $165,- ,
000 to erect new buildings in Milledgeville. ]
On motion of Bep. Dußignon the reports ,
and an accompanying bill were referred to
the committee on the lunatic asylum.
The committee on finance reported in
favor of paying the claim of Thomas L. [
Sneed tor services to the state in settling- f
with Henry Clews & Co.
The finance committee also reported in
favor of a bill to erect a new capitol,
Calling of the roll of the counties.
Rep. Summerlyn of Washington—A bill
to incorporate the Middle Georgia railroad,
referred.
Rep. Wheeler,'of Walker—A bill to
levy a tax on dealers in iron safes. Refer
red.
Rep. Bull, of Troupe—bill ta require re
cords of sales under mortgages. Referred.
Rep. Story, of Marion, —A bill to enlarge
the authority of county officers in charge ol
paupers. Referred.
Rep. Johnson, of Lee —A bill to amend
section 1286 of the code fixing the day ol
holding state elections. Referred.
Rep. Miller, of Houston—-A bill to amend
section 3608 of the code. Referred.
Rep. Rankin, of Gordon—A bill to
amend section 3213 of the code as to bills
of exception. Referred.
A bill to authorize municipal authorities
to provide for forfeiting bonds given to mu
nicipal courts. Referred.
Rep. Wright, of Floyd—A bill to amend
section 4538 of the code. Referred.
Rep. Awtry, of Carroll —A bill to incor
porate the New Hope M. E. church, in Car
roll county. Referred.
Rep Walker, of B rrien—A bill to incor
porate the town of Alpha, in Berrien coun
ty. Referred.
Rep. Summerlin, of Washington—-A bill
to prohibit the sale of liquor within three
miles of Davisboro Baptist church in Wash
ington county.
Rep. Mays, of Richmond—A bill to
abolish county court of Richmond. Re
erred.
Rep. McCants, of Taylor—A bill to ex
tend the time of rhe court of Tay
lor county.' Referred
Rep. Hutchins, of Gwinett —A bill to en
able trustees ofthe Sta'e university to give
free tuition. Referred.
Rep. Miller, of Houston—A bill to direct
the treasurer to keep separate all money
received trom the sale of any public prop
ertv of the state. Referred.
Rep. Davis, of Habersham, submitted a
• eport from the committee appointed tc
consider the question of receiving the U. S
34 per cent, bonds in payment tor balance
due on Macon and Brunswick railroad.
The committee recommended that these
bonds be not received.
The house resumed the unfinished busi
less of Wednesday.
A bill to provide for the better manage
ment, regulation and control of the convicts
of this state.
Rep. Mdler, of Houston, offered an
amendment to the substitute off.-red by Mr.
Reese, which was adopted. It required
that the managers be elected by the legisla
ture.
On the final passage of the bill the yeas
were 97 to nays 44.
Yeas—Bacon of Chatham, Barnes, Bar
row, Bassinger, Bates, Bennett. Bird, Bran
son, Brinson, Bull, Cameron, Carithers
Clark, Cook, Daniel, Dial, Dußignon, Du-
Pree of Macon, DuPree of Pike, Dykes.
Edwards, Estes, Fiynt, Foster, Fuller. Gar
•■ard, Glover, Goodrich, Hammond, Heath
Hester, Hightower of Early, Hightower of
Stewart, Hill, Hillyer, Hunt, Hutchins,
Jackson of Richmond, James, Janes, Jemi
son, Johnson of Lee, Jones of Baker, Jones
if DeKalb, Julian, Kennedy, Kimsey, La
'mar, Lamb, Lonnon, Little, Maddox, Mar
tin of Talbot, Matthews, Mavs of Richmond
McClure, Mclntosh, McKinney, McLeod,
McLucas, Middlebrook, Miller, Milner,
Nichols, Peck, Perkins, Post, Reese, Ren
ier. Rice, Richie, Robins, Roney, Scruggs,
Singleton, Silinan, Smith of Oglethorpe,
Smith of Union, Spence, Spearman, Stand
ford, Summerlin, Sumner, Sweat, Turner
of Floyd, Turner of Monroe, Turnipseed,
Twiggs, Walker, of Crawford. Whittle, Wil
liams, Williugham, Wilkinson, Wingfield
Wright, Youngblood, Zellars —97.
Nays—Adderton, Anderson of Cobb, Ar
rington, Awtry, Beatty, Branch, Broyles,
Burch, Carter. Crozier, Crumbley, Davis of
Habersham, Davis of,Lumpkin. Day. Den
ton, Farnell. Feagin, Gaskins, Gray, Henry,
Keil, Lester, Lewis, Martin of Houston,
Mcßride, McCants, McClellan, Mitehell,
N’orthern, Orr, Palmoar. Price. Quillian,
Rainey, Rawlins, Shockley, Stapleton,
I’harpe, Thompson, Walker of Berrien,
Wilson of Bulloch, Winslow, Withrow, Zach
ry—44.
Thirty-Third Day—Smturday Ang. 13.
Atlanta Weekly I'osr Report.
8 EX ATE.
There was no session of the senate.
HOUSE.
Mr. Mcßride, of Haralson, moved to re
consider the action of the house in passing
the bill to secure the better management of
the convicts in this state.
Mr. Hammond, of Thomas, favored the
motion to reconsider, that the salaries of
managers might be reduced.
Mr. Turner, of Monroe —ls economy the
policy of the state rather than efficiency 7
Mr. Hammond —that is a question on
which each man has his own views. Mine
are clearly fixed. I think we can justly
save something in this case, and I am in
favor of doing so.
Mr. Turner, of Monroe, said the argu
ment of Mr. Hammond was extraordinary.
The salaries provided in the bill are not
too large for the labor and responsibility of
these offices.
The motion to reconsider prevailed by 57
yeas to 47 nays.
Mr. Hammond offered an amendment to
strike out $2,000 per annum and insert
$1,500 as the salary. Agreed to.
The bill was then passed as amended by
98 years to 33 nays.
The special order was the consideration
of a bill to incorporate the Rome Southern
railroad from Rome to the Florida line th
the direction of St. Marks, with branches to
Macon, Columbus, Greenville and Bruns
wick.
The committee on corporations reported
in favor of the passage of the bill us amend
ed.
Mr. Estes, of Hall, moved to amend by
striking out the word ‘ perpetual" in the
charter, and limiting it to 59 years. Agreed
to. ’
k Mr. Jemison offered to amend session 14
ATLANTA, GEORGIA THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 1881.
so as to require $500,000 to be subscribed in
two years, ihe road, to.be completed in five,
years and the work to be commenced i£
three years, and vigorously supported it.
Lost.
Mr. Jemison said the house ought to
heed the wise warning of General Toombs
not to grant too much power to corpora
tions.
Mr. Mcßride offered an amendment as to
the route of the line through Polk and Har
rison counties. Agreed to.
The bill then passed by 103 yeas to 12
nays
• The house adjourned to Monday.
Thirty loitrtli Day, Monday, August 15.
[Atlanta Weekly Post Report.]
SENATE.
The house resolution for the appointment
of a joint committee of five from the house
and three from the senate to investigate
the sale of the Macon and Brunswick rail-'
road was the special order for the day and
was accordingly taken up.
Rep. Hawes moved that the senate de
cline to concur in the resolution.
Several addresses were made after which
the question was put and the resolution was
not concurred in. The vote stood 23 against
and 12 for the resoluiion.
Rep. Guerry introduced a bill to provide
an additional mode for the enforcement of
liens in favor of contractors, etc. The bill
was referred to the committee on judiciary.
House bills were read the first time.
Bills were read the second time.
A bill to change and extend the corporate
imits of town of Cedartown. Lost under
adverse report of committee.
HOUSE.
Rep. Render, of Meriwether, for Rep.
Hester, of Dougherty—A bill to incorpor
ate the Albany, Atlantic and Gulf trans
portation company. Referred.
Rep. James, of Douglass —A bill to in
corporate the independent order of “Obcdi
enis.” Referred.
Rep. Northern, of Hancock —A bill to
create a board of commissioners of roads
and revenues for Hancock county. Re
ferred.
Also, a bill to require the registration of
all voters in Hancock county. Referred.
Rep. Middlebrook, of Newton —A bill to
incorporate the Covington and North Geor
gia railroad company. Referred.
Rep. Lamar, of Pulaski—A resolution
to provide for sale of all lands connected
with Macon and Brunswick railroad which
were not sold with the road. Referred.
Senate bills for first reading referred.
The following senate bills were adversely
reported and lost on second reading:
Bill to amend general county court act.
A bill to authorize jury commissioners to
strike from the jury lists all persons dis
qualified,
Senate amendments to several house
bills were cocurred in. House bills on third
reading were in order,
Rep. Turner, of Floyd—A bill to incor
porate the Rome and Carrolton railroad.
The amendments proposed by the com
tnittee were agreed to.
Rep. Stanford, of -Harris —A bill to
authorize the trustees of the State urriver.
sity to accept as a branch of that institution
a college of agriculture and mechanic arts,
to be established at Hamilton. I'he com
mittee reported a substitute for the bill,
which,, included a similar cojlfge at Roiiie,.,
R*p 5 -dUfiUnroelft eliairman"bf,
the edmmittee on education, opposed thej
Rep. Barrow, of Clark, moved to amend
the first section, providing that any appro
priations which might, hereafter-.be made to
the new colleges should be taken from all
the other colleges supported by the state.
Rep. Mitchell, of Gwinnett, from the com
mittee on education, faVored the bill.
Rep. Stanford, the author of the bill, ar
gued in favor of its passage. i -.Sf..-
Rep. Dußignon. of Baldwin.- differed an
amendment that moneys taken from other
branch colleges to support these new col
leges should.be pro rated. Adopted.
Rep. Barrow’s ami nd incut. as amended
was adopted.
On motion <f Mr. S’anf’rd, the bill was
made special order for
Mr. Hillyer. of Enlton— A b fi to declare
the lien of judgements renderc-i in justices
courts and to require their record iu office
of clerk of superior court in certain cases
The substitute offered by committee wqs
adopted in lieu of original bill.
Ren. Hillyer supported his bill, and pend
ing his remarks the house adjourned to 9
o’clock Tuesday.
FlJlrfy-Firtli I>ay—Tuesflay Aug. 10
[Atlanta Weekly Post Report.] .
SENATE.
The special order of the day was the bill
entitled an act, to regulate the sale of spir
ituous intoxicating liquors in the State.
Section 1. Be it enacted by the Genera!
Assembly of Georgia, That from aqd after
the expiration of the licenses to sell liquor
heretofore granted, it shall not be lawful for
any ordinary, board of eommissioners. or
other county officer in this State to gran'
license to sell, barter or furnish, either di
rectly or indirectly, for valuable considera
tion or otherwise, any spirituous intoxicat
ing liquors, or drinks, or al#y medicated al
cohohc bitters of which spirituous liquor is.'
a material or constituent part, outside o'
any incorporated town, city or village, ex
cept upon a written application signed by
- person desiring to deal; in such liquor.-
which shall specify the place where the
liquor is to be sold, and be approved in
writing by two thirds of the free holders liv
ing within three miles of the place where
the liquor is sold.
The second section of the bill provided
that m towns and cities Whisky' could be
voted at. an election held at the request of
one-fourth of the qualified’voters, a major
ity being necessary to decide the question
The report of the comrgiittee, which was
favorable to the passage of the bill, was
agreed to after considerable debate.
Upon the call of the ayes and iiayes, the
bill was defeated by a vote of 20 to 19,
23 being necessary to secure its passage.
HOUSE.
The special order was the consideration
of the bill, by Mr. Perkins, of Burke, to
levy a tax of one per cent, on all the tax
able property of the State for the benefit
of the school fund. Messrs. 'Warthem,
Mitchell, Milner, Dußignon. and Estes
favored, and Messrs. Wright, Pender, Gar
rard and Middlebrook opposed. On the
vote, the yeas were 77 and nayes 65. So
the bill not receiving a constitutional ma
jority was lost.
The committees submitted re
ports.
Rep. Rice, of Oconee, offered a resolution
that afder Saturday no new business be in
troduced without consent of three-fourths of
the house. Referred to the committee on
rules.
The unfinished business of the previous
day was taken up. A bill by Mr. Hillyer,
of Fulton, to decare the lien of judgments
in jvstices courts.
Rep Hillyer spocke in favor of the pas
sage of the bill.
Rep. Twiggs, Richmond, for the commit
tee on the judiciary, concluded the debate
and advocated its passage.
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OUR PENITENTIARY.
THE PRESENT SYSTEM DISCUSSED,
Penitentiary Systems Generally, and
Important Statistics.
Great and Eloquent Debate In tt»e
House, August 9th and lOiti.
[Reported Especially lor the Weekly Post.]
The special Penitentiary Committee with
thier report submitted a bill providing for the
appointment of managers and wardens. Al
once some opposition was apparent, and a
powerful debate, occupying throe days, was
precipitated. The galleries were' filled
ivi'th spectators, including many ladies.
MR. MILNER, OF BARTOW,
j chairman.' of the special committee that
made the late report on the condition of the
i camps arid treatment of convicts, made a
rtatement of the circumstances under
which the committee was .appointed, and of
their action. He referred to the charge
tnat the scheme proposed by the committee
lad been gotten up for political purposes.
This he denied and denounced as a false
hood made out of whole cloth. In 1876
tre Legislature passed the lease act. Three
incorporated companies then leased all ths
convicts of the State. That act has no
more practical effect upon the present sys
tem than if there were no such statute in
existence. We have no such penitentiary
system as will stand the test of civilization
and humanity—there is no other like it.
Section 3 of that act requires that the Gov
er -.or shall stipulate for the erection of a
pr son, hospital and other buildings,
on some island on ' the seacoast,
or at some other suitable locality
he buildings to be commodious and
ertcted at the cost of the lessees; a physi
cian to reside on the island or other
place selected, and to furnish all needed
medicines, etc., all convicts not put to work
in mines, etc., to be sent to this place,
wh’ -h was to be known as the penet.eutiary
of Georgia; the principal keeper to make
a monthly inspection,. and the governor
might at any time appoint a suitable per
son to inspect it. He contended that the
intention of the legislature had been whol
ly defeated by the mode of administering
the law. There had been no such peniten
tiary on the isiand or elsewhere, there had
been no monthly inspection. The convicts
were scattered throughout the state from
the seaboard to the mountains. He con
fessed with shame and confusion that the
penitentiary system is a disgrace to civili
zation and Christianity. He made his at
tack upon the system itself.. The principle
upon which the penitentiary should exist
could not be applied unless the bill pro
posed is put into practical operation.
I'here is an eternal warfare between crime
and society. He believed crime to be on
the increase in Georgia. What became of
the convicts ? Georgia now turns them
loose. She sends them on-; hundred or three
hundred miles to a convict camp, and then
surrenders them, and no representative
of ihe statejs there to enforce the sentence.
Mr. Twiggs assked whether it was true, as
reported that virile couvi- s were Hogged
by negro bosses ?
’ Mfe Mi[nfer said he h° J wii hto say a
.ggvrfe' tlug wM&brtirujlT' eyrftga' feeSwgS;
•Trot he would icai-h. arid aws-.vei that ques:
tio.-i. The convict is left in the band ofthe
lessees. At one cam]'there was one system
of government, at another camp another
system ; but all have bosses, and the treat
ment ot the bosses differs greatly. Hum me
Misses treated the convicts humanely—
others the reverse. Passionate men —men
wllo. oou’d not control themselves—coni i
uotAiroperly fill such positions. The sys
tenfbeing subject to these evils and abuses,
should be corrected. An agent of the State
ought to be placed over the convicts. It
punishment is necessary, let it be punish
mr-nt by the State. There is no officer of
the State who knows whether the convicts
have had their breakfast thi^r morning—
none who know whether they are suffering
.from disease or inhuman treatment. The
• whole thing is a disgrace to Georgia The
system subjects the covicts to any treat
■n nt the lessees may bestow or permit
The true principle is that society should
aim at the reformation 'of the. convict.
;Thauk God, tha|-we can 'say- that the prin
ciple ofthe ba rbirie ages should not, ought
not. arid cannot in Georgia.
The committee had found a convict at
one of the camps who was kept there with
out authority of law. Her had made an ef
fort so escape, and was run into a biiish
heap; the boss set fire to the brush-heap
ind btfrlit him out, and an unmerciful
whipping, with a leather strap, was given
him.. This Yfcas one ’case; bus go any day,
take any camp by surprise, and who can
tell what ifiight be found? This treatment
is brutalizing. When turned loose, ti e
convict is ready "for any crime. It was
the duly of government to treat these peo
ple humanely, to pnnislt them, but to do it
rightly. The committee want crime pun
ished, but punished by the-State. The cry,
that the committee wanted'to board the
prisoners— to “rent the Kimball House fur
them”—was intended to draw akvay atten
tion from-the ‘acts of the case. The cas’e
of men who hire themselves qs guards,
as a general rule, are utterly unlit to
be managers of men. They are hired
it tSe lowest price. Yet the con--
victs are subject to them. True, the rules
forbid the guards to speak to the convicts,
nut these rules are disregarded. The corn
mittee had evidence that they had punished
the convicts brutally. Is it right ? The
1 -ssees may be inhumane, but they are not
always in the camps; they know not what
is going on when they are. absent. The
lessees’ profits °re in the work and savings
of the system. There is no man on earth who
ought to have such control oyer his fellow
men whois swayed by such considerations,
the whole management was turned over to
men who owed the State no obligations.
There was more dependence on dogs and
guards than on proper buildings As long
as ihe present system was maintained these
adjuncts would be mantained. The lessees
did not expect to do the work of reforma
tion, and their nAnner of treating the con
licts tended to degrade rather than to re
form them. The State of Georgia had
uo right to shirk her responsibility
in this way. Georgia was in
many respects the foremost State of the
South, but in this respect she was far be
hind other States Let her put the Control
in the bands of three good men apfiointed
by herself. There must be a centralized
head, with power to manage and control the
system. The $25,000 anually derived by
the State from the present system is blood
money. He wanted it turned into the
proper direction—to be a blessing to the
Slate and a blessing to the convicts. He
related a sad case of the despair and des
peration of a convict, and said there was no
hop® in the system; it is driven from the
breast of the convict by his treatment. It
makes him an enemy- to the State, an enemy
to society, and drives him to despair. He
closed with an eloquent appeal for the ap
pointment of good men, under the control
of the State, as the managers of the sys
tem.
MR. POST, OF COWETA, SAID :
Mr. Speaker.— There is no queston that
will engage the attention of this General
Assembly of greater interest to so many of
the people of Georgia than the penitentiary
system of our State. It is one that should
receive the honest, calm, dispassionate and
intelligent consideration of this House. It
is one in whljli public opinion has from its
very inception manifested a deep concern
as to the true knowledge of the wisdom of
its creation, and of the actual inward work
ings of the system itself. In the public
press, on the hustit gs, in the legislature —
everywhere—-light xm been sought and the
subject discussed. It was the prominent
leading issue in the last State campaign.
Great as is the need of carrying forward
the free and bold discussion of every part
of this subject now ffiirly opened, there is
yet especial need that the tyrannical system
should be arraigned at the bar of this
House, and clearly comprehended by rep
resentatives.
I declare, Mr. Speaker, that Georgia has
a vicious and deceptive system for the care
of convicts, which excludes light and wis
dom from without, arid breeds and screens
abuses within the circle of its administra
tion. Look at it; put it in the ba’ance;
weigh it. There are in round numbers
twelve hundred and fifty convicts in the
State. They are leased to three different
companies for a term of twenty years, and
by these companies they are subdivided
into thirteen different camps-, located in
different parts of the State and the convicts
employedin diversified industries. Prop
erly speaking there are but two,State peni
tentiary officials whose duty it is to see on
the one side that the law is enforced, and
on the other, that the humanity of the con
vict is protected. Their cilices are located
by law at the State Capitol, a distance of
more than three hundred miles from the
fartherest camp, and more than fifty miles
trom the nearest, one. It will require a
travel of fifteen hundred miles to visit these
camps in succession, andat least a month’s
time to make the circuit and undergo any
thing like a proper and thorough inspec
tion of the persons, treatment and quarters
of the prisoners. The clerical work of one
of these, the Principal Keeper, are such, as
he informs me, to require his constant time
and attention, so that whenever he leaves
his office to visit a camp, he has to close
his doors, and does so at the risk of neglect
of great and important public duties.
The effect is that the whole care of the
prisoners, the discipline, the clothing, the
bedding, the food, the .medical attendance,
the religious and tecular instruction, the
hours of labor, etc,, which should always be
retained in the hands and control of the
State authorities, is turned over to the
lessee, The State assumes the burden of
the prosecution, the conviction and sen
tence, and then turns the whole control,
management and punishment of the pris
oner over to the lessee, whose sole object
and interest is to make money —first, out of
what the convict can earn, aud next out of
what can be saved from the cost of feeding,
clothing, housing and maintaining them.
I deny to the Sthte the right to so dele
gate their authority. I deny that such is
the spir.t or letter of the act of 1876 pro
v ding for the leasing of the convicts; but
that such is the inevitable and practical
workings of the system under that act no
man can dispute. It is a system objection
able to the last degree. And the central
evil is that the lessee, free from supervision
and restraint, is left to make his fortune
out of the convicts. It is to set up in the
prisoners a “power behind the throne
greater than the throne itself;” a power
well nigh omnipotent within its sphere; a
power io make and unmake officers, impose
arid renjit punishments through agents
whom it has been able to bend to its will,
and even stoop to mean devices to get the
poor prisoner who has incurred his wrath
into straits and difficulties, that, his revenge
may be gratified by the sight of his-punish
ment ; a power to pique for the whole
working day aU.tlje. pri{ipn'’r‘i.jr) ,th«s
’tiTidbr metf-wTO 'tiave ho officbd'SeSjKi’tsi
bility—meri who see in the conv'ct'aeiy so'
much machinery for making money; a
power to introduce among the convicts as
superintendents of their labor strangers to
the prison, men employed as overseers,
guards, and whipping bosses in many in
stances utterly irresponsible and without
sufficient experience or judgment to fairly
estimate a man’s physical ability to work —
men selected more with regard to the price
they can be obtained at than their peculiar
fitness for the place; a power that arrogates
to itself authority to disregard the mandates
of the principal keeper ordering the dis
charge of prisoners who have served cut the
sentence of the law, but holds them at work
in the camp at the lessee’s own gool pleas
ure without fee or reward; .a power that
usurps ihe right to allow only two dayri per
month commutation for good conduct when
the law says he shall have four; a power to
take down the prisoner .and lash him as
many stripes and as severely as the temper
or ill-will of the guard or whipping boss
may see proper to inflict.
It is this system Against which, a hund
red years ago, John Howaqi lifted up his
voice and sharpened his pen.
Is it any wjnfler, where such imperial
’power is given that such ’abuses siiomd
exist? A dedeptjve and vicious system,
adroitly and ably .managed, has lulled and
misled public opinion;' screening abuses by
out light by arbitrary
methods, defying exposure and change by
the exercise of a despotic power ivhich
ought, never to have been conferred upon
the managers of convicts, arid should no
longer be tolerated'. As private owners of
the prisoners, they could .not have power
more'absolute and irresponsible. '
This unparallftd despotism extending to
alKgjrri'dqgq to all honors, to ail food, to all
clofirtng. te> all medicines, to all conditions
of. happinis-i, all connection with the
oute?, world, awaits thosejyhose convictions
may’' possibly be unjust, Whose life is
'shiouded in a secrecy and seclusion un
.known beyond the confines of the camp, is
-.over prisoners the most pitiable, whose pro
tests and prayers for relief, their keepers
declare, and tuauy good people believe, no
man is bound to respect. When Frederick
the Groat difined his despotism as one un
der which Tie did what he was a mind to,
and his subjects said what they were mind
to, his subjects were able to speak for them
selves and could make their complaints
ring through the kingdom. But here in
Georgia, in the midst of the civilization of
the nineteenth century are the rise of
twelve hundred and fifty of her citizens
whose lips are practically sealed, and
whose complaints if hoard at all, are con
sidered unworthy of belief.
It would be almost incredible that such
authority should be conferred upon any
man or company of men in this state, had
not thfijjublic for so long a time either
supinely" accepted their theories and ver
sions about the treatment and working
of the convicts, or been blinded by the
glittering glare of the paltry sum of twen
ty-five thousand dollars that annuall passes
into the qp tiers of the state.
It assumes lessees, superintendent’s
guards and bosses to be saints, with whom
passion, selfishness, revenge and neglect
are impossible.
Mr. Speaker, I will not say that the pres
ent lessees do not in the main treat the
convicts about as well as other men would
do with like powers and interests. It is
the inevitable outgrowth" and effect of the
system itself. It’is the destruction of the
penitentiary system of imprisonment
properly so called, for which the world has
been struggling for a century and more
with but limited success. The convicts
have passed from the direct control of the
state into the hands of private citizens
whose sole interest in them is that of ma
king money. What protection I ask is the
principal keeper of tbe penitentiary to the
prisoners when his office work requires
daily attention, and because of the number
and distance of the camps from each other
and from the central office. Can he say
there is a convict in the state that has had
his breakfast this morning? Does he know
whether they were allowed one hour, or six
or eight or any time at all for rest and sleep
last night? Does he know but that every
i prisoner in the camp has this day been ta
ken down and cruelly punished to satisfy
the temper of guard 1 There
is not a state official from, the governor
down who knows anything about what is
now going on in a single camp in the state.
What attention can the state’* physician to
the penitentiary who receive* a (alary of
two thousand dollars per annum, adminis
ter to their physical wants when the camps
are so numerous and widely scattered as to
render his services utterly ineffective.
Does he know of the’bodily condition of a
single prisoner to-day. or but there nre
convicts now at work, driven by the la-h,
who. from sickness are physically unable
to labor? No sir, the system as it exists
to-day is omnipotent in its power and is
irresponsible. And the grand defect is the
absence of one responsible bead to govern,
control and resjJoml.
M'e thus see, Mr Speaker, that the State
has practically delegated to private indi
viduals the power to punish her convicts;
that that power is well-nigh omnipotent in
its sphere, aud at least admits of the possi
bilities of abuses and tyranny. This power
alone that even admits of such possibilities
is sufficient to- condemn it forever in the
eyes of all fair thinking men. But let
us advance a step in this argument and see
if abuses have actually occurred.
Take the history of the system since its i
inauguration; take the reports of the va-'
rious committees sent forth from the dis- i
ferent legislatures to inspect the camps —I
faithful reports made hy honest, intelligent
men after careful and impartial investiga-!
tion, notwithstanding in this memorial they |
are called “baseless reports,” “inflamers of i
public opinion,” by one directly and largely i
interested in the lease; take the complaints
of the prisoners themselves as they plead
for reform —complaints from men who,
though sentenced by the law, are yet men
of truth and considered ’worthy to testify
and be believed in the courts of the State;
take the scarred limbs and backs Tom lash
and fire, and tell me if cruelties are not
now or have been practiced. Let the
burned man be a county convict, if you
please, the effect is the sama. It was done
at a State camp, under the control of a
state lessee, and by his employees. What
man is there who believes, as this memorial
would have you think, that when the fire
and lash were being applied to that un
fortunate being, the question as to whether
he was a state or county convict ever en
tered the mind of that guard or influenced
the brutality of his act. It is an insult to
the intelligence of this assembly to even So
intimate. It was done under the State’s
system, and that system alone is chargeable
with and responsible for it. Go to the
wounded spirits of the white convicts in
Dougherty county, iu whose veins flow the
Anglo-Saxon blood, with their bodies burn
ing and writhing under the sting of the lash
inflicted by the hands of that negro whip
ping boss, and tell me if there is no need
for reform. Let swollen limbs, shackle
scarred ankles, and lash-marked backs that
will go the grave, speak for themselves.
But is is true that they are over-worked
and sufficient time is not given them t.o
rest and sleep? I will answer by
addressing two plain simple questions
to the sound judgment and discretion
of this house. Is requiring hard labor
from 4 o’clock in the morning until
8 o’clock at n'ght with possibly forty
minutes or an hot r for dinner over
a man’s physical ability to work ? And af‘
ter having thus labored, is from 9 o’clock
until three or half-past three o’clock in the
iqorning sufficient time for rest and sleep ?
And yet that was true at a convict camp i
Georgia ou the twenty fith day of Muy,
18 8 L
» ■*' ’.”A 4 - '■ •cd io—* xjj. ii •
’when front Sii'-'kiim they -are un
'abie to do du labor ? Did not the OlfSniit
tie so find and have siek and wounded men
taken from tho ranks at work, aud hate
them repaired to the quarters ? Who de
nies it? Not even ths bull memorialist
has dared assail the.truth ot it.
And 1 say here that if those two con- icts
mentioned in our report na l-ciuii sick,
locked up in the building and in used of
medical attention, actually w«i.it to w ,rk
trie next day after tha were'
there as stated in this mcmo.-i d, then in
-my opinion, and-1 believe 1 but rtfleet the
opinion of the committee three of whom
arc physicians of high standing, uules
there was some miraculous cure, they were
required to labor when physically unablq
to.work. Ahi Mr, Speaker that bruaii
heavy strap in the hands of ihatgceaf big
muscular negro’ can all but arouse the dr ari
to action. ’ - .
Again, Mr. Speaker, the les-ee’ whose
only interest in the convict is his la
bor, is made the sole judge of. she conduct
faai enjitlc-s him to commutation of the
sentence. An-1 iu oue instance we find six
prishtidrs held in chains and at labor by the
lessee long after the principal keeper had
Ordered their discharge. And in no in
sfqrice where they have been accorded mer
it have they benii allowsd but two
days per month good time, when the law
emphatically shys they shall have four day
per month, thereby uplawfully extorting
from the prisoner one month’s labor annu
ally, or,oue year in every twelve.
But what is the effect upon the informa
tion of the prisoners. Little need be said
on this point, its. influence may be inferred
from its nature..; In the Jilnguage of the
report "it iriiping.'-«'with a crushing force
upon the great-work of the moral reforma
tion of the prisoners.
The lessee has no interest as a lessee in
their reformation. Theii interest as let-sees,
and the interest of ,the-prison as a reforma
tory agent, not only Mo ’not ruu-iu parallel
lines, but in lines’..rgpcllant and antagonis
tic. By a necessary law, Dy an instinct of
its very nature, our system of prison labor
opposes itself to all the great moral forces
of reformation by which, if at all, the in
mates must be reclaimed, regenerated, and
reabsorebd into the mass of the npright.
industrious and honorable citizens Im
prisonment for crime is no longer restricted
to punishment but contemDlat.es reforma
tion as well. But no where in the dark
ages do I read anything more productive
of immorralities aud evd practices than is
to be found to-day in the convict camps of
Georgia. The Sabbath day is defamed by
gaming, card playing, and other like prac
ices.
Instead of reforming it corrupts and
brutalizes, and at the end of the sentence,
trained in practices that are destructive t<;
everything that is good, the prisoner is led
to the gate, turned loose miles from home
and friends without a morsel of bread or a
cent in his pocket, thereby setting before
him every temptation to re-comrr.it crime.
Is it any wonder that some of them should
fall by* the wayside and be recaptured,
tried and sent back in so short a time after
their release.
The penitentiory qaestiont is ni> longer
confined to punishment ,but embraces re
formation and rehabilitation. We should
no longer see in prisoners, beings pros s "
cribed by society, and forever to be treated
as out casts, but rather as brothers who
have gone-astray, end for whose moral re
generation it is our duty to labor, to hope,
to wach, and to pray,
They are not brutes because they are
convicts. The Saviour came into the world
to seok and to save sinners, and in the
agonies and expiring throes of the cross,
he looked with condescending m - cy upon
the thief on the cross, heard his prayer
and answered h m that on that day lie
should be with him in paradize.
Shall a work befitting a God be beneath
the dignity of man 7
But it is insisted that on account of tbe
age mid formed habits of the prisoners,
moral suasiotf is ineffective. Do the figures
show it ? In rthe Principal Keeper’s last
report now b .fqre mo, be puts the average
age of the condrets at twenty-five years, and
more than one-fifth of the inmates of tbe
camps are mere boys, ranging from twenty -
one years down to the child of the tender
age of ten. And yet a system antagonistic
to reformation I How long shall brute
force be wholly substituted for ingral sua
sion 7
Mr. Price, of Oeonee—ls the intention of
the law the prevention of crims or th* ro
forumuwu of the orimuud ?
NUMBER 45
Mr. Post —It is both, sir; and no system
s is complete unless it has both of these ob
-> jects in view.
Brute force may trake good prisoners,
i moral training alone alone will make good
s citizens. Th one is meant to train men
to act together, the other to prepare them
3 to act separately. Tho one r. lies on forco
3 which never jet create ! virtue; the ether
3 on motives which are the sole agency for
• attaining moral ends.
. Age and sex is disregarded in labor and
in punishment. The women are takem
> down and whipped on their naked persons
- in the presence of the men, and the com
mittee actually found at one of tho camps
i a woman at work with the men and dressed
- in man’s clothing. The heathen in all his
• cruelties and exactions of burdens of wo
i man never yet required or tolerated the
: wearing of a robe' that destroyed the ideu
: tity and distinction of her sex.
Another serious objection to the working
of osr system is there is no gradation in
I the punishment for crime. Neither the
I heinousness of the offense, the age or sex
I of the criminal has no influence in the se
j verity of the punishment or the privileges
i allowed. He who is Convicted of’crime,
■ steeped in moral turptitude, may be pre-
■ ferred in camp to him whose offense is only
| statutory, or the result of a moment of
: pas-ion. It depends entirely upon the
pleasure or displeasure, hatred or favor of
the overseers or guards. There nre persons
in the penitentiary convicted of crime of
the vilest nature whose liberties are large,
while others of minor offenses suffer the
heaviest burdens.
No, Mr. Speaker, outside’of th- sum of
twenty five thousand dollars ot blood mo
ney it annually pays into the treasury there
is nothing in the system to commend it to
any hnmane and considerate mind.
I put this question : If the system did
not pay a cent into the State, is there a
man of you that wquld vote lor it to stand
a moment longer? And if you would not
vote to perpetuate it, would you not vote
against it on the ground that it is unjust
and wrong in principle ? And if it is
wrong in the sight of humanity, duty and
principle, will you sacrifice that principle
for twenty-five thousand dollars or any
other sum of money ? No, sir; I cannot
believe there is a man on this floor unin
fluenced by interest or prejudice that can
lay his band ou fils heart and say satisfied,
content.
Then yon owe it to yourselves, you owe
it to your families, you owe it to humanity,
you owe it to God, you owe it to the fair
name and fair fame of the State to support
the report of the committee recommending
the passage of this bill, and lend your aid in
working out a reform and forever blot out
from the future history of the State this
foul stain from her escutcheon.
This reform so much desired at home and
abroa I, and even demanded bj T the people,
eaa never be had under the present work
ings of this system. Past and present
experience demonstrate this proposition.
The physician to the penitentiary and
the Principal Keeper are not omnipresent,
and you may pile law upon law, act upon
act, rule upon rule, but so long as the con
victs are scattered from here aud tljgre all
over the State, you simply
tions of them no man can perform - *
If then it be true that, evils exist, arid
; ( . T.. V--i ‘ 1 i i-i-.-ade-i
quajgjto “cori ect tho-.e evils, is or uot the
aolehitf, r "orn duty <-f tftlo Legislature to
prit into oper.iritei ry tin t will cor
rect them. I believe iff? b<dgOa’-red by
the committee is an pie in-Us pi'Oyi.sbms;
but if it is not let it come squarely b .fore
the House and be perfect'd... .. » -
But what is this bl! ? It simply pro
vid- s for a Board of Managers, consisting of
three persons, who shall exercise a general
supervisory power over all th-- convict
camps in the State; to visit and inject
the prisoners, and to enact from time “to
time such rules arid regulations as they-'...
may deem necessary for the proper
government arid treatment of the
convicts; and to appoint wardens
ifbr each camp whose du>y it shall be to see
to the enforcements oUhose rul-s a-d regu
lations. Or, in other words it proposes
that the State sh>d resume the care and
treatment of its felons, pnd that the sen
tence of the law is properly carried out,
Mr. Speaker, -let us briefly«otidb the Ob
jections t> their bill. They are chiefly -
found in the creation of new offices anddhe
expense incident thereto. There is simply
nothing iu the argument that it will inter
fere with the rights of the lessees under
their lease contracts. It is the labor only
of the convicts th-y are entitled to under
the k-ase act, and that I a n willing they
shall have, and which this bill in no wise
proposes to take t.oni them. But there
should bejust and humane' rules for the reg
ulation of that labor,and Ter the food,care.tnd
treatment of the convicts, and an officer
of the State placed at ea h camp to see
that those rules are rigidly observed and
enforced.’ A man to stand upright, and do
justice alike to the prisoner and lessee.
A system that permits the incieaso add
multiplicity ot camps renders the increase
of officers equally necessary as guardians ■
arid custodians of the prison. If then these
officers are necessary it is the duty of this
legislature to provide them, or else draw
in the number of the camps within a radius
where the present officials can supervise
them. Failure to do this will be to fall
-hort of duty. On the question ot expense
I simply say that I am in favor of spending
every dollar the convicts pay into the treas
ury and even more it it be necessary to en
force proper punishment and humane treat
ment.
’ Mr. Speaker, I declare that I not only do
do not possess any of that sickly sentiment
alism about-punishment for crime, but have
no patience for such. I am opposed to
crime and a stern advocMp for its merited
punishment. When the’’law saysanindivid
ual shall serve so many years at hard labor
for crime committed, I say let him do that
but no more. But 1 insist the same
power that pronounces that punish
ment should inflict it. The monej; paid
into the treasury fromAhe hire ot these
convicts will more than pdy the expenses of
this bill,, and leave a large ballance for the
State. A prison system properly and
humanely conducted, that even supports
itself, has solved the problem and reached
achme of perfection.
I appeal to yon. Representatives of
Georgia, to support the report of the com
mittee, recommending the passage of this
bill, and Lnd your aid to wipe out the
stigma from the name of our State.
With glaring abuses staring you in the
face, jt will not do to say you oppose this
■’measure without offering a better one. If
the bill is not perfect, let it come up on its
passage, amend and perfect it.
The present system is a shame, and a
disgrace, and curse to Georgia, and so sure
as God reigns He will heap damnation on
a people, enlightened by civilization rnd
religion, that long tolerates and sustains
such inhumanities to man.
In visiting these camps, I traveled well
nigh all over the State, and viewed with
delight her fields and forests; her cities,
scht ol houses arid churches, whose spires
pointed toward the skies. I was proud of
h.T magnificent railroads and factories. 1
stood upon her borders and watched the
foaming, fretful waves of the ocean lash her
eastern shore, and then on Point Dookout
I stood and gazed with awe and adoration,
upon her hilb and valleys aS* far as eye
could reach; but when my heart would
swell up with pride and admiration at her
grandeur and infinite resources and possi
bilities, I yet felt loaded down with the con
sciousness that, notwithstanding all these,
there is yet a shame and stain on her name.
I read in the newspapers of the day with
a glowing pride the favorable comments
.upon her resources, and institutions, and
general progress. I turn over but to find
(Joatlauad on Fourth Pag*.
