“Cole City Convict Mutiny”

Background: Nineteenth-century newspapers were commonly aligned with a specific political party, and this article from the Dade County Weekly Times reflects its support for the Democratic Party and Georgia senator Joseph E. Brown. The Weekly Times is responding to a news account in the Fort Payne (Alabama) Journal of the strike by convict workers at Brown's Dade County mines.

The convicts at Cole City, Ga., about 125 in number, refused to go to work Monday when ordered out. They say they were poorly clad, not half fed and will not work until they have assurance of better treatment. The bosses of the camp had no resources but to starve the already half-starved wretches into submission, which they succeeded in dooing [sic]. After they were reduced into submission several of them were unmercifully beaten because they dared to ask what the law required shall be given to beasts—proper food and treatment. It should be bore in mind that the camp where this occurred belongs to Joe Brown, the man who carries the votes of Georgia in his hip pocket. Poor Georgia! — Fort Payne Journal. (Ala.) 

We do not know how many like notes in regard to the convict strike at Cole City last week we may have clipped, but the above is sufficient to show the light and spirit in which the matter is regarded by that portion of the press which is either uninforomed [sic] as to the real facts, or crimnially [sic] ignorant as to them and give vent to such expressions through prejudice . . . That [the convicts] were maltreated and half fed is not all tenable. We suppose it is true that such complaints existed among many of the mutinous convicts, but that they were well founded is [absolutely] false. There is a large percent of the human race, poor and half famished who never saw the inside of a prison, that would do well and be glad to get the sufficiency of clothing and food that is supplied to the Cole City convicts. Investigation . . . shows that here are always a number of convicts that are disposed to rebel against all rules and regulations that [govern them and prescribe their manner of work]—that their greatest delight and motive is to shirk all the work and cause the authorities much trouble as they practricable can [sic] without incurring severe punishment. It is perfectly right and absolute[ly] just that thoes [sic] who possess and practice such a disposition should be severely punished; and we find that those who are not so disposed, but are obedient to the [laws] and regulations prescribed by the State for covering canvicts [sic] and convict labor, receive all due consideration and the best treatment from the employees of the Company . . . We will not give currency to one of, and the cheif [sic], the cause assigned for the mutiny as being wholy true, though it has the color of naturalness with the negro.

Source: “Cole City Convict Mutiny,” Dade County Weekly Times (Trenton, GA), July 23, 1886.