The Superintendent of Public Works and each person employed as a guard over convicts sentenced to hard labor for the county, before he enters upon the discharge of his duties, shall take and subscribe the following oath before some officer authorized to administer the same: “I do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Alabama, so long as I remain a citizen of said state, and that I will faithfully execute and discharge all duties required of me (as superintendent or guard of convicts, as the case may be) and that I will observe all rules and regulations prescribed for the government of convicts, so far as I am thereby directed, and will in no case ill treat or abuse any convict under my charge or control or inflict any other or greater punishment than may be prescribed by said rules and regulations.” Such oath shall be filed by the party taking the same in the office of the judge of probate of the county in which the convict is sentenced to hard labor.