Litchfield enquirer., 1835-04-16

1 oo for his crime. esn hardly he supposed tO ,,Osspss SOroi h0nesty enough to dO justice tO 1 a manufactured article, evrn if he had the a- bility s0 do 60. But this Is of triling cOnse- Quenee compared with the interest which eve cry father f.rls for the future welfare and re spectability of his son. 10 is not unusual tor the sons of our most wealthy farmers and en- terprisiug merchants, and even Of Our Hhless statesmen, to select some mechanical branch of business fOr their future pursuit. But where is the father that can cOnsent tO sec his son - the pride of his family and the object of his future topes-drgratSed in his employment to level with sAe stoces ofthe State Much less to have him brought in hourly c"ntact wiih the discharged convict, who, with all his practical and acquired stock OG Esloni"us knowledge. is very likely to Rnd employment in the very W"rk shop where his sOn is an in- denied ApPr~nlice.
 Suppose that the Infamous Teller, instead 0fexpiatiOg his guilt On the gall"ws, had scr, ved out his tiNse tn prison, been discharged meck0nic, and had found employment tn our workshops to detail in the hearing oE the young and incxperieoced, Ihose rer"lllng scenes of dehaUchery and crime, described hy himself during tae last days of Ais hees what strength "f parental restraint, what lave of vir>
 
 wilher and droOp under the blighting ina0> ence of such a moral sir0cc"s
 But while the mechanic is peculiarly expo- sed to all these evils, there others that bear ercIssirty upon hisn, with p"nder"us aud insupporlable weight.
 He. in the first place, Is taxed in common with his fssliow -ciliS~ns-taxed f"" tsr hss ve- " faculty to snppnrt himsrlf and family by honest industry, wi,hoot the eammissi"n "f crime-sGred l0 hailrl. disripline. and [" be0H. fifg and 0dora the prison--t0red f"r the ar rest, the friel, and the commitnens "f the fel. ous-aad fkea hs kas to eater sriih kim ot oRce upon mast rsia0Hs 0nd disgn0ce(L competi- fiOn iR kis oaca art, to learn which cast him many years Of hard labor. and to improve and perfect which large sums Of money have been expended.
 Should the mechanic, thus depressed and crippled, wholly abandon his business and seek some rplief in sOme other branch. as has sometimes been the case. even this. connect ed as it is with all The sacrifice and ine"nren- fence of the change, is no guarantee against future encroachment.
 The moment he has so perfected his new business as tO have it pronounced ProffabLe. that moment the signal is given fur its intro ductiOn into the State Prison; and, once there, the prospects "f the feeble victim with. in the deadly folds of the Boa COnsirictsr can not he more hopeless than his would he, wh" should attempt tO compete with the wealth, the power, and the interest Uf the State.
 The primary object of every system of pri son discipline shni.ld be. tO reform the culprit and protect society. But when these high phItcrs are lost sight Of, and the whole sys iein is reduced to the pitisble calculation of dollars and cents, it is nn matter 0f surprise. although 1t is one of terror and alarm. thar crime is increasiIg in such fearful ratio V iih the increase of p0PulatiOn in this State. and throughout the country. From the year ! 18sO to the year 1880. the increase Of p"pulaiiUO in this State was less than twelve per cent. while the increase Of State Prison coinmit. ments was more than ONE HUNDRED per cent
 Such evils. surely, call f"r speedy rrlne. dy; and whils nO class Of the community are SIS deeysiy affected in this u.attev as mrchanic-l are, it is equally true. that no other class will meet these evils with such frmnrss, grapple them with such nerve, and push them io such final overthrow. as they. Arise, then, fellow- -ciii2ens. arise in your strength. Let 1s show tO the country and t0 pOstrriiy itat we respect ourselves, and that we respect sUr employment and let it be seen, by our dis. 1 cretiun and intelligence, that we appreciate our rights, and the station we occupy ia suci. eiy: and also by. our frmness and decision, 1 that these WiN 6e maintained. The way ia accomplish these objects is. by associating to. geth+r for the purpose Of drliheration and union of eifnrt; and, tn this capacity. to re- spectfally, yet earnestly, memO'alize our le- gislature. praying thcm to remOve from us l an evil which. to some of our number, has al. I ready become intolrrable. and ,ce shaltbe heard. l
 Phe mechanics of the State of New. York l have taken an elevated and noble stand an this l subject. They are merging every pSrty and | local feeling in the grand enterprise uf break. ! ing the letters of" State Prison Monopoly" ! Let them he sustained by the mechanics of COnnectieUt-let their haOds he stayed up in ! this struggle for their rights aud if succrss. l ful-Of which there can be but little doubt-- then success wa follow in other States, and | our whale land will be freed iron, a system 1 which is more oppressive and degrading to the mechanics of America, than the gaIling | yoke of despOlism.
 THOMAS WTNSHIP.
 MELVIN COPELAND,
 A. w. ROBERTS,
 L. KENNEDY, IT..
 Tke avepasR erreDss nf ennn,; sen,a so she r.n