The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1859-01-13

Making in all 6a2
Thirty-four of the convicts are now confined il
the State prison for iie and twenty-forr of these
are confined in solitary cells for willful aad 6elb-
crate murder. Let crime continue to increase ia
our State the next three years, in the sam, ratio
as in the past and our prison AZ the end of thas
period win be full to its utmost capacity. In Janu-
ary, 1887, the Legislature appropriated tairtytwo
east wing Of the prison end constructing one hum
dred aud six.y four cells therein, aud for making
other improvements. II pursuance CT this eppTo-
priation the Building Commissioner hasiag charge
OF it has nearly compi cted one hundred aud sixty
cells, and has made ether Improvements conteIn-
plated by the appropriation, for the particulars of
which YOU are espectfnlly reierr I'd to the Annual
Report of the officers OF the prison for the years
1851 and 1885, Further appropriations are nsces-
slry to be made 10 order to complete the prison.
Although one hundred and sixty cells have beeu
built since january, 1851 yet the increase of con.
victs has kept pace vita the building of cells. I
recommend to Your consideration such an Gpp-o-
priation as will enable the Bulldog Commissioner
to complete such portions o. the prison as are nee
ded for the sae-keeping of the convists. IS taev
may be brou yht there. For q detailed statement
OF the finances of TIE prison. and the manner th.t
institution has been conducted for the past year.
You are respectfully referred to the Inspectors
Report and the accompanying documents now oa
file in the proper department
Much complaint is being made among the me-
chanics of our Site, land particularly among tie
carriage and wagon IN .kcrs as 10 tae kind of la
Dor in which the conv;c are employed. Or me.
caancs claim that their labor is brought In cou1pe-
tition with ccnTict labor, the result of which is,
that they are comp .lled 10 sell tae products Of
their industry far below rennmera.ing prices.
This is a subject wJ-tly # youf attention. There
is no class OF men more entitled TO the fostering
care OF legislation, than the mechanics of our
Slate. Bansh ms scaanical labor from our sod, and
you strike o death blov at our prosperity. The
Constitution provides tAat ''No mechanical traie
shall hereafter be taught in the STATE Prison this
State, except the manufacture of those articles Of
which the chief supply for homo consumption, is
imported from other States Or Countries" fhs
spirit of this clause of our Constitution would
seem to prohibit the employment Of coayict labor
upon such mechanical works, the chief supply of
which is derived from our oxn State. The mani
fest olec. of this clause to prevent coavcl la
Dor coming in competition with free mechanieak
labor II may be sald tlat no convict in the Stat:
Prison u taught the carriage or wagon maker 8
trade because ~ one convict is taught all the dif
fercn branches of tie basiness SO as to be able Ia
compete carriage or wagon This kint O. reas-
oning would completely dJ,away with the spirit
and effect of the Constitution: Carriage AM Wa
goa making business mdy be divided mo a dJzel
different departments, and because dozen c;fer-
eut convicts are employed eaca on different d.
partren. Of the business il cannot for that reason
be said tia. the carriage and wagon makers trad,
IS not taught there any more than it can be sas<f
that carriages and wagons are made by them In.
Constitution. In my opinion it would be fr b. {.
ter for the State to maintain her conycts in idle
ness, hy direct tax, than to employ them in v:o-
laton OF the Constitution at the expense of our
mechanics lnole case the burden OF sapportin..
them would fall equally upon ALL and in The other
single class of citizens would hs the suffer-
ers, But there is no necessity OF either ensp.oy-
ing the oonvrcss in violation OF the Constitution.
to the injury OF our me ;hanics, or of supporting
them IN idleness l therefore most re =pectfully
ask you to inquire into the alleged grievances on
the part of the mechanics Of our State, sud if
they have just cause of conplaint. to give them
such aid as your wisdom may suggest and justice
may require.
| The House Of Correction is another institution
intimately connected with the criminal jurisara-
dence of the State. This Institution was 6o1del
by act of the Legislature, al proved IN Janaarv
1855, and has now been in ope-s tion tur neary
two years, and in my opinion is very great iu-
proyeme-t in q uorsl point of view, upon the old
system of senting mere BOYS to the State Prison
for the ccm MISSION Of c. me There sre now Coz
fined in the Hose &c Cors sstiea Ctr eight vouu
| lad whose respective ages, when seuienced, o.
risd from nine to sixteen years. They ere row be-
ing efrr-d and cared for II rnzrss- saisshf. 8,