The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1867-10-12
CONVICT LARoas

Among the nteny important topics which
engrcssed rhe attention Of The late n. tionai
Labor Congress, few demand a more
thorough inv sstigstion than the question 81
Convict Labor. Ia our own and sister
States this evil has recently assumed such
an alarming phase, Chat we deem it tb e i'm
iuerasve duty of everg--frianS ~. ,.Aa nabsr
movenent who has given At due cohsidsra.
ton, to express his opinions freely and fuils
thereon, believing That it is OILY by such in
serohange that satisfactory solution Of the
problem can be reached. wy a
Mech as wetegrst doing 90, we teel com
! PEELED TO dissent from the views of the com
uittee appointed 70 consider this question.
~ presented through their. worthy and able
chairman. We do SO for two reas oas first.
because we deem them impracticable, and
seeondly, because We &c not believe tLey
STRIKE, at the roet Of the evil.
We cannot believe that aas7stem which
eompsIs the State to support pack Of lasy.
Idle vagabonds and Law breakers, at the en-
Pense OF honest men, Eould ever receive ID,
sHnct'on o. the Am Fiean people. They
would insist and very properly too, that a.
ldieness was An incentive to crime, and the
normal condition, 50 to speak, Of aIarge
n'sjofitysef the eoaVicts, no punishmen.
would be inflicted BY the adoption of such 3
eourse; that bad they been taught trade,
sc earn 40 lpresAt is,ssing, two thirds Of them
would Fever have ssen the inside II a, pesi.
tsniiny, ard tbs. instead Of prSbihitisr
hem from iearring an occupation, i wa
shs du.y Of ~ .apthOriiies to prevent
them, II possible, uaon their release. from
E.ain becoming a Nuisance 20 the oommuni-
" That as rf5rAaffon as'weII ne prrisl
~sHt u fba Object, aud design Of
% the laE, that no more effective method
could be adopted 40 secure these resulss.
than BY supplying the. deficiency created by
q detective education. a-ssa rsi 5'
TO prove that We make no random asser.
lions. We have exswiued the statistics Of
ytars' experience, and ccnEersed with a num-
Der of parties well qusli6-d to judge, and
Ind Tat over ffry per cent Of our. male
erimins.s trace their downfall to the want a
a mechanical trade, runaway apprentices.
loafers, gamblers and the like, Furnishing
the largest number Of our jail birds. In tie
face Of thess facts we hold il, would be a
Suicidal policy to sanction the very principle
which has created the evil sought to be reme-
died ts~ea as =-s RE 81 ~
. The wrong, therefore, Of which the work.
iagman complains, does not lie in the fact
that criminals are taught trade, bux that tn
production Of their labor are brought into
Injurious compstatisn With the production Of
honest tell A system which. permits. "A. gang.
81 speeusaters to enrich sthensslvss by sdeb
mesns, IL virtually to place = pfefSidfaf on
crime. Men who buy ne convic.'s labor At
fifty cents per day, can well afford to dis
pose Of ii at -sesehsysHSs cents, '<hHe the
family " tbe honest, hardwood ,dg 4seShau
camel bs s9Pported % twice Dat ssSo ont
= Nsris this asmAtteEI 10 xhssh The labezsr.l
alone isiptsressed, the employer being squal
" involved. Az matter Of aeodfss, III edAi
,ploysf WIZ psyk tbs sstrsnt. zkts3 ~ xagts,
cahnoto epmpete with the contrsctor, .uhol
1eeurn his lshsr = . nomiual .ums He .niastlI
ehcoss bstxssn' cns BE- tso ssslse cat waaxss
dpwd y sssr llo1. 'pfsis<s u sssr5on fhes
asld r. tie penitpnfi ypltus4: sTslxasTss 4
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