The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-01-02
TIT CONVICT LABOR SYSTEM.



A mass meeting of the mechanics of Buff
falo, N. Y, under the supervision Of the
wOrkingmen Of Erie county, was held at the
old Court House, on Monday evening last,
for the purpose of taking into consideration
measures for the abrogstion Of the presest
system Of convict labor.
Mayor Rogers presided and Mr.. James
Hayes was appointed secretary.
A motion was then made that committee
of three be appointed BY the chair to draft
resolutions expressive Of the object Of the
meeting, which was carried.
The chairman appointed as such commit
tee Messrs. VIM. Moore, G. H. Hunt and
G. Smith, who retired for consultation, af-
ter which they presented the following pre-
amble and resolutions, which were adopt
ed
by the WOrkingmen Of Erie County, in
Mass Meeting assembled
| Whereas, Evils have been so long endured
by the mechanics and the people Of the state Of
! New York, and
Whereas, These evils are known to result
from the system Of employing convict labor il
our state prisons, penitentiaries, and houses O.
refuge, and
| Whereas, The interests of the people arr
injured by this system, and nooe suffer 80 much
as the workingmsn. whose wages are reduced
in great many instances by being obliged &c
| compete with the labor of convicts at the rate
Of forty or fifty cents per day, and the mechan
ical interest being degr AIDED by being made
penalty for crime, and
Whereas, No advantages are derived by the
community at large, whose treasury is annually
Iz|Gsaeped by large sums of money appropriated
institutions at loss to the people Of this sta te
and
Whereas, The only one benefited bv thi.
system is the prison contractor, whatever his
standing may be in society, and he, taking for
his motto, that the people shall be robbed
while my purse shall be filed" and deserving
of consideration only from his parasites, corrupt
state officials, and hreling creatures, legislative
aHNethers, who wink at the ofenses when he
depresses an honest calling, or apprentices in
fants to vice in order to make money and
Whereas, A plan has been devised which
clearly obviates many Of these evils, as has
been demonstrated by years OF experiment at
the Clinton prison, where a net annual revenue
for three years has accumulated to the state Of
over $50 900, against an annual deficiency of a
much larger sum for a term of years preceding
it. Therefore, be it
Resolved, That the object Of this meeting il
to demand speedy change in the management
of penal institutions in this state, either by
adopting the Clinton prison plan or a modifca-
ton thereof, together with necessary regrla
tons preventing undue competitor between the
produce of labor manufactured in the penal in.
stitutions of this state and those of honest labor
manufactured outside.
Resolved, That pending such change, public
opinion demands of the state prisons inspectors
to speedily abolish this system of contract la
Dor, and in default thereof, that the attorney
general shall enforce the statutes of lS47 re-
quiring convicts TO be assigned TO such branch
es Of mechanical labor as they should be capa-
BILE Of performing previous to Imprisonment,
and which means have been devised to eradicate
the evils Of the present system.
Resolved, That we earnestly request the CO.
operation of manufacturers and all others that
suffer injury to their business from the present
system, to assist our efforts for its adjustment
and we pledge our united efforts in general
with the organized mechanics and citizens
throughout the state to swell the petitions 70
the legislature now in circulation with this OBJ
ject.
Eloquent speeches were made by his hon
or the Mayor, Messrs. Skedd, Macomber,
Bennett, Webb, Knowles, Moore and Swee-
giles.
Mr.. Sweegles then offered the following
Resolved, That the Board Of Supervisors of
Erie county be requested to either abolish the
present system of penal labor at the Erie coun-
ty penitentiary, or auction the labor Of the
convicts to the highest bidder
The resolution was unanimously adopted.
On motion of Mr.. Bostwick, a committee
Of three, consisting of o. j. Sweegles, Jas.
Hayes and Jesse Webb, were appointed by
the chair to wait on their senator and men,
Der of assembly elect, and urge upon them
the views Of this meeting. Mr.. B. suggest
ID that the new Court House be built in
part BY convicts, and thus save money for
he county, instead Of giving the contract to
. member Of q political "ring," who will |
realize fortune out Of the contract. The
Court House at Columbus, Ohio, had been
'uilt almost entirely by convicts. The speak
" also suggested that cOnvicts be employed
n the mines, salt works, etc., of the state,
lnder guard, and at various other capacities
lot conflicting with the trades.
At the :, iclusion Of Mr.. B.'s remarks the
Meeting adjourned.