The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-10-01
TERMS, sIsaLE * sEs COPIES afnS. CTS. NO. d
}. That the present system of controllin

2. That the present system Of controllIn
and working convict labor in the State Pen
itentiary is a dangerous monopoly, huge Il
its proportions, and destructive b those en-
gagged in the production Of such articles a
are manufactured at that institution that j
Is driving some Of the most energetic anC
enterprising manufacturers, who are EN-
ploying a large number Of hands and GOOD
capital in their business, from our midst
y That the principle in our nationa
government Of which we have ever beer
more jealous than any other, has been ''equa
rights, equal tdratiOR, equal justice to all, y
and yet we find State adopting the saict
dai, unjust and otity yageous policy Of taxing
a class Of citizens, Gts most valuable ele
ment, while it is the least able to bear the
burden imposed upon them, Of any other
BY depriving them Of the work and the pro
fit arising therefrom, which by right belongs
to them, and giving il to films for the sup
port of public institution which is intend,
ed for the benefit and protection Of every
class Of honest society in the State. That
1t is dlscouragiDg and preventing an influx
of capital and immigration, which would
otherwise even now have largely enhanced
the value Of property and the material pros
perity Of tie city and State. and that it j.
literally turning from our doors or forbid
ding the entrance Of a large class Of active
and useful citizens, who would speedily
build up the exhausted finances Of the State
from its own natural resources, and give 0
new impetus to the 81 int Of progress in our
midst.
4 The State Penitentiary j. called q
"Seif sustaining Institution. ]" Let US see.
If its manufactures did not come directly in
competition with large class Of honest me
chancs or if market could be found
which no other Kind of work could supply,
this claim might be substantated- in
stead thereof we find the following facts
staring US in the face. The Penitentiary
works from four to six hundred able bodied
men with a force constantly increasing. The
average wages OF these hands, if honest
employees and mechanics, would be at two
dollars per day. One thousand per day (;
six thousand per week tveniy-four thous-
and per month, and FIVE hundred and seven
ty-six thousand dollars annually, counting
working days-pail 70 working men simply
as wages for the construction If the various
articles manufactured by convirts, and which
would give to our city five hundred honest,
hard-workng men, wi their own invalu-
able acquisition Of experience and mechani-
cal skill, the addition to our population Of
their families, and the increase OF the State
revenue by the taxable value of several
hundred thousand dollars worth Of property
this, altogether outside Of the millions Of
dollars actually invested by manufacturers
themselves, in the purchase Of the raw ma
terial in the erection Of buildings and fur
nishing them with suitable machinery for
their work, and in private property for their
own homes, etc. The penitentiary is man
ufacturing &c, 1000 plows, more or less an
nually, and wagons, corn-shellers, straw
cutters, carts, Wheclbarrows, cedar ware Of
sll kinds, hollow ware, castings, furniture,
ETC., in proportion-striking death blows at
nearly all Of the profitable branches of man
uIdCtuIt ~ Oui Cll1 duu Eldlt-
Nov, there are now several hundred
thousand dollars invested, and several hun
dred hands employed by those manufactur
ers in our city alone, with VIII Sc line Of
business the leading article Of Penitentiary
manufacture come more directly in c0mPe-
tition. These manufacturers and employees
have families to support, and there Is not
enough combined capital to compete success
fully with convict labor; consequently they
must suffer los, or look for more profit
able field Who add most to the advance
ment of .'r r,'l'. veal Shall the bread
earned by the hard work Of the honest me
chanic be taken from bis starving wife and
children, in order that there's and mpdererS
may find something to keep the State out Of
debt.
Hence we insist, instead Of being 'self-
sustaining institution, il is a most inju-
rious monopoly, sustained by the sweat
wrung from the browS Of toiling mechanics,
in their vain endeavor to compete with a
system which leaves them neither profit for
themselves nor food for their families, and
which is wariug continually, and most sue
cessfully, against the dearest and best in
terests Of our city ami State
In view Of the foregoing facts we would
respectfully ask a reply to the following
questions:
H. From your knowledge 81 the situation,
have you reason to believe that different
policy will be adopted with regard to the
convict labor in our State pententiary, as
respects it, present manufactures
2 l. il the design OF the Commissioners
to Keep the price Of their various articles Of
manufacture below that Of honest labor in
the same line.
3. Please give exact number Of con
yicts at present in the penitentiary.
1. Please state actual expense Of run
ming the institution per month
3. Say whether, under the present sys
TEN, il will be necessary to ask any further
appropriation from the State.
/ 6. State whether you think the convict
can be probably employed on any publ,
works, or private enterprise that will no
seriously compete with honest labor. If 8
how, and where !
WM. SrocKELL,
4. III. JONES,
JOsEPH T. Brennan.
Committee.