The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-06-15
CONVICT LABOR


dark blot on the American escutcheon.
The rebellion which illed so many graves
with our bravest and our best which des-
olated so many homes, and which covered
the land with mourning, was inaugurated
to sustain that system of labor. The re-
hellion was crushed slavery abolished the
shackles were broken, and the bondsman
set free ; and thus, through seas Of blood,
was the National stain removed But the
work of publication is not yet complete
AS dark and as deadly blight yet remains
CONVICT LABOR the bane of the American
mechanic-looms up in all its hideous de-
formity, gradually creeping into all the
branches of mechanical industry.
The honest labor Of the country has
raised its voice against it, and now demands
that its wishes shall be respected that the
labor Of the outlaw shall no longer be
brought into competition with honest labor,
and never demand more Just
We are opposed to the employment of
convicts in any department Of industry,
but more especially in the mechanical
branches, as it is in those the greatest
amount Of injury and injustice may be
done and we base our objections on the
following grounds LIST. The State, as a
governmental body, has no right, directly
or indirectly, to enter into competition
with the industrial pursuits Of its citizens
or the citizens of other States. I'd. 1t is
a VI olation Of the duty Of the State to its
citizens. Sd. 1t is highly detrimental to
the best interests of the mechanical popu-
lation of the State 4th. 1t Is premium
Oh crime and 9Th. To foster it is beneath
the dignity Of the State.
1t is the duty Of the State to enact and
execute laws, levy and collect taxes, and
make all necessary regulations for the pro
lection of its citizens, and the promotion
of their happiness. While it confines
itself to the performance of these duties, it
is acting within its legitimate sphere but
when it undertakes to compete with pri-
vate enterprise, by creating manufactur-
ing establishments, it does that for which
no authority in the constitution Of any
expressed or implied be found
2d. 1t is violation of the duty that the
State owes to its citizens 1t is funda-
mental and well established fact in inter
national, national and state laws, that
the State is bound to protect its citizens "
Are we to assume that this obligation ceases
when the State provides for the protection
of the citizens from outward or foreign in
vasion Not at all. The citizens of the
several States are divided into communi-
ties and classes, each Of which has a special
interest peculiar to itself. 1t therefore
becomes the duty Of the State to see that
such laws are enacted as will prevent the
interests Of one class swapping or over
towering the interests Of the other and
50 harmonic the whole that general happi-
ness and prosperity will be the result. And
such a result can never be attained in a
State which enters into competition,
through the labor Of its criminals, with
the labor of the industrial classes, either
by manufacturing itself, or by leasing its
institutions to special companies or corpor-
ations.
Sd. 1t is highly detrimental to the me-
chanical interests Of the State. By foster
ing any branch of mechanism in the peni-
Tertiary, the State holds out inducements
to business men, to have their work per-
formed in that institution, thereby deprE-
ing the honest citizen and toiler, whose
family is dependent, in his industry for
support, Of the means Of a livelihood, and
thus throw him an idler in the streets We
could name several firms in Chicago, Balti-
more, Detroit and Cincinnati, which now
have their work done in the penitentiary,
and who are thereby enabled to undersell
the legitimate salesman-who formerly EN-
ployed his own hands, or had their work
manufactured outside.
4th. II is a premium on crime, because
the punishment is not commensurate with
the crime committed. The present system
Of labor in our penitentiaries is not puni-
tive only 50 far as it deprives the culprit Of
liberty. In other words, prison life is com
paratively an easy life. 1t is well-known
fact that thousands Of the criminals in our
penitentiaries have committed crimes
in order to be sent to these institutions
for term Of years, knowing that their gem
eral treatment would be better than that
which they would receive outside 90 that
when it is weighed, in the balance of a
great crime, the scale goes down in
favor of the penitentiary, and the
risk is taken. In 1867, in company
with the delegates attending the annual
sessions Of the Locomotive Engineers, We
paid visit to the Illinois penitentiary, and
was there shown by Commissioner Reid, o
man occupying the position Of foreman in
one of the departments, who unblushingly
declared he would rather remain inside
than outside Of the penitentiary, and that
his Last crime was committed "A hours after
his release, in order to get back to hn old
home. -Htr'H
In conclusion, we assert that it IS beneath
the dignity of the State. What respect
can we have for body Of Legislators, who,
losing sight Of the moral question involved,