The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1873-09-11
SHAMErULLY TRUE.

common laborers Of Virginia to this para
graph. The Virginia Penitentiary is place
xhers criminal eonvicts are sent as pun
ishment in degree to the magnitude Of their
crimes. Under the administration of the
Conservative party, these convicts are either
put to trades, and worked at them, or hired
out to contractors on public improvements
at from Is cents to 40 cents day. Most
uf them who learn trades are instructed in
the shoe-making, tailoring and iron artzan
business. The products Of their labor are
thrown upon the markets, to come in compe-
tition with the labo. of honest mechanics in
che same branches, who have families to sup
port By this process these honest men are
reduced to the level Of the Pcnitentiary con-
victs, and have to compete with them or
leave the State. Each convict that is hired
out as day laborer takes the place of an hon
est, hard working poor man, who has his
family to support. 1t is thus labor becomes
degradation, and the common laborer eth
or has to leave the State or starve.
It is claimed that this is economy to the
State Every cent thus made for the State
comes off the poor man. The mechanic and
the laborer pays the $4,000 or 100000
which the State makes The rich man pays
nothing. Every shoe, every axe that is made,
every days labor that is performed at less
price than the regular wages Of the mechan-
10 or laborer, is that much taken off these
classes to pay the rich mans taxes. That is
the way it works, and there is no disputing
it.
The mechanics Of Richmond and Peters
burg have petitioned time and again the Con-
servative Legislatures to correct this great
evil and wrong, but deaf ear has been To-
variably turned to these appeals. There has
been a persistent and studied purpose to de
grade labor, to bring honest toll in Compel
zion with the forced products of convicts,
and thus to paralyze the most important and
useful elements of our industrial progress
The consequence has been that legitimate
manufactures in the branches thus antago-
nized by PenitentiarJ products, have been
stagnated, and good men either driven from
she State, or compelled to adopt some other
mode Of thrift to support their families
Within the past few days, just upon the
eve of an important State election, we see
chat the managers Of the Penitentiary have
ordered that shoes shall only be sold in the
ease, and not by small retail as heretofore.-
This has been doubtless done, to delude the
shoe workers Of Richmond aud Petersburg
into the belief that the policy will be per-
manently changed. Let them not be de-
ceived. It is no sympathy they have with
che mechanics. 1t is a desperate expedient
to get votes, and a device to retain the power
which they have SO shamefully abused. They
6ud that the industrial classes of Virginia
are awakening to their true interests and a
realization Of their power. They see that
The Republican party is the friend of ma
terial progress, to the remuneration and ell
ovation of labor, and that these elements
have signi6ed a disposition to break loose
from the party of prescription and intoler-
ance, whose policy is to drive out and keep
out capital from Virginia, by which alone
labor can prosper.
We tell the mechanics and laboriug men
of Richmond and of the entire State, that
the success of the Conservative party and
the perpetuation of their miserable, destruct-
i've policy, will be the saddest day of their
history 1t VIII keep down the wages of Ia
Dor and hold their noses to the grind stone
for all time to come, that feu professional
politicians may be elevated to position Of row.
or and profit. They have the opportun ity
to liberalize our State policy, throw wide
open the doors for immigration and capital,
and thus give new life to all grades Of labor.
They have the power to regulate the policy
of the State to their own benefit and success,
upon which depends the success Of all de-
partments of trade, and they will be false to
themselves, their families, and the best in
tcrests Of the State, if they do not profit by
it.
"Virgiuia for Virginians" is the hackney
ed cry of these non producing professional
politicians, who have been throughout the
history of the State, the deadly enemies of
the industrial classes. And what would
Virginia be now, if she had been dependent
upon Virginians7 Where has the capital come
from chat is building our railroads, but from
non. Virginians Where would have been
tte enterprise and prosperity OF Stanton
and every other thrifty locality in the State,
bat for foreign capita How could our
merchants, farmers, mechanics aud laborers
have fund remu Grafton for their labors,
but for the currency brought here BY the
construction of the railroads and our schools 4?
All has been the result Of importations from
ethe~ States. Yet these short sighted, gilt
edged politicians. who have never added
cent to the productive wealth Of the State,
will cry s'virginia for Virginlans" in the
ho,,o of r,to;,;n,. uoptrol of tho off