Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1878-11-30
CONVICT LABOR.
tF-cn the Mobsrl: Daily Mentor

l : VII nc flEs-At- t'--AF $500
Hon. \. A. Lesueur. editor Of the
Lexington Inte,iigeucer. and repre-
sentative eject from Lafayette county,
has for some time been investigating
the condition of the Missouri peniten-
tilrv. aud deVi>iug ways sud means
60 lessen the lost of criminal PROSE
cu:ions and of maintaining criminals.
He estimates the annual cost 70 the
state of prosecuting and maintaining
the criminals, over and above ~"
receipts from tAeir labor, at SSSO,0OO
an enormous sum, il would seem. for
keeping down crime.
He opposes the system OF working
the couvICts IN the MIN aud else
where. thus bringing item III conf
petition with the one .AO0rer-, but
Is not deslTrus at present, OF d.scuu-
tiuuiug the mHuuiaCturl-s wItniu The
wal ; OF the PRISON. Hes tiN mn
should be nstr Ia arr enough .
feel and clujne hem. 81 q ay NJ eat
q part. aud in i IN joriry "i un-ttncr-
the whole at TIN Cs-f ct I: er prose-
cuIiuu. The probe H.. hnweyrr, i
more easily stated fhau solved II
IA certain hat The UI H'n4t- II inaA"
to earh Their rr'A, must ia sin:
sort. come IN : .rupE / Iun with he
honest l1Jor at the county. auti I,nw
to maze tai, convict ! lr"r least in
t~ertere with h0Ir>- .nJ = ana E. til.
same time be scIt-,u,taitiuS - the
Question:
Mr.. Lrsurur proposes To TcSerV e
the peuiteUlItry tor -" grrnter Grim
luats, give criminal. jiIi-!icrium rur
certain grades Of crime to inrt!
courts, retain ia the cuuutie. wu.r
may be c7i.y.i n. minor ~f-Ious, and
utilize them ty employing them on
the roads. pubic IMPROVEMENTS, &,
abolish indictments aud arrat.Ii
alleged criminals on IufOrIuAtiru,
allow rs few Cultiuuaucesa as possible,
and reduce all expeuses to = MIA.
imum.
The proportion il 0 without
merit. IGere nave eviiently been
thought and research expended II.
arriving at the conclusions. There j..
however, one obstacle which seeHI-
To obtrude Itself, and which may
render the scheme impractiCrble t.
to one part of it. TIE expense ut
guarding and malntsiniug the ''!oca!'
criminals, esp-cslly whcu employed
NNNoAA III - 49, 49, '
will entail 8 heavier expense TO the
people than the present system,
There is much OF TIE yesr, say one
third, when il would be Impossible
( give the cunyict- prnhtabtc EN-
ploymeut outside the prison. and il
would not be practicable tor counties
TO provide workshops. tools, &,
with which to make heir couiimc-
wat K shot n.rh
prisoner, III order TO pay lis owI
expense, would be required to earn.
while employed, one sud a half times
the cost OF feeding. clothing aud
warming him. The average number
In any one AL at one time, would be
very small. aud a small number o!
men canuO be used to advantage III
outdoor labor.
Five years ago, through the
columns OF the St. Louis Tin e., TT
writer of this article, seeing the very
difficulties that now confront the
editor of the lnteilIgencer. suggested
somewhat similar plan to that o
Ar. Le-usur to reducs the cost oi
prosecution aud m4Inraiusnce. II
differed from that proposed in this
That, instead of having one great
pEIsUb, ueIc Ci ltIlllihI- VI Ma SEduc>
are TO he sent, sub-penitentiaries be
built IN every judicial district where
minor criminals may b. confined, one
prison to each district at the most
available point 1t, aud that the
county continuing the prison have
exclusive jurisdiction yer the pris
omers, employing them in the manner
suggested by the luteilIgencer, or IL
auy ure that would defrty the
expense OF keeping them and thai
did not come into too active coupe,
titiom with free labor. This plan
would, ii seems to US, reduce tx
cost per capita of guarding and keep.
ing the prlaOters, would dI.trIOule
the labor throughout the state
would render the security OF TIA.
prisOners just as ccrttin and max
their labor profitable. WHAT .ayr
MIR. Lesueur.