Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1878-02-23
CONVIOrS IN THE COAL MINES.
An Interview with tho ~nsPccfor
Of she state Penttentiary.

Of .he Stnre Penttentiary.
The Intelligenccr was the first paper
in the state to outer n protest against
worAin. convicts i'll coal mines. In adj
ditlon to the evil effect it would have
upon our locality, we thought the thing
wrong in principle. As time has passed
and the practical working OF the policy
been developed. IL ideas on this point
have been confirmed aud strengthened.
Having some private business at Jeitcr-
son CITY, We will briefly mention ore OF
the incidents OF a trip which we took to
that place the first days OF the week,
which NAV be of general interest,
On Monday last we succeeded IN get
ting Gov. Phelps. State Auditor fiotla-
day NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Smith toSether
in the office OF the latter. To talk over tho
matter of convict labor in the coal MINES.
We sought this interview in order to lay
before the inspectors the practical enccts
OF convict labor, as it WAS beng de-
veloped from day to day. and week TO
week. in Lexington and vicinity and. II
possible. to have something effected which
would do away with the ruinous compe-
tition. The board of inspectors consists
ot Col. Elijah Gates, state treasurer.
Judge Thomas Holladay. state auditor,
and encouragement Jackson l.. Smith.
While they frequently call upon the
governor for his approval of their acts.
so far as the leasing Of labor to work in
the coal mines isconcerned. his approval
is unnecessary. Col. Gates WAS absent
from the capital.
After exchanging the courtesies OF the
dav, and learning our business. the gen
tlemen asked US to make Il statement OF
our objections to the working ~ofconvicts
in coal mines. and its effects upon our
mining interests. This we did to the
best of our ability. We reminded them
that mines which had never been able
to compete with ours. with honest labor.
were now enabled not only to compete
with, but to drive out our miners. We
informed them that during the last few
months very nearly w hundred miners
had been thrown out OF employment II
Lexington and vicinity. We spoke Of
the extreme difficulty which these meI
would have to find other occupation
| We told the gentlemen that the miners
occupation was rs much his trade rs |!
that OF the carpenter or mason anu tina
many OF these men had invested TIT
/ earnings OF a lifetime IN 4 little house II
' or near Lexington. because of thei
) ability to find steady, though of late no
very remunerative employment. IL
| fact. we laid the case before them in q
y strong a light as its merits deserved AM
We were capable OF doing.
4 long conversation ensued, whlcI
| we cannot take the space to set out |
tut, but We will give the gist OF 1t. In
: board speak as ii they were unanlmou
in their position, FOR which. As we nav
int imated above, Governor Phelps is
: no wise responsible, though he has IN
II dnrsed their action. The statement tina
II has been persistentIy made that III
last legislature passed he law unde
IL which the hiring out OF these conVic'
was authorized i, false, and having bee
8 frequently denied, it is to be inierre
'e that it is knowingly and maIlclousiy re
le iterated. The legislature wdS 10 Diam
Il not for passing such a law as is aiiudt
III to, but for not passing a law pr"Vlair
re means whereby the convicts could nav
!" been worked inside of the walls o u
M state prison. The law under whi'
these men are hired out is All old on
S. and was passed many years ago. lhI
oy however, is onI in parenthesIs.
" The board states that when they 6
Ut sumed their duties they found IN the pei
Tertiary about five hundred Idle pr
ise ouers. In order to keep this lar
IN number OF uuproductive Men III the wa
IL at all, it was necessary to keep them
1ol the major part OF the time III their ce!
VI Much sickness and great mortality W
the consequence. Something had to
st, done with these men. Beside being
ION burden to the state. common human
ent dictated that it was unfair and even b
ell barous to subject them to conditiC
an. which e~ntailed certain sickness, u
the probable death. Their labor could
Of be hired for mechanical purposes wit
ate the walls. because he rooms were
DIG ready filled. and the legislature reiu'
to to make an appropriation for the
uto largemcnt OF the facilities Tor work
'om men within the penitentlary. such
en'- extending the walls, erecting new bu'
heir ings, and providing additional mot
power. 1t will be seen at Il glance
.,o there mus. either be 4 radical anne
1ba mcnt OF the criminal code to reduce
sbe number of state prisoners; means
y.r working the convicts supplied. or t
rho thev must be maintained in idleness
am great expense and with detriment
leo, their health and morals. The latter,
nm, inspectors think, cannot be even h
most, OF BY them. Finding themselves
,i,o no means to work the prisoners on
y. -, inside, and no money for their maj
nance in ldleness, the inspectors G.
dam that they were compelled to put then
work anywhere that they could n
TORS them self-supportlng. SO lar as wors
them outside OF the walls is conceri
,o1ro they assert that this has been done
!, ,b. years: that they personally disiik
-. have the men SO worked, but that
81. have no alternative.
As to the competition with coal mn
, ,ho they say that the convict comes INT
,,Ls direct conflict with honest labor v
,o,,s he is worked On the inside as whe
,,u,. labors on the outside OF the walls
it is the wagon-makers. shoe-makers
~ sad lle-tree makers have as gre
n no. right, and 90 complain as much a
,ssnt competition of convicts AS the
.et. so miners.
more The board also claims that the
ago. victs would not now be IN the mine