New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-06-01
A DEFENCE OF CONVICT LABOR.

CAPITALISTS URGING on THE MOVEMENT AGAINST
THE EMPLOYMENT OF CoNvIcTs-A MANS
RIGHT IN OR OUT OF PRISON TO WORK
To me Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR: 1t is most humiliating that in tho
Legislature OF New-York should be men willing
to ac. in the capacity Of demagogues, procalmng,
rather threatening IN support of bil that it Is
passed. they Will go before the people with appeals
their worst passions and preudces their selshness and
ignorance and arouse influence which shall carry with
irresistible force measure which every rlghtininded
citizen who holds the good OF his State at heart must de-
porc and oppose There a greater farce than
the effort now being put forth by designing and in
teresed to abolish convict labor and that under
the guise Of plea for the labOring men," is well
known that it is not labOring alone mainly.
who the most active in this movement. but capt.
tasts, who imagining prospective injury TO their bust
by the employment OF convict labor, have, under
the preence OF sympathy for the laborng class made
them thelrdupes accomplish their designs, hoping
thereby for the discontinue Of their competitors.
There is one argument in defence of the employment
Of convict labor which cannot be gansaid. IL will
not be disputed that most OF the inmates OF
our penal institutions-if not OF that class
who obtain their support by preying upon the
cOmmunitycome under the general class Of producers
Now il they are producers when outside OF prison walls
there is certainly nothing in trial and conviction which
should enttlo them 10 any special immunity from that
requirement OF our common humanity that all must work.
aud by no process OF arsumCn valid reason he
assigned why they shonld continue to be producers
when inside Of prison walls To talk Of their being tho
authors Of competition which Justly the right
cons Indignation OF laborngmen secs at once, IL
without any force else with the same proprlety might
any other body because they ovcrcrOwd the ave-
nues for labor be ostraczed to this extent, and be
hoisted upon public cxchegucr for support No
would reasonably question the right OF any man 10 earn
hi. livelihood honest employment, by the work OF his
hands when aster. then there be ques-
lion as TO it, propucty having violated the laws
the land, he l. condemned 10 feons cell III thls
Labor WAS furnished at prices which gave those con-
tracing for great advantage in production, there
mi dit then be grounds Cor objection 10 the raie, but
facts do not cstb sh this to Doe the In the history
81 manufactures the past twenty-five years experience
vii show thc most successful venturcrs are those outside
prisons Were II otherwise, II l. not Ia be supposed
that IN all state institutions OF this class there WOnd
at al times ar-c amount of unemployed labor 10
undertake the employment OF these men at work
outside tFc range present manufactures IA virtually
lactullu. cutcrprs: Las explored AID commands all
fields. For the state 10 undertake their employment
lndcirndcnt ~ individual enterprise, establishes com
prtitigu which J. absolute, a.d monopoly which would
crush effort to compete with H. Let us nope that
the enlightened sentiment Of oar people VIII prevent
the accomp - this attempt To Increase the bur
taxation and bring To nOugnt all the Efforts or
pas, years Og the improvement aud ameiOration of con
That hraZeu ciirOutery does one hear from
lips of thc-" yr,UOu, dcC tlmers who have 30 sud
dculy awakened To wundr0us sympathy for the labor
in man-hat working OF these men degrades labor.
\, Well they that for them 70 engage IN reg-
io. exercises deradcs Christianity. Tie cornerstone
all reform rests here. ~ II does everywhere III the
On ding up OF character. upon heslthiul labor.
1uburn, May 80 PRO Bono PUBLIco.