The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-04-13
CONVICT LABOR.
woRK,NGMAN's VIEWS.
.o,,ed I'm opposition 10 the views
r,rr..sed In Yesterday Reg
,ster by Capt. Bridges.
..Dondep.e of the Register. =

this morning M a'''|'0 IA
-, communications on both sides of
,so convict labor question. In discussing
M, question from the standpoint
:, oDe who earns his daily bread
IN the God-sppointed wsy-the sweat
- bis brow-I promise you to
;,4,ros in no attempt at high flown
mage or beautiful imagery, but will
r.a little plain common sense, oeliev-
;.r,bs, the time has come for action not
nd. and l snail be as briet aa pos
sible,
In NY opinion-and I find the same
sentiment pervsding large msjority, l
think l may safely say ninety-fve out OF
,varv hundred of my fellow workmen-
the most truthful statement contained in
Csp, Bridges long communication in
vopr valuable paper of this days date, Is
that 10 be found in the closing para
,,spb in which he says: 81 have mere
" given YOU, in feeble manner, my
oniDion upon this subject, which can, and
viii, / suppose, be taken 'oT just what
Il ia worth. Captain Bridges may rest
s..ured thst II will be taken at that
mice and that 1t is estimated to be
worth but very little The whole argu-
mani ia 3 tissue OF the widest vsgarles
and sophis.rles, which will deceive no.
bodv, but will benefit the cause, VIZ,
honest labor, which 1t is intended to IN
j1re. c..o,.
B-,dges Is. that the number confined In
the ponitentiary Is so small in comparison
with the number Of men outside that 1t
makes no difference. In reply to this
Gentlemen allow me TO use hOmely H.
ustrstion which will serve better than
.ny other | can 1T this mOmen. recall,
t7snow the absolute sbsurdlty OF such u
Proposition. l Is said tnat on one occS'
Son .irI VINO became mother but wss
no wife When reproacded for her sin an
sgeret. On. but the baby Is such \ ilLtIe
one. Capt Bridges admits the evil, he
admits tna, interference with honest labor
is caused, JuJ be ca ms 1t Is 80 little.
He would also have Us believe thai
the causes tor our trOutl must
be looked for in other directions, ne
would have Us veil our eyes to the tact
that within twelve miles 0t the city OF
Wheeling are men convicted OF In
fsmous crimes who are doing all they
can to deprive US, our wives and little
A. 20 au n "a nEL
necessares of lite.
Now let us look into the whip factory.
Here are fifty men employed. Mr..
Bridges saws this branch OF Industry
does not, Of course, interfere with outside
labor in our States ss this
is the only whip factory in
the State, or in fact IN
this section Of the country. He says
OF course this does not interfere. L say
il does Admitting there Is no factory
of the kind ia the State. Is 1t not be-
cause capitalists are afraid to invest their
money and employ honest men, well
knowing they could be undersold. l
beg to remiLd Captain Bridges that
capitalists are not apt to place their
funds where j! is morally certain they
will be lost.
In the cigar shop Captain Bridges
evidently feels he has brOug ht out some
thing which gives to his side an unsn-
Jwersble argument.
40 wad some power the glftie gle us,
To see Our-gis as others see Us.
u would fra mpHy D.under rae US,
And strange del rlGslOh.
Let US take bis own words and we will
convict him out OF his own mouth. lie
say" Another fifty are employed in the
cigar shop, lessed 10 Mr. Pollock, OF your
city, who also has quite an extensive
factory there; and by the by, Mr.. Pollock
informs me tina: much the greater part
othis cigars are sold in the West and in
Canada" Now it appears to me that
s1y man who Is not blinded by self IN
!5rest or the gain of money regardless
o. consequences to his fellow citizens,
will at once admit that II Mr.. Pollock
hss TO run two factories in order TO sup
ply bis customers, and II he had not the
large force Of fifty hands employed at the
pententiary shops, be would have to en-
p.0v an equal number OF honest men At
tgme other point, either Wheeling or
elsewhere Suppose fifty additional cigar
makers, men of families, were at
work today in this city. At least
lj0 persons would be eating the bread OF
Industry who are now in the depths al
mos. OF poverty. There are men in this
city to-day, good cigar makers, who are
unable to obtain any steady employment
on account of the competition at Mounds
VILE. Besides, the benefits arising from
the employment of that number OF men
would nc, stop with their families. Gro
GERS, tsi.ors, and every branch Of busi
ness would feel the good influence in s
greater or less degree.
Now, as regards the prices convict
made cigars are sold at; Assume thai
Captain Bridges is correct when he SAYS
u understand that he MI. Pollock
does not sell st less price than other man
uisc.urers Of the same class aud qusHty
o. cigars, etc. If Mr. Pollock finds NJ
advantage IN leasing convict labor, why
does be DO it2 And If ne ChsrGe' tul
PTce for hi- goods, he not only lrjure
the Journeyman cigar maker, but put
INTO bis own pocket what should 90 int
1ne State treasury.
In several pisces, Capt Bridges speak
oi the mechanics OF o1tr section. Is /
no! surprisingly strange that q man oc
clPylng the position that he does shoult
nave such narrow views2 Does he no
Know thsL If the men of this section IN
Jlre the citizens Of another community
retaliation will be sure to ioilow2 Bu
pass TO the broom paragraph. He an
lol0ccs, with grand flourish, q resump
tion shortly OF work in the broom an
Nlsn making department in the pen
"elAsry, and says: "As there ar
DO broom or brush factories i
our state, of course this does not inter
ieFe with outside labor This is untrue
there Is 8 brush factory in this city
ana lis proprietor is prevented from eS
lending his business because of the con
petition OF convict labor. In the sam
paragraph he says: ut is true we manu-
tSC'lre some wagons and wheelbarrow
SII they are sold almost entirely in tn