The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-07-17

UNDER the caption of The Labor Commun-
lists" the Chicago Times Iabors through a
column article to make consummate ass of
itself. In its usual unfair way of discussing
any question of public importance it quotes
from Sentinel article on criminal labor, 4"
and attributes the sentiments we published
to Senator Voorhees,, and after devotng sew
eral "stickfuls'' of mud TO the Sentinel
article admits our theory of the subject fully
by saying:
That honest free labor can not successfully
compete against compulsory prison labor con-
trOlled by the mighty power of the state is a
proposition beyond any possible dispute. In
carrying ON the prison labor system, the state
is therefore an agency of wrong and injustice
against the honest free laborer. Though the
wrong may be magnified by the complainants,
the character of the wrong is stated truly. To
the extent that the state, by the enforced labor
of convicts, supplies a demand for labor, 1t
prevents honest free labor from supplying that
demand, and thus does unquestionably pre-
vent honest labor from earning honest bread.
The Sentinel did not attempt to suggest a
remedy for the wrong of placing criminal
labor in competition with honest labor. We
sought to call the attention of the public to
what is regarded as a growing evil. The
Times goes off into conniption fits about
supporting convicted criminals in ldlenes;
and similar bosh, and then says:
There are two ways in which society can
protect itselfagainst criminals. One is to keep
Them within its own body; the other is to ex-
pei them from its own body. If the former be
pursued, they must be imprisoned, and ii i'm
prisoned they must either be compelled 10 earn
the cost of their support, or they must be sup
ported by tax on the earnings of the people
they have wronged. II the latter be pursued,
they must either be exterminated or banished.
Civilization has rejected exterminat on as a
mode of punishment for any but the greatest
crimes. Banishment, then. is the only mode
of dealing with criminals which can be offered
acceptable alternative for the present
prison system of this country.
Reason as well the experience of older ma
lions cOmmendS this mode of dealing with
criminals as, all things considered, the best
The transportation of convicted rogues to 4
penal colony beyond the limits of the society
which has suffered from their crimes, and
giving them in such new locality the perfect
liberty of choice between living or dying, &C
cOrding as they shall choose to work for a liv.
| ing or not, is the most rational, the most hu
name and the most efficient of all methods vet
devised for the punishment of criminals thai
are in any respect fit to live.
Ii the labor philosophers would propose Il
abolish s,l sl every state prison in America. ano
treaty with the government of the Sandwich
| islands the right of transporting all felOns u
| the island of Hawaii, each convict there tC
have the use of tract of land sufficient to pro
duce the means of his subsistence in return
| for his labor, they would propose a practical
remedy for the evil of which they complain
which would receive favorable consideration
by the most enlightened men, and which
would undoubtedly, in time, be adopted.
We are guile willing that criminals shall
be transported to the Sandwich islands and
set to work for their own support, though
such a movement might depopulate Chicago