Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1878-12-14
CONVICT LABOR.

from the st Louis Republican
The editor of the Lexington lnte.I-
gencer. Mr. Lesueur, one OF the repre-
senta,ives elect from Lafayette county.
has been investigating the subject oi the
cost OF criminal trials and punishment
in this state. He finds that there are
now l ,295 prisoners -l.2t6 mates and
49 iemales-in the penltentliry. lhc
appropriation made by the Legislature at
its late session tor crimuai cost, Tor
two wears was nearly S4UV.UOD-so that
it takes about 5000 year |" put
prisoners in the pcnitcntlary About
,l24 ui the convicts are nom;nat!y en-
ployed, including the 200 at the Mont
sevrat coal mines III Johnson county, but
| notwithstanding this tact the state prs II
is not seli-supprrting; the convict, do
| not earn their own living, and the hon
est people of the state, i'll addition 10
pay iug 500 UcO year tor putting them
| there. have 10 pay some S0V.UoV year
| to ieed. cluthc and guard them when
one would suppose the least that can Dc
| expected oi u crImlna. Is that he >hat
earn his own living. The lntelligcnccr
estimates that the total cost OF criminals
TO the state is about 500. 900 Il year
and the cost is steadily increasing wit!
the increase Ui crime in the state
MIR. Lesueur seems TO be opposed to the
practice oi bringing convict labor II
competition with honest labor, not only
by employing convicts in coal mines
but by employing them in manufacture
in the state prison; and while he Is no
in favor OF putting stop TO mauuiac
turing work in the prison at present II
does iavor the prohibition ol convlc
labor IN coal mines and other pursuit
where it displaceS honest labor. Ihe
the question comes up how to deal VII
the glut OF convlcts i'll the penItentlarA
| and as a solution, he submits the follow
| ing proposition:
The remedy which we propose #
D most OF the evils is simple one. 1t II
wolves, however, q radical change III oil
) criminal laws Let none but those col
i victed OF the higher grades of crime |
+ sent to the penltentlary-say those gu
5 tv of murders. rapes and aggravat,
!, eases of burglary, robbery or iorgcrl
e and let the ordinary thieves and tho
IT guilty of minor felonieS, as well as M
II demeanors, be kept IN the COUNT
Is which have the trouble and expense
Is their conviction. and let their labor
= utilized upon the public roads OF L
" counties.
In order to decrease the costs OF co
'e yiction, tor such crimes AS are punish
Is BILE by sentence TO hard labor IN I
ot counties, let resident judges OF some
III the courts OF record he given Grimm
et jurisdiction, and let cases sbc tried
" information ins cad OF indictment. a
N let coutinuances be done away with.
III far as practicable. by system OF
is iournments OF cases where justice
ne mauds delay. In this way speedy tri:
N would be secured. and the comm
n spectacle oi 4 jail lull of men idly ava
rs ins .rial for months would be thing
~. the past
ne | hat part OF the proposed RENE
III which reserves the penltentiary
he great criminals and leaves the mir
es ielons and offenders to be disposed
us by the county authorities may he wort
)" of serious consideration. The M
\ point is its practicabitity VIII 1t
'n cost more to guard small squads OF &C
u vict road workers on the highway a
,Is recapture those who escape. than 1t dc
he to guard and iced them within the va
n OF the pcnitentary There is plenty
ce road work in the counties to be donc
OF all times, and If criminals could
, " made to do it, or q portion o. it, with
o. much expense, we might secure &c
u roads at least. and at the same time
ry lieve the state treasury of the necess
ne for providing Tor bienuia! penitenti;
AZ 4. deficiency.
IL One thing is certain: We must dev
$; some scheme OF penal treatment
M M which the growing burden OF taking c
,re of criminals shall be removed, or
ine least. hghtened. 1t is absurd that
ir. 800 criminals in the penitentiary, 1
MS halt as many more confined in the co
sh ty jails. should be supported in idleu
ne nv the la bor of honest peOple