The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-11-13
Convict Labor.

There Is such i manifest justice III The
demand of the manufacturers and work
ingmen for the abolition of convict labor
that the platforms of political parties are
compelled to recognize it, and the pco-
pie of all classes are coming to see the
iniquity of policy which saddles the
expenses of our prisoners upon the in
dustrial community and practically
places workingmen on an equality with
felons. Schuyler ColfaX says upon this
subject: "Thcre are in round numbers
about 50 600 convicts in the various Stale
Prisons of tie Union, Of whom between
$4,000 and 1000 are employed under
contract in mechanical industries. At
10 cents per day, the earning Of these
contract convicls would he $1,G00,000
per year. At $l.j0 the price for labor
outside, these men would earn from So
100000 to $S,0O0,000 per year. AS the
products of the mechanical industries in
the United States amount to about So
000,000,0 600 per year, the bureau that
collected these figures estimates that the
injury done to honest labor by convict
labor in the United States must be small
but few million dollars, or less than
one per cent. But this represents only Il
tithe of the whole grievance, because it
compels reduction in the. WAGES of the
workers receiving higher prices before
who labor at amy of the kinds of work at
which conyicts are employed. There can
be objections presented to any and every
proposition. But the least evil would
result if the contract system in prisons
was abolished. and the convicts worked
under the authority Of the officers,
with the proviso that their work
should be offered aud sold in the
market at the current rates for sim
liar rates produced outside. The
market price then would only be affected
by the additional products Of less than
$4,000 convicts throughout The United
States in manufacturing.
We can only mcclure the nature Of
the Legislation which will be made upon
this important subject at the coming ses-
sion Of the General Assembly. There is
growing sentiment in this Stale against
the laws which permit the Penitentary
Directors 10 lease out convicls TO cOrpo-
ratlons and private individuals. Ihc fc-
cent barbarilics praclced upon conyicis
at the stockade along the Greenwood and
Augusta Railroad have opened tie eyes Of
ourpeople to the working Of 4 law which if
il does not sanction yet makes possible
for such inhumaniiies to be committed
by brutal guards or ovcrseeTs. One Of
the first subjects which will demand
the attention Of our lawmakers will be
this subject Of convict labor. A search
ing and vigorous investigation of the re-
cent oulrages will be demanded. When
true crr0sc is made, We have no doubt
that some decisive action will be taken.
In the meantime it will be meet for The
people 10 write, talk and think about The
question that enters so largcl y into our
civil, social and commercial standing and
life. We invite full discussion Of these
questions in our columns. Let all COM
municaiions be brief, pointed, dccorous,
and they will he published; but if they
are the reverse they will not see The
light.
A negro shot and killed another
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