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

There is such o manifest justice in 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, end the peo.
pie OF all classes are coming to see the
iniquity of policy which saddles the
expenses of our prisoners upon the in
duHsrial community and practically
places workingmen on an equality with
felons. Schuyler Colfax says upon this
subject: "There are in round numbers
about 10000 convicts in the various State
Prisons of the Union, of whom between
l3,OG0 and $4,000 are employed under
contract liz mechanical industries. At
80 co:t; per day, the earning Of these
contract convicts would be 81 GOO, 900
per year. AT $3.50 the price for labor
outside, these men would earn from &c.
100000 to $8,000,000 per year. Aa the
products of the mechanical industries in
the United States amount 20 about So
0O,O00,0 900 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 q
1.-THE of the whole grievance, because it
compels reduction in the.waees of the
workers receiving higher pricJs before
who labor at any of The kinds of work at
which convicts are employed There car
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 os the officers,
with the proyiso that heir work
should be offered ara 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
10000 convicts throughout the United
States in manufacturing"
We can only conjecture the nature Of
the legislation which viii be made upon
this important subject ut the coming ses-
sion of the General assembly. There is
q agrowipg sentiment in this State against
the laws which permit the Penitentiary
Directors to lease out convicte to corpo.
ration5 and private individuals. There
cent barbarities practiced upon convicts
at the stockade along the Greenwood and
Augusta naiiroad nave opened the eyes of
our people to the working of q law which If
1t does not sanction yet makes possible
for such inhumanities to be committed
by brutal guards or overseers. One Of
the first subjects which will demand
the attention Of our laW-plakers will be
.his subject of convict labor. A search.
ing and vigorous investigation of the re.
cent ontrages will be demanded. When
a true e1pose is made. wo have no doubt
that some decisive action viii be taken.
La the meantime it will be meet for The
people TO write, talk aud think about the
question that enters so largely into our
civil, social and commercial standing and
l::!aSe We invite full discussion OF tTese
questions in our coluuris. Let all com.
mnnications be brief, pointed, decorotis,
and they will DO published; but IL they
are the reyerse they viii not SEQ. the
light.
aa..--'- '----- -----,------ .s.t'
- a negro shot and killed another