Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1879-01-16
payment of costs in criminal cases for the years
1875 and 1876 had been exhausted.

payment of costs in criminal eases for the years
1875 and 1876 had been exhausted.
THE PENTTESTIARY.
In reviewing the question of convic. labor,
the governor says:
4 contract was made for the labor of convicts
in some coal mines. This contract was made
by the inspectors with }. B. Price and ap-
proved of the same. In the communication of
the inspectors to the House of Representatives
they described the condition Of affairs ut the
penitcntiary as follows:
They beg leave to suggest that there are over
six hundred cOnyicts locked mp in their cells,
whose labor can not he utilized within the PEN
itentiary for want of contractors to employ
them. IL there were contractors to work them
inside of the prison walls, there is not shop
room nor facilities for 50 doing This large
number Of idle and nOn-prolucing cOnyicts IL
very great expense to the State independent
Of the immense costs Of their trials convictions
and transportations to the prison. They can,
they think, make the number let under the con-
tract more than self-supportng and their de-
sire is to make the penltcntiary srlf-sustain-
ing Their estimate is that the State will re-
ccvc over the sum of 100000 per annum for
the hire of the said convict labor under said
contract, which otherwise would he non-pru-
ductivc.'
But it is said that when the convicts are
worked outside of the prison walls their labor
comes in competition with the labor of the
huLust man. l. not this su whCn the prisoner
lIbors within the prison walls; When the
prisoner is worked within the walls he must be-
employed in some mechanical pursuit; and is
not the labor within the walls of the prison, by
the convict, then brought in competition with
the labor of the mechanics and the skilled
wUrkmcn of the country: And if we are to
prevent convict labor from coming in cOmpct-
tiOn with honest labor, then no labor whatever
can he performed by the convict, and he is to
he kept in idlencss, fed clothed and guarded at
the expense of the honest men Of the country.
If this is the policy To hc pursued by the State,
let the law making power SO indicate, and the
will of the General Assembly in this respect
will he observed. All the officers OF the State,
in any manner whatever connected with this
branch Of the public service have no interest
to subscrvc but the interest of the people
Of the State; nor are they welded to
the policy which has been pursued.
If the prisoners are to be kept within the
walls of the prison and only worked there.
many of them must remain IDLE, or the State
must forthwith enlarge the prison walls, erect
additional workshops, and furnish more motive
power for those shops. The financial condition
of the State will not permit this to be done,
for whatever number Of prisoners NAV he cm-
ploycd To labor for the State they will bring
nu revenue into the treasury. hut the treasury
must dciray the cost Of their board, clothing
and guard service. And again, the State must
borrow money for this purpose, or greatly re-
ducc the expenditures OF the government. But
the limit of temporary loan has already been
reached, and the State will be compelled to re-
new that loan, for a short period of time, and
provide additional revenue
The only features of the message not here
given are of no general interest, and it con-
cludcs as follows:
In the matters | have submitted for your
consideration, have not attempted to support
them by arguments, bnt to state the facts and
conclusions to which have been brought by
my deliberate judgment, and trust the result
of your deliberations will he to promote the
welfare and to increase the prosperity of the
people of this State