The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-02-18

SUuN
Edltors IntellIgeneer: :

A gentleman over the title Of
34l G6nhaetef,fiR anl article tftthished
yotit paper some .daysBincs, .sendfred 10
apologize for his advocacy Of what he des-
ignated the unpopular side of the convict
labor.q question! II the unp6phlaraside be
nevertheless the right side, no apology
ought to be necessary, HRon the other
hand, theunpopular sidealso bethe wrong
side, no apology will atone. for its cham.
pionship. Right there is sxhereI think
Mr.. Contractor committed a grave error.
Besides he could not be expected, to take
anyview ofI this Question that w5ald fnot
be deeply. tinged with selt;interest.
As workingman, unsSillel' in contro.
versy, | do not expect to throw great
amount Of light onthe subject, but there
.are,one or,two. .pointsin the question that
|, and my class feel keenly enough, though
I may give 1t but feeble expression. It
nsed to be thought that m6fipossessed Of
SkillS industry and upright principle could
not help but be successful in his partiCu-
lar line OF business. But in these days,
whenItheVpepitentiaries, supported at The
expense OF the State, are given over into
the hands, Of A lCoatrdctdr, or contractors,
and the labor OF the inmates sold for o
nominal sum, the skillful, industrious, up.
right citizen, whose business is affected
Thereby has no chance at all against such
d acompetitorl The best business ,attain-
ments cannot fortify q man against such
a system OF labor. The mechanic cannot t
live on such wages as are paid for convict
labors =, The capitalist cannot pay the
wages due to hon est labor; rand successfully
carry on any business in whichtheP Penftent-
iary becomes his competitor. Every branch
OF mechanical industry, upon which "A
ContrGG0s" lays his hand, slips away from
the hand OF honest labor. Capital is with
drawn from Il gradually but surely, and it
becomes prison monopoly. Bot the
honest man must work or slarve, II he
cannot get work at home he must seek 1t
elsewhere. II he cannot find employment
abroad he must either add himself 10
the listof tramps who have become q ieS-
teringsore upon society, y,orhemust commit
some crime sufficient to send him 10 the
State prison, where helis sure ofahis food
aud clothes for the service he may render
to "a Contractor r.. i, ,,.s m !.
He Contractor says that the mechanic
and producer OF raw material are benefit
ted to some extent by convict labor, be-
cause it requires q certain number Of skill
ed mechanics and assistants to superin-
tend the 1libot'of the conviCts and TO fur
nish the material upon which they'work.
Such an absurd argument ought to haye
brought a blush To the cheek OF even IA
Contractor" Just as; though u does no:
require as many superintendants and as
much htmatefihl % cafry on the same indus
tides %hete!the labnt Is that OF the Tree,
honest citizen. Ieannot tell how 1t Is 70
be done, but when the Legislature tol this
State. and the Legislatures Of all States
have devised some method Of punish
ment for criminals under which the
community. shall cease to be affected
| inidfi6lsly BY their presence directly, and
Nv which also Society shall .be protected
from the evil OF the reflex action OF their
confinement, they will have effected
Isomethingthat viii tend 10 diminish crime
and they win hays ontSrred upon hotlesl
Labor tie sgreS Stest boon that nan result
Iron wise legislation. They would freq
both honest capital Land honest LABOR IRON
one otithe greatest wrongs among civilized
anu christianized people, II exercise y
what is wanted to keep the conylcts II
good health and able for their daily fa
ltiona, until something hetler can be dc
yised. why not set them to breaking stomp
\ lofwtiich lions of tons eau be cheap!
leitnnlted n them. and thus LEI them assts