The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-02-19
Convict Labor from a Moundsyllle Poln
of View.

t'onxlct Labor from a MoundsVille Point
Of View.
sAtOtSDsvILtE, February ~, 1879.
Elltors 1nlsllfsnssr..
win you kindly make room ID your COL.
pmIs for a practical rather than sentimen:j
tai yiew fthe actual wofkingsot convict
labor, as nov employed n the prison az
misplace. ! wtltdlscuss liz effects upon
the citizens OF our town and county. l
will first notice its injurious effects. From
a canvas Of the place l learn there are
four shops in whichwagons are built, and
IN only ono Of them can d wagoh'be com.
pleted, Tie owheFot this shop says that
a few years ago he could build and sell
four wagons a year and that he only sold
two last year, and he considers his bust.
ness injured to tho extent OF the gale Of
two wagons per year, not making any al
lowance for the stringeucy OF money dur
Ing the year,
The next industry that convict labor
comes in contact with Is cigar making,
Four or five years ago We lad but one
Cigar shop here, which employed but two
men; now that mandatory furnishes
work for five or six. men, sAndtanothef
shop liaS been recently established hero,
So we see that convict labor has not injur.
cd the cigar trade, and these are the only In
dustries hero with which convict labor
comes IN contact, Now lot us look at the
other side few minutes; the cigars manu-
featured by ConVicts are made for a whole
sale dealer In your city, who sells them
east, west, north aud south, and pays out
considerable money for drayage, boxes
river aud rail transportation, and the mel
profits, whatever they may DO, arc invest,
Ell and used In your city. So we sec thai
convict labor has not interfered with the
cigar business, as it Is in more flourish
Ing condition now than 1t was before con
Wet ever rolled a cigar. We will nex
look at tho viii u department: Prior to TIT
advent OF Aiessrs. Weaver & BarLall lhert
was not Il whip manufactured in THU
county, and possibly not one In the State
What interest then Of q local OF Sta;t
character do they antagonize? Not one
On the contrary, they sell their goodsgen
orally in tho lar west and southwest, anG
purchase their supplies as near here a
possible to save freight, thus furnishing /
market for the tanners Of NIoundsville ant
Wheeling, that never did, and possibl,
never would have existed, Precisely til
same can be said OF the manufacture o
brooms and brushes, and even more, fol
the men engaged In the broom bushes
readily purchase all the broom corn tia
Is rliscd In the surrounding country,t thu
opening a new industry for the farmer o.
this section, thereby giving work to thu
common laborer that he otherwise wonlt
not have. A nOlghboring farmer sail Il
your correspondent few days ago; 81
don't want this anti.conyict labor bill L
pass, as ] raise considerable broom-corn
aud If that bill passes you take away lnI
market. .,,..i.a....I.l'. ID
Wewilt look now at The wagon lie part
ment, aud 500 that the Webster Wager
Company sell nearly all their wagonsiiir
tho West and South, while they furnish
labor for two men outside the prison fo
every convict employed inside. The Citi
zens Of this and adjoining counties TAXI
from the stump the lumber thcy- use, cut
haul and saw the logs, ship and haul thu
same TO the prison gates, and are paid fo
so doing in the money received from Thu
South and West for the wagons sold. Thu
iron used must also I've made outside III,
prison walls. In addition 10 this seventy
three persons directly uonnGpted witt
these manufactures have taken, up thei
residence with us, all OF them from othel
States, and they must be fed aud clothed
thus bcnellttingt the butcher, baker, miller
&c. They also give employment TO nine
teen men in the prison, engaged as mana
gotS, Ownors, no., who would oihprwisI
havo to so elsewhere for work. H.
Let US note a few Of the mlsrcpresonta
tions atioat. 1t has been stated In one O
the papers that un'eSs the anti.convic
labor bill is passed by the Legislature that
foundry and nail mill will he slortl,
started and run by Conyicts in the Penf
tcntlary;; The f4ets are TINT every con
vict IN the prison Is now engaged and the
contractors cannot now get as many men
as they want; and there is not a convict
that can be put to work either in a foam,
dry or nail mill unless a very large nun
bershould be suddenly sentenced 10 prison
who are now outside.
At another time 7 may speak Of tho mo
tiTes Of those who arc so husily engaged
agitatlng the movement, aud ! mako liz
assertion now that il you take out thu
Office seeker and those who heretofore
reapcd the benefit OF convict labor undel
former arrangements, the movement neyel
would have reached It's present moment
nm. speak for the great majority Of thI
thinking citizens Of our town when l so,
Jet the whole matter roSt us II is and II tht
labor Is contracted TOO cheap, remedy tina
mistake when tho present contracts OK
plrc. Da.a.s, q Jason.