The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-10-14
ABOUT PENITENTIaRY LABOR sYs
TENS

ABOUT PENITENTIaRY LABOR sYS-
TENS.
The weight of evidence appears
To be in favor of the contract system
for prison labor. Ii has been dem
onstrated by nearly all state governs
ments, and clearly so in Texas, that
the plan of allowing state govern
ments to directly control the labor
and the support of convicts has been
detrimental TO best public interests.
and that the wisesL ends .have been
reached for communities and prison
ers by plans such as are now in u
measure resOrted to in Texas. Con-
clusiOns have generally been reached
that every prisoner who is able TO do
so should be required TO labor, and
that this labor. for moral as well as
for economic reasons. should be pro-
ductive all systems Of non-prOduc-
tive labor. merely for punishment,
having been abandoned by civilized
governments, because it is degrad-
ing and mischievous in its effects
upon prisoners and unjust 10 the
state. That such labor. lies at the
foundation of every successful sys-
TEN of reformation, and that society
has the right to demand it as at least
partial restitution for the depreda-
tiOns of criminals, for the cost of
their arrest, trial and maintenance
in prison, is SO clearly settled by all
the reasoning of practical economy
that soon none will be found to op-
pose it. That there has been an an
tipathy to the contract system in
Texas is matter ofrecord, but it arises
in the fact that those opposing it
have not been guided at all by rea-
son, but wholly by either prejudice
or Ignorance. No system of prison
labor. yet devised has given en-
tire satisfaction, and it is SIM
ply useless to attempt to satisfy
those who reason least about
it. For instance. in Texas, under
this contract system, convicts entire
ly unfit for any of the mechanical
trades have been worked on rail-
roads and upon large plantations,
and especially in the latter case has
there been objection made to such
employment. When the first con-
victs for Brazos plantations were
taken into Brazoria county an arm
ed mob assembled on the bank of the
BraZos river at Columbia, swearing
by all that was good and bad, and
holy and diabolical that these con-
victs should not cross the river
alive; that it was an insult to free
labor. and damaging to society. AT
that very time tens of thousands of
acres of the richest improved sugar
and cotton lands in the world were
lying idle, growing up in weeds and
forest trees, because there was IN
sufficient lauor, and the experiment
having been tried this foolish oppo-
sition to the employment of convicts
on plantations is no longer known.
This employment permits the con-
tractors to engage in labor class
of convicts, which otherwise wonld
entail loss upon them, and it gives
the convict health and congenial
employment. So long as the people
ofthis state demand that the peniten-
tiary must be self-sustaining and that
II must even return a handsome rev.
enue TO the state. they must not be
80 particular about how cOnvicts are
employed, and the contractors
should have scope for their employ
ment. When the state insists that q
thousand or fifteen hundred convicts
not suited to mechanical pursuits.
shall lie within prison walls doing
nothing, then the people must again
assume entire control over these
convicts and tax themselves, besides
the expense for arrests, imprison-
mPnt, trials and maintenance of the
accused three or four hundred
thousand dollars per annum for
their support. Not long ago the
state of New York had the con-
tract system thoroughly investiga-
ted and the conclusions were reach
ed, that il produces the best finan-
cial results; that il does not inter
fere with outside mechanical indus
tries any more than any other sys-
TEN of productive labor that has yet
been devised; that il gives to the
prisoners some knowledge of a
handicraft and enforces habits of in
dustry. without which they are
almost sure to return toa criminal
career, and with which they are en-
abled TO, and in many instances do,
lead honest and useful lives upon
their discharge; that it is not injuri-
GUS to health, as Is shown by the
small number of hospital patients in
our state prisons, and by mortality
lists that compare favorably with
those of communities in general out
side of the prisons; that con-
victs generally leave prison in
better mental and physical
health than when received.
Comparing the expense of MAIN
tanning state convicts. when there
were only two or three hundred,
with the present condition of affairs,
we find that with the small num-
Der the state was each year
losing upon their maintenance more
money than it now receives as a
partial remuneration for losses in
Cured in convicting. Instead of re-
ceiving about 5000 per month for
the labor of its convicts. il was then