Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-08-04
CONVICT LABOR!
RECORD OF OHIO DEMOCRACY
A Chapter for Workingmen.

Resolved, That the abuses OF the pres
ent contract system in our State Prison,
by which the products of criminal labor
are brought into competition with the
products of honest labor, to the great
injury of the latter, is vicious and un-
wise, and should be corrected.-Demo-
cratic Plotform, adopted July lS, 1881.
For some weeksit has been evident
that one of the leading issues in this
campaign on the part of the Democracy
would be the reformation of our brutal
and vicious convict contract system,
which has done so mucn to injure the
honest industries of the State.-Cinoin-
natl Enquirer. s.aa
OBSCURE a mans vote by false. pre-
lenses is as mean as it is to secure his
property by the same means. To do the
latter is an offense punishable by i'm
spfisohmens in the Penitentiary. The
former ought to be SO punished. Yet
this Is lust what the Democracy of Ohio
:is.trying to do. 1t pretends that it is
-nUtin favor of the system of contracts
fer prison labor as it exists at the 0hiu
Penitentiary to-day. The statutes OF
Ohio show that this pretence is false
The present lawupo this subject was
made by Democratic Legislature. The
authors of this law were elected in the
fall of 1877, took their Offices upon the
first Monday of January, 1878, and held
them until January, 1880. The man
who introduced the bill was that we'll
known Democrat, DIR. James A. Norton,
of Seneca county, and it was voted for
by eyery Democratic member of the
General Assembly and was voted
against by every Republican member.
The bill became law upon the 27th of
February, 1878, and the following is the
section relating to this subject: gssee =. z
SECTION Is. To provide for hard la
Dor by each convict according to his
sentence, and theS board is authorized
and required to let and hire the labor of
the coiiviets upon such branches Of bu-
siiless. and for the manufacture of such
articles as in its judgment will best &C.
complish that end and isubserve the in
.terests ofthe State, which letting and
hiring shall be as follows: III z-b-.I a
Il. The letting shall be advertised by
the Wardenin ;wof of the newspapers
pubiishedin Columbus, and in one each
in the cities of Cleveland and Cineinna-
ii, once q week for at least four weeks,
and by such further notice as the board
may direct. The advertisement shalt
specify the number of men to be let, the
length of time. Which shall not exceed
five years, and the last day on which bids
will be resolved. o'- ~ -"
2. The board, in its discretion, may
designate what articles or class of arti-
cles shall he manufactured.
3. Each bidder may separately state
in his bid what he will give for the la
Dor bid for with or without the exclu-
siye right to manufacture the articles
specified., slss ltiDg ~ saal lra I .riit
4. Each bid shall specify each class of
articles proposed to be manufactured,
and the number Of square feet Of shop
room which will be required. 10
IS. Erch bid shall be unconditional.
q. The price per day for each convict
shall be specified; and If different price
per day be stated for different periods,
odSH pcfAOu duu lCo prize must Uc 80 STD
tod that one may be accepted and the
others rejected; but no bid shall be re-
ceiyed, nor shall any contract be made
for q longer time than one year for less
than seventy cents per day for the labor
Of each convict, nor shall the labor of
conyictss excepting convicts during the
first year of their sentence, cripples, fa-
males, minors and those disabled by dis
ease or old age, or those entirely unskili-