The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1881-09-01

may, IN It's discretion, give prefer
ence to the one which, in its Judgment,
will best promote the interests of the
State.
(b) AS between bids by the same
party, one with and the other without
the exclusive right to manufacture,
the board may accept either.
(c) The board may reject all bids, if
they are for less than fair and rea-
sonable price for the labor bid for,
and shall not be required, in any case,
to apportion the labor advertised
among the bidders, or any number of
them.
(d) Any bid may be rejected, if it
be against the interest of the State,
or the welfare of the convicts, to man
ufacture in the prison the articles spe-
CITED. (See 0. L. Vol. 70, page ny"
These men cannot say that they did
this thing without consideration, for
after this law had been IN force fully
one year they re-enacted it in the code
in 1879.
1t will thus be seen that these men,
who are now seeking after votes upon
the theory that they are opposed to
contracts for prison labor as now made
at the Penitentiary, three years ago
made the law which authorized and
compels this system.
The record of the Democracy upon
this subject does not end here. In
1878 we had not recovered from the
panic of 1873. Labor was unemploy-
ed, and honest laboring men were
seeking employment wherever it was
honorable to do so. Notwithstanding
this the Democratic members of the
General Assembly sought to and did
put convict labor in competition with
honest labor in ways never thought of
before or since.
Mr.. William T. Forrest, Demo-
cratic member from Hamilton county,
introduced the following resolution:
Whereas, The State of Ohio is the
owner of certain lots of ground in the
city of Columbus, on Ohio and Cham
pion avenues, Town street, and street
recently opened by the State, on the
east side of the asylum for the blind,
and extending from Town to Friend
street; and, whereas, the improvement
of those streets is retarded by the fact
that the State will not contribute to
the improvement thereof; and,
whereas, the improvement Of the
streets and avenues will enhance the
value of the contiguous property, and
conduce to the public convenience;
and, whereas, there are a number of
convicts in the Ohio Penitentiary who
are unemployed, and who will likely
remain idle for some time to come;
therefore,
BE it gesol0ed By the General As
sembly of the State Of Ohio, That the
Directors of the Ohio Penitentiary be
and they are hereby instructed to di-
rect the Warden of the Penitentiary
to employ so many of said convicts as
may be necessary. and can be safely
and proftably used, for the purpose of
improving said avenues and streets, by
grading, macadamizing, curbing, and
placing cutters therein, in all cases
where the State owns the land abut-
ting on both sides of such street; and
in all cases where the State owns the
land abutting on one side only of such
street, that such improvement shall
be made to the center only Of such
street, and upon the side thereof on
which the land of the State so abuts,
or as much of such improvement as
they deem for the best interests of
the State. (See O. L. Vol. Is, page
119S.V
This resolution was adopted upon
the 7th of May, 1878, by a General
Assembly in which the Democrats
had about forty majority upon joint
ballot. By it these Democrats, who
now pretend that they are to reform
the convict labor system, provided
tt at the unemployed but honest la
borers of Columbus should look upon
the improvement of our streets by
convicts, while their wives and chill
dren were in an almost starving con-
dition.
But these men did not stop here
Another resolution was introduced by
Mr.. johnson Sherrick, a Democratic
Senator from Stark county, and also
adopted upon the 7th of May, 1878
Here it is, in full:
"Resolced By the General assembly
of the State of Ohio, That the Warden
of the Penitentiary shall furnish to
the Superintendent of the Columbus
Asylum for the Insane such prisoners
mot otherwise employed) as, in his
judgement, may with safety be en-
trusted to do labor outside the walls
of the prison; also suitable number
of guards who shall have charge of
such prisoners. Said prisoners shall
be employed in grading and fencing
the grounds of said asylum, under the
direction of the Superintendent. The
Penitentiary shall be paid at the rate
of fifty cents per day for each prisoner
so employed, out of the grading and
fencing fund for said asylum. (Set
O. L. Vol. 75, page 1892"
An ample fund had been provided
for grading and fencing the grounds
Of the Columbus Asylum for the In,
sane. By this resolution the Demo
cratic Legislature provided that thi,
money should be paid the Directors Of
the Ohio Penitentiary for convict la
Dor at the rate of fifty cents per day
instead of paying it to honest laborers
as had always been done before This
too, at time when honest laborer
could not find employment, and whel
{ their families were suffering.
Even with this infamy the recor,
of these pretenders does no, end A
; the same session they appropriate,
$4,000 for the construction of nev
building for the Asylum for Imbecil
} Youth The statutes Of Ohio provid
: how all buildings for the State shal
I be constructed. Yet Mr.. Ross Z.