Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-02-25

(of Hardy, Floyd, Fulkerson, Gran
than, Hubbard, Irons, johnson, Leo
nard, Lowry, Lusk. Lynch, Mcneil
Monroe, Morrow, Quarter, Seaorighl'
Settle, Sharp, ,Sydenstricker, thompson,
Wells (of MaIion).-29.
The noes were: Messrs Bab6. Beck
with, Bee, Cox, Davis, Depue, Dodrlii'
Evans, Ferguson, Fisher lot Braxton j.
Hackworth, Hobbs, Holt, kepner, Lur-
ty, MrCord, McCrum, Mofett, Orr,
Prince, Riley, Ro~ley, Sheppard, siIer'
Sieere, Tippett, Watson, Wells 10! Iy-
lell and Wilson (of Barbour)-2S.
Absent on leave, and not voting:
Hall (of BARBOUR, Hall Tot Wetzelh
Maxwell. Poe, Sinclair and Wayt-6
Ion motion the Joint Resolution was
then laid on the table by decided r'ra
tOce vote.
On motion of Mr.. Sesbright at 1910
a recess was taken until : P. N.
Afternoon Session.
Considerable progress was made yes
terday afternoon on the House calendar.
A large number OF bills were read q
second time and ordered to third read
ing. The only one on which there was
sny discussion Of any account was No.
l37, a bill for preliminary surveys Tor
certain railroads in this State. Some
minor amendments were made alter an
hour talk, and the bill was ordered to
its third reading. The Convict Labor
Bill also was productive OF speeches.
A communication from Mrs. A. Nj.
Sheib, asking the privilege OF rendering
A Complimentary soires
to the members in the Hall, next Tues
day evening, brought out the following
resolution from Mr.. Morrow:
WHEREAS, n communication has this
day been received from Mrs. Annie NJ.
Sheib, OF the City OF Wheeling, tender
ing To the members Of the Legislature
aud their friends complimentary musi-
cal entertainment, To he given IN the
Hall Of the House OF Delegates on the
lst prox. ; therefore be it
Rssolced. That the House receive this
handsome compliment with grateful
sensibility and with abundant thanks;
and that Mrs Sheib and the friends
who propose assisting her, are made
welcome to the Hall Of the House for
next Tuesday night, mentioned In her
police communication.
McNelPs Military Measure.
The Military Bill of Mr.. Mcneil came
up and was read a second time, several
unimportant amendments being made
by the patron, who 1T the close moved TO
lay on the table in order to allow Mr..
Morrow 10 present some resolutions
that he wished TO, but had not as yet
prepared them.
Mr.. Hall (of BARBOUR, presented a
bill. accompanied by petition, changing
the line OF the independent school dis
trict OF Philippi.
The Convict Labor System.
The bill Of which Mr.. Kepner is the
patron came up for amendment, and
when section four WAS reached which
a olishes the convict labor system Mr..
Depue offered the following as a subs,i-
tute:
1.-The board of directors may in their
discretion hire or let any convict labor
system as provided in chapter 80 OF the
acts OF 1876, il said convict labor be not
hired or let out at less price than fifty
cents per day"
This resolution brought Mr.. Kepner
to hIs feet and he spoke for FIVE inmates
in way that claimed the attention OF
all. At 1.-THE end of that time he was
greeted with cries OF ''go on, and Mr..
Hubbard asked permission Of the House
for his colleague TO proceed, which was
given. Mr.. kepner commenced by say.
ing that in the limited time allowed by
the iive-minute rule he could not hope
to give the subject the consideration its
importance demanded. The amend.
ment proposed would, if adopted,
Destroy the Object
OF the bill. yet it would be all improve
ment on the present system, as it would
afford such price for the labor as would
make the penitentiary seli.sustaining.
But the object OF the bill was to root out
the contract system with all its odious
features. This is what the people de-
mand, and they would be satisfied with
nothing less. The contract system is
wrong because il takes the taxes OF the
citizens and applies them 10 the support
oil the penitentIary and directs the labor
OF the convicts TO the serious injury II
the citizens labor; because it gives the
contractors the labor OF the convicts
A. Less than the Actual Cost of that La
Dor.
The convict costs the State 3l.S cts
per day, but the contractor gets him at
~ cts. per day, nearly five cents less
than it costs to keep MIN. What does
this difference represent? Simply II
subsidy which the State is annually
paying into the pockets OF few pet
contractors and taken from the treasury
of the people. This year this subsidy
amounts to $4,000 The contract sys-
TEN is wrong because under it the State
cannot perform the duty it owes to the
prisoner, that OF making at least an ef-
fort toward his reformation. The whole
theory OF the contract system is against
reform. The contractor paws his price
for the convict's labor and, OF course, he
employs il with hut one object in view,
that of making as large profits as posi-
be. 1hespeaker then proceeded 10 show
the advantages OF the
State Account System
as proposed in this bill, demonstrating
by figures that it would save the State
annually the sum OF $4,000. He con.
Guided 10y saying that the Legislature
might as we'll meet this question
now. 1t is growing in importance. The
evils of criminal labor are becoming
burdensome every year. The complaints
of the toiling taxpayers are becoming
louder and louder: at first they were
like the faint cry OF an iniant-now
they are as the sound OF
Thunder in Coming Storm.
Mr.. Depue said that he realized all
that had been said but was afraid il
would not be pra ticable. His resoiu-
ton he thought would do at present as
far as the expenses OF the penitentiary
were concerned, for taking Mr.. kepner
figures as a basis his amendment il
adopted would save the State at least
5000 per annum.
Mr.. Quarrier called Mr. Kepner's al
tention to the report OF the directors IN
which they state, that provided the sys'
ten was abandoned, the State would be
obliged to pay.
over and Above
what she did at the present time SlS,-