Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-02-26
SPENT MOST or IT'S TIME ON con-
WCT lAS0R AND RAILROADS
Yesterday, and Also Passed Few Bills
The COnyie. lsblr Systsm-lts Bad
Points and 0efciencies-lhe
Sble Discussions
and Notes.
WILSON'S RAILROAD BILL PASSES
The HOUSE.
uoUsE OF DELEGAFEs.
Morning Session.

"A ~ A
No lsj was taken up, and for two hours
o,Ia b.lfa very wordy session was had.
, General debate was iRdulged in by a
l,r,e number Of the members over this
Convict Labor Measure,
ipcluling one or two little personal
spa,s during the same.
when the House adjourned on Thurs
J,v evening. Mr. Uepue had moved to
s.rise ont the fourth section OF the bill,
which read rs follows: ~. No convict
shall De hired 10y contract, except as
bsr-in provided," " and insert the follow
inc. II. The Board OF Directors may,
in their discretion, hire or let sny con-
Met labor as provided in chapter S5 Of
the Acts OF lS17; provided, said convict
labor be not hired at q less price than
H!,v cents per day
ine fun MAS started by Mr.. Leonard
who moved - strike out 30 and insert
80
Nlr. Dcpue opposed this slightly and
was followed by Mr.. Grantham who
attacked some of the statements made
nv Nr. Holt the evening before, Mr..
,IrautEam was on the whole, IN favor OF
the present law aud system.
Mr.. Holt in replying said that he was
IN the first place In favor OF Mr.. Depue's
amendment. Second, he thought the
state had no right 10 run n policy by
which the
Citizens Were Injured.
Ast, his statement that innocent men
X,r, ,nrlr,rrated. he believed that, that
Was -. that mistakes hal been made,
and he thought cOnViCts had some
r,hts. There was however, one thing
mat he was very decided ON, and that
was the peniten:isry should be sell
sustaining.
Nr Lurtv referred to the large taxa.
ti1u that Was now being used TO find out
the ruilt of those in the penitentiary
ana he thought that labor should be
utilized, not, however, 10 the 'detriment
oi the people.
Mr.. Seabright realized what a blg
thing this was and implOred the mem-
hers 10 meet this question fairly and
rIuarrly and not endeavor to kill 1t by
ucking on obnoxious amendments; eth
rr kill or pass il Squarely, tacing the mu-
sic. The gentleman referred TO the ac'
ton 81 the last Legislature and how the
mechanics were treated. The gentle
mans first remarks were quite sensible,
bu, al the close he disclosed very pc
culiar little scheme. 1t was this-he
was in favor o; shipping all conylcts TO
Some For, ign Isle,
situated in the midst OF a large expanse
of water. then drive through this coun-
try soliciting provisions, clothing and
various other contributions Tor the sup
u,rt of the Couvlcts placed on the penal
colony. This Australian like project at
most took the breath of the House away
and IL is sale tD say was not adopted.
Mr.. Oua-rier followed with some sar-
castle remarks on the Wheeling stogie,
which /, WAS ey.!sn, he said, this bill
was intended 10 prO;ect. He character
lied the StOgie as detrimental 10
Human Lifs aad Health
Mr.. George f. Evans, the new mem
Der from Berkeley, who had not before
taken any prominent part, now took the
NlOr amt proved an able champion ot
the bill. The gentleman is quite
pleasing talker and commanded atten-
ton. lie was opposed to Mr.. Depue's
amendment; he was cigar manuiac-
turer and spoke from experience, know
ing the evils ot the labor system. IL was
the duty OF the Legislature to foster and
build up the State. Manufactures had
made New England what il was and,
this State should be made the
New Eugland Of the South
As 10 the stogie, il was sold in his
town and % legislators too, who did not
seem b mimi flavor or fragrance, human
life or health as long a. smoke was pro-
duced. Some might say this was class
legislation, ha said it was not, all Of our
interests were mutual ID all this COM
petition was TO be allowed ii was bound
10 drvelope temptation TO cheat the
T.. :. Government. Mr.. Evans con-
tinued 20 the full extent OF his five
minutes and made some first class
points.
Mr. Sinclair made some remarks, in
timating that the people OF Marshall
county, his constituents, were satisfied
with matters "a they were.
Mr. MOtFrtt now took the tloOr, and
said that he only had few words ID
say on this subject. His own views rs
To the general principles underlying this
question were expressed by the gentle
man from Lincoln Mr.. Holt ON yester.
day. The gentleman from kanawha
Mr.. Quarrierl had called the attention
Of the House to the report OF the Peni-
tentIary Directors, which set forth that
il the present contract system was abol-
ished an additional appropriation OF
$4,000 would be necessary. lie desired
% remind the kanavha members that
the Directors
Failed 70 Present Any figures
10 support this assertion. 1t was to be
regretted thai they had failed in this
particular, as il would have facilitated
the House in coming 10 proper coEelu-
sion IN determining this quest on.
The contract system, "a how prac-
ticed, was defective in this, that the
State led and clothed the eonyictS at an
expense Of 81 cents per day, ani only
received % cents for their labor. There
was something wr.ng in any system
which Disseminated so unjustly against
the State. 1t would be mighty poor
management on the part OF the State
that couldn't realize at least 30 cents per
dsy by the account system or otherwise.
lie did not regard the bill as IN the
interest OF any special class. What
Affected one class OF labor affected all
classes. There is a kinship in labor. II
Ike the stream which bursts from one
o. our mountain sides, hOwing on ming
hng with the
Waters of Its Kindred
uhtl! at last il expands into the mighty
ocean upon whose bosom the destInies
o' The world are ireighted. The labOring
aau industrial classes constitute the
Ocean upon whose bosom oil our inter
ess are treighted, and when We leyis-
,SSe 10 their interests We legislate for the
general welfare.
1lr, Lowry stated his views briefly as
2, ENG opposed to all legisla.ion that
Cut OF Honest Labor,
Nls Ar. Evans advanced some addi.