The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-01-27
Convict Labor.

The card Of "Justice" in your edition OF
January 18th, in which your correspond.
emit attempts to prove that convict labor Ia
a blessing in disguise by asserting that the
downfall OF the wagon factories in Wheel.
ing was occasionsd by the proprietors
having acquired a surplus of wealth, is
about the thinnest piece OF lobscouse that
could be dished up for the readers Of your
valuable paper,
Itis the first instance on record OF men
retiring from business In Wheeling be-
cause they could not stand the pressure
OF increasing wealth or find persons 10
take their business after they quit manu-
featuring. The facts in the case are that
penitentiary wagons made by convlCts at
thirty cents per day were sold at less
prices than wagons made by honest men
at two hundred cents per day. Conse.
quently the Wheeling Wagon Company
and other wagon firms were compelled to
quit. The Wheeling Wagon Company, as
Is well known, was composed OF frst-Class
mechanics who lost the hard earned say.
ings Of q life time after convict labor was
employed in making wagons.
Nearly all the small country olaCksmiths
and wagon makers have been compelled
10 close their shops, and where are they
now? "JustiCe" says that some thirty.6ve
OF them are employed by the Webster
Wagon Company. For how long, may we
askP UntiisuCh time as thirty.fve scoun.
drels can be got to take their places at
thirty cents q day. Then thtrty.ave me-
chanics will be "bounced" out to hunt for
work they would readily find were II not
for the beautiful system Of convict labor,
that ,impoyerishes mechanics and their
lamilIes-for what? To enrich the con.
tractors; and there Is no other earthly
reason, for 1t does not pay State to sell
convict labor at thirty cents per day in
opposition TO Its own bread.winners who
bring two dollars per day into the State.
Justice" gives another reason why the
system OF convict labor should not perish
from the earth: THAT the Webster Wagon
Company buys large quantities Of lumber
that used to be hauled into log heaps. and
burned" West Virginia'iarmers had quit
burning their logs long before the Webster
Wagon Company was ever heard OF, and
they will find ready sale for their lum.
Der when the Convicts are put to building
and repairing roads for farmers to haul
their lumber over, to be purchased and
worked by honest men instead oil convicts,
The best roads are in Prussia, made
and kept In repair by convicts. "Justice"
says the present Wheeling wagon manu-.
iaCturera do not seem to squeal over the
situation, and they are not seriously inter.
fered with by convict labor. We happen
to know that the Nashville Penitentiary
and other similar institutions interfere
very seriously with the Wheeling Wagon
Works, and with all wagon works in the
country, and we know furthermore that
the Wheeling wagon men know they are
paying 500, 500 more for 90 men for three
hundred and twelve working days than
the State Of West Virginia gets for the
same number Of Conyicts. And while
they are not squealing or seeking newspa.
per notority, they are quietly waiting the
solution Of this convict labor question,
and considering the propriety Of moving
their machinery into certain Southern
prison, getting rid Of city taxes, and tax.
Ing that $40, 900 per annum In out Of the
weather.
Regarding the wild zebra convicts who
require two 10 three years TO educate to
the use OF tools, according 10 "JustiCe," II
only requires q visit 10 the penitentiary 10
satisfy manufacturer that the ConviCts do
as much, II not more, work than the gen.
erality OF men In outside establishments.
ConviCtB are obliged to keep working for
fear Of punishment, and are always on
time. "JustlCe" will hardly claim that
conviCts do not turn out as good work as
other workmen. II It Is found imprac.
tlCable TO do away with convict labor in
the penitentiary, there is plan which, II
adopted by the Legislature, will obviate
the expense Of transportation OF conyiCts,
board OF guards and other objection
which "Justice" finds against the plan OF
letting out convict labor on the roads, and
that is, for the State 10 not allow more
than twenty or twenty-five convicts to be
employed on any one branch OF manufac.
ture.
The Webster Wagon Company or some
other wagon company could employ seven.
ty.fve free laborers at living wages In place
Of thirty.dve, and the number OF wagons
turned out by convlcts, would not then SO
seriously interfere with free labor as It
now does. The whip factory could then
employ ninety free laborers instead OF the
number now employed, and 30 with the
broom and cigar works, and other indus.
tries.
The argument might be used that the
manufacturer would be content with only
twenty-five Convicts. Manufacturers are
not In the habit OF paying 500 per day
when they can employ the same number
Of hands at 81 80 per day.
from, for the more this offense against the
obnoxious II becomes, and the sooner IL
will be put an end 10. Hoe BACK, i.
A RELIABLE savings bank. One box Of
DR.. TUFTS Pills will save you many dollars
In HaniaRat ttlla Tka&. a..aaIss a,..a