Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-05-05
a Bad System Robbing the
.s Honest Laborer.

Thero is a largo class of workingmon in
South Carolina. who are not planters and
who know littlo or nothing about farming,
trades by which they now endeavor to earn
honest living. This they havo dono euo-
ces sfully.up TO the time Of being confronted
by convict labor, which is fast spreading over
tho ontro State. These mon complain of
the system, and say that the bread is being
taken out Of the mouths Of their families,
for everywhere they turn to work they arc
confronted by these ball and chain follows,
who cost comparatively nothing. 1t is Ger,
tainly very poor encouragement to honest
tlaborers, when thoy 500 capitalists g0bbling
up every contract offered and complying with
its torms by working these convicts.
BarnCeU Sentinel
Wo cannot agree with the views of our co.
temporary as forcshadowod in the above ar.
article. We know trndo will, and bolieve it
should, be governed,by the value of tho arr
tiole produced with tho prico ut which it can
be sold If farmer wants n wagon, buggy,
plow or other article, tho product Of q mos
chanic he will buy it from those who sell the
best article at the lowest price. This is truo
also of the merchant, lawyer, doctor and
esory other profession. AS naturally as va
tor socks its Lowell, so will trade flow to tho
cheapest market, and to endcavor to stHo
competition and forco patronage Of homo
mechanics and artisans will not only fail in
every Instance, but will injuro tho State and
Its interesta Convict labor should bo util-
ized in the walls Of the ponitentiary and we
do not believe it either legal or economical
in any senso to farm them out; certainly not
in tho case Of persons eentonccd to three
years orupwards. They should be put at trades
ofall kinds and when released habits ofinduso
try with good trado will provo strong
protection against crime and n strong i'm
ducemont to honesty. Why should farmer
pny 35 cents for layinga gopher plow when
ho can buy now one for 80 cents, or $3.50 for n
buggy he can buy at $lO0 to Sis, or 40
cents for ironing single tree when ho Gun
buy q now ono for 80 to 35 cents We guess
at prices Of homo work, but they will be
found nearly correct. How many smiths
now mako their own horse shoes and nails?
BY buying them they will shoe horse for
60 or 70 cents, which formerly cost from 81
10 $I.50. The samo is truo Of homo mado
shoes for mon und women, ready made
clothing for every day wear and such like
things. Trade cannot and will not DO con-
tr0llod, and mechanics themselves avail
themselves of tho benefits Of Northern work.
We may house our conyicts aud feed them in
idleness, but this only fills our stores With
Northern goods to carry our money out of
tho country. If our convicts wcro leased to
ono or several persons inside tho peniton,iary
to carry on trades, nearly all tho farm i'm
plemonts and articles Of every day wear
could bo manufactured in the State and tho
profits of tho work kept at home. Such q
course would not decrease tho work or de.
mand for skilled homo mechanics, for such
articles are now mado ut tho North and
for sale in every storo. We have better and
tougher timber than grows in tho North, better
facilities for tanning good leather aud should
utilize these advantages. If it be legal to
farm out convicts, aud this question is now
before tho Supreme Court, then only those
for torms of two years and less should be
80 employed and on works of pablo i'm
provement. Let the State annually prepare
to work convicts inside the pcni,cntiary bv
building and cnlarging its workshops, unit,
nil profitable trades are followed there. Tho
effect of such course would not only keen
much money at home, but would make thu
peniten tiary moro than selfsupporling.