Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-08-04
ed. . -tssmporarIly hlred At ls.. than that

rate.
I. II the person bidding desires to
manufacture different classes Of articles
the labor to be employed on each class
must be bid for separately. laE4
S. Each bid must be accompanied by a
bond, with sureties to the satisfaction OF
the board, that the bidder will comply
with the terms of his bid, if it be ae-
lcepted, which shall be sealed up, and ad.
dressed to the Warden. II
8. The bids shall be, opened by the
board at its next meeting, whether
monthly or quarterly, after the last day
specified for receiving the bids, and the
Ilabor shall be awarded to the highest
bidder, subject to the following regula
ltiuns:
(a) As between bids which are fol
substantially the same price, the board
may, in its discaetion, give preference
to the one which, in its judgment, will
best promote the interests of the State.
(6) AS between bids by the same par
lty, one with and the other without the
Exclusive right to manufacture, the
board may accept either.
(c) The board may reject all bids, il
they are for less than fair and reason
able price for the labor bid for, and shall
not be required, in any case, to appOr.
tiOn the labor advertised among the bid.
lders, or any number of them. q so
(d) Any bid may be rejected, it if be
against the interest of the State or the
welfare of the convicts, to manufacture
in the prison the articles specified. p
These men can not say that they did
this thing without consideration, foraf-
ter this law, had been in force fully one
year they re-enacted it in the code in
in 1879. g..r- strzi
1t will thus be seen that these men
who are now seeking after votes upon
the theory that they are opposed to con-
tracts for prison labor, rs now made at
the Penitentiary, three years ago made
the law which authorizes and compels
this system. .'(..e-- +5a
The record of the Democracy upon
this subject does not end here. In 1878
we had not recovered from the panic of
1878. Labor WAS unemployed, and hon
est laboring men were seeking employ
ment wherever it was honorable to do
50. notwithstanding this the Democrat
ic 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. '.as "a
Mr.. VIM. T. Forrest, a Democratic
Senator from Hamilton county, introdu-
ced the following resolution:
WHEREAS, The State of Ohio is the
owner of certain lots of ground in the
city of Columbus, on Ohio and Champi-
on avenues, Town street, and street
recently opened by the State on the east
side of the asylum for the blind, and ex-
tending from Town to Friend street;
and whereas, the Improvement of those
streets is retarded by the fact that the
proyement thereof; and, whereas, the
improvement of the streets and avenues
will enhance the value of the contlgu-
Gus property and conduce to the public
convenience; and, whereas, there are a
number of convicts in the Ohio Peniten-
tiary who are unemployed. and who will
likely remain idle for some time to come;
therefore, III
Be it resolved 6y the Genernl assembly
of the State of Ohio, That the Directors
of the Ohio Penitentiary be and they are
hereby instructed to direct the Warden
of the Penitentiary to employ SO many
of said canvicts as may be necessary ,and
can be safely and proftably used for the
purpose of improving said avenues and
streets, by grading, macadamiZing, curb
ing, and placing cutters therein, in all
cases where the State owns the land
abuttingon both sides of the street; and
In all cases where the State owns the
fand 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 80 abuts, or as much OF
such Improvement as they deem for the
best interests of the State.
This resolution was adopted upon the
18th of May. 1878. by a General Assem-
bly, 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 Ia,
Dor system, provided that the unemploy-
ed but hondst laberers of Columbus
should look upon the Improvement of
our streets 10y cOnvicts. while their
wives and children were In an almost
starving condition. .i
but these men did not stop here
Another resolution was Introduced by
Mr.. Johnson Sherriek, a democratic Se:i-
ator from Stark caunty,. and also adopt
ed d'the 9TH of May, 1878, Here It is in
| full. 81 Wv I'd IG5AS44,
Resolved by the General Assembly of
the State Of Ohio, That the Warden OF
the Peaitentiary shall furnish to the SUI
perintendent of tile. Columbus Asylum
for the Insane such prisoners mot other
wise cmpleyed) as, in bis jlldgmeat, may
with safety be entrusted to do labor out
side the walls of the prison also = suit
able numbero of guards Who shall have
charge Of such prisoners. Said prison
ers shall be employed in. grading and
fencing the grounds Of said asylum, un-
der the difectionsof the Superintendent.
The Penitentiary shall be paid at the
rate -ef-fifty cents per day for reachpris-
oner so employed 0at Of the grading and
fencing fund for sand asylum. s9 (
An ample fund had been provided for
grading and fencing the grounds Of the
Columbus Asylum for the Insane. By
this. resolution the Democratic Legisla-.
ture provided thar this money should be
paid the Directors of the Ohio Peniten-
tiary for convict labor at the rate OF ifif-
ty cents per day, instead of paying tito
honest laborers, as had always been