The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1882-04-07

Editor Neac North-West:
SIR-Permit me to reply to your comments
on NV communication which you were kind
enough to publish in your issue Of the 3lst
ultimo.
/ will confess feel an interest IN the pros
perity OF Deer Lodge. Here L have maze
my home, like the place, respect the people,
and am glad to believe l have some true
friends among its citizens. own very little
real estate in the town and that of not much
value, but would not think / were worthy
of home among you, in this tui VII
lage of the mountains, did l not conceive IL
to be part of my duty to assist iii promoting
the interests of the place in any and every
way my humble position and limited means
would permit.
/ admit that those who employ convict la
Dor have legal right to do SO, but must IN
sist that it Is a right exercised without the
slightest regard to the interests OF the town.
and with the mistaken view of saving few |
dollars.
During nv short residence here l have
known many "workingmen to GO without
employment" and some of them were "resi-
dent Iaborers." Many instances could DC
mentioned, but one will suffice. year ago
there was a bricklayer living here, Mr..
Downey: he was married and had familyto
support and was said to be good mechanic
Although he offered to work for less than
| the wages paid in other towns in she
Territory, he could find no employment and
was compelled TO move away; but hardly mad
he gone before convicts were employed lay
ing bricks.
| II is said ''there have been times when 1t
was impossible to obtain other than convict
labor This will not be denied, but those
who employ that class of labor may be justly
charged with causing the necessity. If we
encourage the mechanics and labOrers now
here and those that will probably soon come,
I venture the assertion that the necessity OF
EMPLOYING convict labor will never occur.
unite agree with you that lit is right to
work these men and make them earn por-
ton of their keeping" and will undertake to
mint ont how il may he done without COM
ing into competition with free men who
seek to earn an honest living by honorable
toll" and forever blighting the prospects OF
the town. The complaint is often heard that
the prison is too small to accommodate the
increasing number of occupants. There Is an
abundance of material and of easy access,
within short distance from the town, suita-
ble for building purposes, and they should
he mt to work forthwith constructing neces-
sary additional quarters. The old lumber
fence enclosing the building would prove but
a slight barrier to desperate man attempt
ing to escape, and will soon, If 1t does not
now. need replacing, which should be done
with n strong and durable rock wall. This
xvould give them all the employment "their
bealtbn would require for year or so. Nor
would any objection be urged against them
for procuring their own fuel and cultivating
vegetables, grain, etc, for their own con-
sump,ion. | am aware they have no land to
. cultivate, but farm could be purchased for,
. probably, the cost of one years fuel and veg
etables.
Let me enumerate some of the work they
have done which has been sin competition
with free men seeking an honest living py
honorable TOLL" and which has been oil In
calculable detriment to the town. They have
built dwelling houses, stables, outhouses, and
fences: dug wells, done a large share OF the
, county work, repaired water tanks for hrs
company, sold fre-wood, logs and posts, go
ont fencing material for ranchmen, made arc
f hauled bricks, sold household articles, peer
: employed on ranches, used as men OF al
;. work by families, and, finally, but perhaps
not the worst, escaped. 1t is questionable
. whether there is revenue" enough derived
from the labor of the convicts to pay the ex
nenses incurred in hunting and capturing
those that escaped while working outside thu
prison.
i, In nearly every instance convict labor cost'
5 more than free labor. 1t requires more mel
] to do the same amount of work in givei
: time and the work is never so satisfactory.
done. The work done in the town and vicin
: ity by convict labor would give emplsymen
!, to. and furnish means of support for, at leas
. ten resneetable families. But above and be
!. yond all other objections that can be urget
against their employment in our midst Is the
demoralizing influence oftheir presence upol
= the susceptible minds of the youths OF tn
d Community. We may fondly imagine the!
: are safe from the fatal influences OF its con
tamination, but
"yice is monster of Sc frightful mein,
e A.. to be hated, needs but to be seen;
d Yet seen too oft, familiar to her face,
We first endure, then pity, then embrace
G..
Deer Lodge, April 4, 1882.