The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1882-02-23
CONVICT LABOR.
A Deadly Enemy to the Prosperity of Free
WOrkingmen.
Communicated. ]


|
WOrkingmen.
LCOmmunicated.l
CANTON, o., Feb. 18, 1882.
EDITOR DEMOCRAT:-A petition now
being circulated i'll our city in our man
ufacturing establishments on the sub
ject of the convict labor system of this
State, a portion of which reads as fol-
lows:
eve respectfully claim that as conduct
ed at present it is injurious both to out
side manufacturers and mechanics; to
the former in that they are compelled to
place their ware or merchandise on the
market at such figure as to compete in
selling price with the productions of
convict labor; to the latter in that this
selling price necessarily implies low
wages so as to compete with the wages
Of the convict.
We respectfully represent that the
system is unjust, if either of these facts
exists in the management of our prisons
or eleemOsynary institutions, and ask
your honorable body to take such steps
at their first opportunity 10 investigate
and remedy the evil and thereby remove
the stigma that honest labor is com
PEELED in the State of Ohio to compete
with that of the convict"
By way of illustration, | will cite the
hardware. Peter Hayden q Co., of Col
umbus, Ohio, who have had for some
years several hundred cOnvicts employ
ed at prices ranging from 30 to 90 cents
per day. How is it possible for the firm
of Elbel, Gillian u Co., of this city, to
compete with the former?
Another illustration brought home to
the manufacturers and mechanics of
our city may be cited in the thTeshing
m f.,II A in iAF
made by cOnYicts i'll one of the Northern
States, and one of G. Aultman's cOmpeti-
tors for the trade in that great wheat
country, and as the price frequently
sells a machine without regard to the
merits of others, one is not at loss to
understand which of the two machines,
the New Buckeye" or minnesota
Chief" could be sold cheapest and still
fair percentage made.
1t is not impossible for State to rate
the price of convict labor, so that the
State may be the gamer, and not few
contractors as at present, and thereby
prevent this competition with its own
citizens.
1t is but one step removed from Afri-
can slavery, "sOld by the hundred to the
highest bidder" and comes home in
fOrcible manner to the industrial class
es.
If it be opposed that the products of
free labor are of much superior quality,
this advantage is more than balanced
by the cheap prices of prison wares.
Whilst ordinarily the competition of
criminals is bad enough, in times of de-
preston and business stagnatiOn, the
effect is simply TuinOus, for the terms
of the contract generally forbid any
Limitation of the production.
A few years ago the Legislature of
New Jersey passed law fOrbidding the
prison authorities having more than one
hundred cOnyicts to work at any one
branch of industry. This law was as
sailed by those few who believed that
the almighty dollar is of more cOnse-
quence than the prosperity of free work
ing mechanics.
Serious losses to be met by the tax
payers were predicted. The result has
been that all the prisoners were employ
ed in seven branches Of industry. The
earnings are at the rate of $4,000 a
year more than they were under the old
system.
But this is only mitigation of the
evil. The remedy is in the hands Of our
free working mechanics.
Leaving cost of prisons, shops, ma
| chinery, light, heat, salaries of the
State officials, etc. out of account, what
does the apparently small profit amount
to in comparison with the prosperity of
our free working mechanics.
So long as fOur-ffths of the legis-
latiOn of the country is in the interest
of monOpOlies and those already rich, so
long will their interests be considered
as of secondary importance.
Advantage is being taken of this pros
porous and lively business era by the
prison contractors to strengthen their
hands, and, if possible, to create pub
lie sentiment in their favor.
And now that bill is pending before
the Legislature of the State for the abO-
litiOn of the system, those interested
would do we'll to urge their Representa-
tives and Senators in the present Gen
eral Assembly to support and urge the
passage of the same.
Respectfully, JNO. V. CARR.