The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1882-02-22

IN the St3tc OF new i OK the question OF
convict labor is again up for discussion. The
Buffalo Courier, in response to criticisms
made by the-Buffalo Express does not OBJ
ject to subjecting convicts to 'hard labor"
New York has of late been fortunate in the
employment of its convicts, its thieves,
burglars, foot-padS, cut-throats, murderers
and the rest of its criminals-that is to say,
it has made crime pay for its support, its
bread and meat and clothing, so that the
people have been taxed lightly, if
at all, for the maintenance of State
criminals. Such results in the esti-
nation of certain class of statesmen are
thought to be worthy of the highest COM
mendatioa = money-Saving achievements
worthy OF the age. But it is contended by
the Courier that ''thoSe who are in the best
some localities and in some branches of in
dustry Prison labor has nearly driven free
labor out Of the field, or has seriously Grip
pied it. This is almost as great wrong rs
the taking of private properly without fun
compensation. Convict labor should be 50
regulated as to interfere as little as possible
with the industry of free and honest work
ingmen." 1t turns out that 5000 coEvicts
in the State Prisons of New York are given
over to contractors to be worked by the
manufacturers Of stoves, shoes, horse col
lars, hollow ware, harness. axles and hats. at
from forty to sixty cents per day. At such
prices no American mechanic can live. In
the one case the Prison price for crime
labor in New York represents $40 week,
in the other case $500 week, and at these
prices ell the army OF iniernal vagabonds
that New York scrares together are set to
work to drive honest labor out of the field.
and, sccordingto the Buffalo Courier, in many
instances crime has accomplished the pur-
pose of those who operate it. The Rochester
Union remarks: "All say that convicts
should be made to labor; not in compe-
tition with and at the cost OF honest men
engaged in the trades of production, bat at
some great work of public establishment or
utility" The difficulty is that the State
hires out its convict labor at such prices that
contractors can control the market for such
wares as they manufacture, and contractors
will select such industries as will pay best,
regardless of how many hottest labOrerS are
reduced to poverty and restitution or
driven into the ranks of criminals. Here
in Indiana, as elsewhere, convict labor comes
into more or less direct competition with
honest labor. Crime increases, convicts
multiply, and the States has more laborers
to hire out. Competition becoming still
sharper, honest labor succumbs and crime
this is called craftsmanship
The pulpit thuuderS, the Church labors,
good people pray, reformat0ries multiply,
and the benevolent are for ever on the alert.
The law, in its majesty. commands obedi-
ence and threatens punishment. Still statis-
tics of crime become more formidable and
To get the work of robust
man at from four to six cents an hour
affords splendid margin for profts-proba-
bly, 200 per cent-and while this is going on
at the Penitentiaries, thousands of men who
are trying to obey the laws, live the lives OF
good citizens rear their children for honor
able positions in society, find that Prison
labor takes the bread out of their mouths
and drives them out OF the field. We are
told there is no remedy for this state OF
things. Possibly but we do not believe the
declaration At any rate, vice should not be
permitted to impoverish virtue, nor should
crime be SO organized and operated as to
produce more crime.