The Osceola times., 1883-01-27
STATE PRISON SLAVERY.
The Terrible Evils Of the Contract
System Exposed.
Convicts Ovtrworkcd and Brutality Pun
illustrations From Con,icts Es-
perience During Four Years In sing-slng
Prison.

The New York Star has begun its ex
posure of the terrible abuses which ar,
interviewer with the convict contract
system of that state. II the charges for
mulated in the Introductory article seen
to anybody exaggerated, the Star han
only TO say that the specific proofs to bt
sdduccd in subsequent articles will
scarcely fail to convince the most skepti
cal reader.
Reformatory and charitable institutions
belonging to the State are things with
which the general public are supposed to
have nothing to do except subscribe the
money to maintain them. Once in q
while, when the public become inquisi.
tive through the newspapers or other
agencies, to know something about the
management OF these places, they ART
grufIly told to mind their own business
and impudently informed that they have
no special training or experience foi
looking into such mrtters in fact, that i,
is gross impertinencc on their part To
inquire bow their money is spent by the
regularly appointed officials.
Whatever the official reports set forth
and whatever interested officials choose
to give the newspaper reporters, CLOSED
over with everything in their own favor
are supposed TO be all that the public
have right to expect. These are gen.
orally tissue Of falschoods, designed to
cover up abuses which, ifjustice had full
sway, would put many of these brazcn
officials in the places filed by the crimin
ais committed to their charge.
There has been great deal said and
written for several years past about pris
on reform and making the prisons pay as
they go. So, from the reports just refer
red to, moral rcformers are satisfied that
prisoners are being treated more humane
ly, with view to their moral redemp
ton, and the taxpayers are led to believe
that the prisoners are supporting them
selves, and that the prisons, as managed
for the past few years, have cost the stat,
nothing.
This would be a gratifying picture o
prison life If il were only true, and in thai
case it would be pity to disturb the day
dreams Of the philanthropists or max,
the taxpayers unhappy.
But if these pretended reforms are sim
ply popular delusions designed to cover
up gigantic frauds, the people have &
right TO know all about them If a news
paper can be found with knowledge and
independence enough TO discover and
publish the facts.
In the Star articles II is proposed tC
show in way that IL will be imposslbl,
for the most crafty schcmer in the arts o
official plunder togo behind returns, thai
prisons have not been seli-supporting. Il
will also be shown that the moral eiIec
of the way the labor is conducted, in
stead Of having bcneticcnt and reform
atory influence upon the prisoners, il
calculated to degrade them to the loves
possible level of human depravity.
II will also be made manifes. that tn,
whole system Of prison labor in this Stat,
is an ably concocted scheme under vari
ous disgiises, economic reforma,ory ant
and philanthropic, to enrich few con
tractors and officials, and that in tn,
prosecution of this scheme the most fla
grant abuses of official power have beer
committed, and a system Of prison disci
pline practiced revolving in its cruelty
and disgrace to civilization.
When ii is declared that the prison
are self supporting, the assertion is tru,
in the modified sense that at the presen
time the wretched convict slave does no
consume more than fifty-six cents da,
which the contractors pay the State 70
labor worth several times the amount
But If the net gain to the State is calcu
lated, deducting the cost of preparation
TO run the convict system since its incer
ton, there will be very different exhit
it, and the balance will in all probabilit
be found on the other side, to say moth
ing of the degrading influences of tn
system inside, and its demoralizing ei
fects outside the prison on the labor maj
ket generally.
But before touching the broad question
Of general labor il is necessary to NEE
these model and moral reformerson thei
own ground. Their hest hold is tina
they touch the taxpayers on the poin
nearest their hearts-namely, their pock
cts. The solidity of their pretcnsions il
this respect may be judged by the follow
ing dialogue between representative G
the Star and a gentleman who has 70
several years past made special study G
the question inside and outside these re
formatory institutions.
HAS this central labor system tina