The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-22
Convict Labor For Punishment and
Profit
Galveston News.


out of the crimes of her citizens for |
herself and her partners in Joint |
speculation. 1t assumes that the |
prisoner should be worked at every |
hazard for all he is worth to such "A |
speculation, and denies his capability |
for any other than life of crime. |
Then, by a ruthless association of |
criminals of all grades and all |
ages with sole view to the largest |
profit, it degradeS labor by making it
mark of degradation and condi-
ton for the final and complete devel-
opment of crime class, confirmed in
propensiticS and aptitudes for per-
petual war upon society. 1t is sys-
TEN in which the blind calculation of
morbid dlstaste for the study of penal
science, STILES reason, conscience, hope
and faith, and takes no account what
ever of the terrible cost which
1T entails upon the commonwealth
ing criminal character, stigmatiZ-
ing, instead of dignifying labor, slim
ulatlng and diffusing instead of sup
pressing the contagion of depravity.
The policy of expressly prescribing
L wv dAOhB Will do
part of the punishment to be suffered
by an individual convicted of felony,
is now condemned by the best author
tiles in penology. Mr.. Richard Vanx,
of Philadelphia. who has made crime
cause and convict punishment a spe-
cial subject of investigation and dis
cussion for many years, finds the COM
mon formula of sentencing a convict
oil faInYa 70
labor" essentially Objectionable, be-
cause it makes 1.-THE penalty of labor
and the penalty of Imprisonment
equally part of the sentence for
crime" and because IF one is deg
radiation, so equally is the other" 1t
would certainly seem to be the theory
of law which prescribes labor and
Imprisonment as conjointed penalties
for crime, that whatever of degrada-
ton attaches to one brings the other
to it's level. And this, doubtless, goes
| far to explain the bitter repugnance
felt by the mass of honest artisans in
every community to the neighbor-
hood or competition of convict labor
erS. In such cases the jealousy of
self-interest in pecuniary sense may
well be exasperated by wounded pride
of class. 1T is certainly unwise," sir.
| VauX remarks, in any state thus
} to stamp On manual toll this mark of
! a penalty for offenSes against her
1 laws. If the prosperity and wealth
of a state are dependent on the indus
tries of her citizens, is it not prejudi-
cial to the industrial classes, the
mechanic and the workman, to be
told by public laws that their voca-
1 finn * IntiIctnH ChnnQnt for
the acts of criminals? Is it to be eX-
pected that the young, who are trained
in public schools, where nothing is
taught inducing to requirement of
trade knowledge, or those who
graduate in the high schools, where
the course of study neither en-
courages nor stimulates the desire for
instruction fitting its pesscssor for
free from the depressing influence of
this impolitic enactment in the stat
uteS of the state?" There is but one
answer to these questions, and the
answer is profoundly melancholy and
portentous,a land its Somber significance
is deepened where the idea of punish
ment, with any regard for its justice
and virtue as such, is merged in the
idea of a profit-making investment for
the state and her contract partners.
By this method, in the judgment of
Mr.. VauX, the convict, not treated as
his crime and his character require
during his term of sentence, is
transformed into convict machine,
forced for profit to the state, and a
) profit to his purchaser, to toll, to la
Dor, not as a punishment, but for
money profit, money-greed of his two
owners, the state that sells his labor,
and the person who buys it-both for
money" And these additional re-
marks by the same writer can not be
too thoughtfully pondered
rs not this degradation, not only
of the man, but of labor as the ere.
ator of the wealth and prosperity OF
: the state? A prisoner who is re-
quired to learn handicraft during
his Imprisonment. as part of his daily
3 duty-to learn it for his own benefit
to qualify him to gain an honest liv.
ing when he leaves the prison, is sub
: jected to punishment, but'his labor
2 is not degradation. This labor is
not made punishment, absolute and
exclusive; it. is instruction, teaching
training, elevating. 1t takes
from the man no part of his
position as laborer. Going out OF
, the incarceration to which he was
! subjected, he has gained in his own
: respect for himself, and has been
1 taught that labor is the true founda.
ton for reform, the attribute of man.
hood, relying on himself for his own
: support. He becomes factor in the
! production of the prosperity OF his
,, tate, or the population into which he
may go to start life anew. 1t may bt
that convict labor will be so reformed
: and improved that it will at least not
tend to degrade, while it is not made
!, by law the exclusive element in con.
! Wet punishment"
Meanwhile it may be pertinent to
suggest, if the system in question il
to be indefinitely continued, the jus.
tice of relieving manual toll from the
invidious discrimination which
stamps it with Il singular stigma
! as II penalty for crime, by
putting all professions and occur a
tions on an equal footing with re
!. spect to the money-makiDg in.
dustry of convict slaves. 1t is well
known that some convicis are expert
accountants, and some are well quail
fed for variety of clerical service
Some have rare gifts for the more
reconcile arts of the working poll
tician. Some have an aptitude fol
the law; some for college professor
: ships; others for journalism, and still
:: others may have turn for divinity
E and large talent for pulpit oratory
J. If the great thing is to make money
!, out of convict servitude, why moi
!. utilize to the utmost all these capa-
! bilities in the assignment and distri-
E button. under contract, of convict
/ slaves? Why limit the development
! of the money-making resources of the
e system to the manual department OF
4 industry? 1t looks like an egregious
| mistake in economy when judged by
4 the fundamental principle of the
: system.
OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL & GREAT }
!, NORTHERN RAILROAD COMPANY, !
: PALESTINE, TEXAS, February 20, 1883.