New-York tribune., 1883-10-27
PRISON LABOR,

A very important question that will be sub
mttcd 70 the people mt the coming election Is
likely to be overlooked by many voters Briefly
stated. the question is whether the state shall
make the conyicts support Themselves ~ they
do now under the contract system, or throw
away $3.50, 900 to 1928, 900 n year in support
ing them, as 1t did under the old system of
labor for public account. The contract system
was adopted in 1877. Prior to that, for more
than thirty years there had been deficiency
every year The expenses exceeded the earn
iugs generally less than 100000 each year
until 1853; between 100000 aud S3OOooO
each year thcnccforwarl until 1863; between
$500. 600 and 800 900 each OF tine years lSGj,
1866. and 1867; close to 100000 in each of
the wear, 1865, 1870, 1871, and 1872; over
5000. 900 in 1869, 1873 and 1874; nearly
$500, 900 in 1879, and T72j,OOO in 1876 In
place of this rapidly growing deficiency under
the old system there has been remarkable
decrease of expenses and increase of earnings
under the contract system. In 1877, with the
new system in operation less than half the year,
the deficiency was S39l, ,G85; in 1873 il WAS
only Sl79. .994: in 1879 it was only S117,922 (;
the cost of building the new prison at Clinton
swcllcd il Il little in 1850 and 1881, but in
1889 il was only SOL 900. and for the fiscal
wear ending September 80, 1888, there was
surplus of about 50, 900. II is not desired by
the people that the labor of conyict- should be
come a source of revenue to the state But il is
desired, we believe, that they should be COM
pcllcd by their labor to meet the expense, of
supporting and conlining them.
True, there are some irrational beings who
want to be taxed themselves in order 10 support
convicts in idlcncss These persons profess to
be Labor rcformcrs,n and their idea of reform
is that the honest wOrliingmcn of this State
should be compelled to pay larger taxes, in
order that the criminals may be- supported in
idIcncss. The prOics,cd representatives of the
wOrkingmcn have proposed great many silly
and suicidal things, but nothing more silly than
this. The notion that convict labor is i'm some
way damaging to the labor of honest workers
by competition has been so fully exploded by
the elaborate statistics gathered by the Massa-
chusctS Bureau of Labor that whoever enter
tains that notion only proves that he has no
knowledge of the matter. The number of CON
victs employed in different industries i'm this
State is only 5,lGl in all while the citizens
engaged in manufacturing, mechanical and
mining INDUSTRIES nuHDtItu bZf,UOD tnltt
years ago. The Labor of cOnyicts, according to
all testimony, is not more efficient or valuable
than that of half the number of free persons, 50
that practically the question is whether compc-
tition from 2,5SO persons who are confined, at
eleven different occupations, can do pcrccptiblc
harm to G29,OO0 persons in this State who are
free. The wOIkingmcn sO-callcd, who are
afraid to compete with persons that do only half
as much work as the average of free men,
though they may not see it, really advertise
themselves as particularly shiftess and in
efficient set of hands.
The question for I'LL voters who have ordinary
intelligence is merely this i" Shall honest men
be taxed to keep convicts in idlcness ?" The
"public account system, after having been
tried for many years under many administra-
tions of different parties, was found so costly
and wastcful that the officials of both parties, in
their reports for several successive years, ear
nestly urged its abolition. Controllers Robinson
AlcOtt, WadswOrth and Davenport, represent
ing different parties, have spoken as strongly in
favor of the change as Controllers Nichols,
Allen and Fillmore of earlier days. 1t would
be well for voters to consider the matter very
carefully before they vote to go back to the old
system OF by their negligence suffer ignorance