New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-02-08
TO REPLACE CONVICT LABOR.
THE BILL PASSES THE STATE SENATE.

INVESTIGATION OPPOSED by THE DEMOCRATS
GOVERNOR CLEvELAND's ADVICE.
,rpon THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or THE TRIDUSE.l
ALBANY. Feb. THE Democratic members Oh the
Legislature think that the contract labor system
IN the State prisons should be abolished instantly,
no matter if the convicts are thus rendered ldle'
The Republicans believe that some substitute ior
the contract labor system should DO pro,
yided before that system is apohSheu
If II ia TO be abolished. IL ~
plain from this attitude of the representa1lNo o
of the two great political parties that .ne Donu
cratic party is eager to get the support Oh
panizatious; while the Republican party ~ ilrons
nnor servnc the interests of the State,
of political considerations 1t remains " % nt
whether the Democratic members In reach'ne w., Wv
for the vote of workingnens oiuos VIII
vastly more votes among the ta Apa9Is.
,.,onnors that the Republican members OF the
1,;aIatrro have been following the advice OF tho
Docra,ic Governor in dealing with the question:
- b;s message Governor Cleveland said that the
restion of contract labor in the prisons should DO
anproachedwith tho utmostcare and dellberatioh'he
added: "Theopportunity of the workingman shoulu
not be inuriously affected by the labor OF conVlcts
in the prsOnsj nor, unless 10 aVoiu SUN
a danger OF other serious abuses, shouid
the selfsupporting feature or the PRISONS
be lost and the expense of their maintenance DC
added TO the burden of the taxpayers Inc t t
MAYER seems 10 have been forgotten IN moSI Oh LUG
debates on the subject before the Legislature pun
the Governor did not forget what the n,s
reason To rejoice over In another part OF his message
he points out that the year before the
svsfem was introduced in the prisons, 1877, inc
State paid out $7O4,379 SO Tor tne SUPPLY ue
of its prisons. In the year 1909
the cOnviCts paid for their own support anu tnV Va
the prisons and put SO LOG 70 Ill the STATE Treas
fie Republicans, in order to follow the Cover
nor's advice to deal with the subject cautiously,
drew up the bill authorizing the appolntssnIu' "a
committee to investigate the workings Oh Ihe eOu
tract labor system, and report some SUBSTITUTE
for it if the system should not be aPprOTgdt and
bill Mr. hoTo G w as passed s by the
and taken to the Governor. In DOth inc oeie :t
and the Assembly the Democrats have reslsteu lts
progress and voted agalnS fo rS S were given by
Republicans and all the votes against the Dill were
| given by Democrats.
THE SCOPE OF THE DEBATE.
| The debate took as wide range as tor TWO
| DAVIS past Senator Titus, Democrat, argued
that the bill was merely intended to
DELAY action on the contract LABOR
system. This statement was denied by Senator
| Copresball. Republican, who also said that he had
many Iaborers in his district who desired the ap9
ton of the contract system, and ne thougHG tn4e
| secure the appointment of q commission. The he
nnblican Senators dwelt upon the necessity OF hav-
| ing some substitute for the present system
| before abandoning it, while the Democrats It
said bluntly that they wo4 QUIZ, S ao"rlS1
reckless of imposing the burden of supporting the
prisons on the taxpayers OF the SlaIe. Gon az
| "Iim Campbell of Newly Ork, sageIy tnought tnaI
| the prisoners might be employed widening ana
eepening the canals of the state senator rIlSI
| worth Republican interrupting him SAID NOnd
not the employment of the convlcts upon tne Gadis
| interfere with several thousand laOOTers III the
| StateD Senator Campbell seemed cOnIusci Il
| moment and then said: Not half as mnch as ~
| wonld interfere with the corrupt contractors who
! in past years have fattened upon the canals;
| Senator Fassett, Republican, s3ld that Wnat was
| needed was a reconstruction of the present prison
| system not It's entire abolition. lie Sdld thaU ne
| should recognize the will of the people, as eX-
| pressed on the contract labor system, but. ne
| thought that the Democrats were acting against
| the interests of the workmgmen, when tney asheu
for the sweeping away of the system without pro-
vidlng any substitute for ii. senator Esty, hepuD-
! hcan said that he did not intend to follow I4e
| leader of the Dennis KoaTneys OF the State' lie
| sbOuld vote against any bill to abolish the con-
| tract labor system. Senator Law, Republican,
| pointed out that the abolition OF tno coz t
| tract labor system would bring ab0ut the
restoration Of the public account system, Wcn hdu
caused 50 much loss TO tine state. Senator -ahSII,
| Repubican argued that the Democrats were IealIy
urGIu. that the state should become the competitor
| OF the the workingmen, 10y faVOrng the employ
ment of the cOnvicts Ill the manufacture Oh aIucoS
| Tor the States sole beneht. ~,
| The debate concluded by the passage OF me pli
| by a vote OF II to II. senator C0mSiock' Nep4N
hcau then tested the sincerity OF the Democrats ny
| Introducing bill forblddlng the making Oh any
| further contracts for the labor of the cOnYictS.
| lie asked that 1t should be put upon ITS passage
Senator DAY. Democrat, objected, and the Dill was
| IL Laid