Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-08-22
able to protect our citizens in case any
frnuhle arose.
nonrint Labor.

The OPPOSITION W INC
convicts outside of the walls OF the
penitentisry is increasing rapidly. ana
steps for It's suppression will liSely oe
taken 10 many states. At fret u was
only newspaper talk" and people
were slow to give 1t credit, but recent
events show that there is a positive
and certain condemnation of the prsc-
,ice. A few days ago when some OF
the Arkansas coal miners attempted 10
introduce convicts into their mines,
the people in ths-ricinity rose as one
man and denounced it with such vehe'
mence that the contractors were glad
to withdraw the prisoners to the peni'
Tertiary. The same thing occurred In
Virginia and In several other states
where an attempt was made to WORK
convicts in competition to free labor.
There are arguments for and against
the practice too numerous to mention
excepting their more salient points.
II is claimed by those favoring the
working of convicts outside the prison
walls that ii is necessary in
order to make them self-sup-
porting; that it is more condu-
Give to the general healthlof the prison.
ers than continual confinement; that
If kept in the prison work houses they
will be in competition with the skilled
labor of the country, the shoemakers,
the blacksmitbs, carpenters and, In
fact, all mechanics; that 1t Is
unjust to the taxpayers to i'm
pose the burden of their sup
port, in idleness, upon them and
for various other reasons it is better to
work them wherever the most revenue
can be obtained for their labor. On
the other hand, those who oppose
claim that to work convicts outside of
the prison walls is unlawful; that the
sentence of the law is confinement
in the penitentiary at hard labor, !" and
that the sentence should be carried out
literally that il debases labor by bring
ing il in competition with convict la
Dor, and that it debases the laborer 10y
placing him on level with con-
demned felop; that convicts farmed
out are subjected to inhuman treat
ment from men who, having an inter
est in their labor only, compel them to
toll early and late, without proper care
ornourishment, and that 1t is crowding
an already overstocked labor market.
The laborlng men whose votes are
sought find many leaders ready to
champion their cause. The argu-
ments used are ingenious and interest
ing. Why, they ask, should coal
beavers and quarrymen, railroad and
farm laborers be the only ones to suffer
from the competition of cOnvicts:
Why not farm them out in other vo,
cations and 10y an equitable division
on basis of authentic statistics, max,
doctors aud lawyers, preachers, ped
oilers aud merchants out OF them,
They are running sore ON the body
polite, but it is not fair they claim, L
make the poor laborer, because he j.
poor, to suffer the entire 'ss by tho
competition Of these prisoners. Thi,
view Of the case Is being expanded
and disseminated widely. No matter
how inprac'icable or chimerica
an idea may be so long "a i
promises the elevation of labor j
will find listeners who, by their votes
will elect men protesting, at least, {,
believe as they do. And it is ques
tionable whether or not they are righ
in their demands. To permit con
victs to be worked outside of prisons i
simply placing the price Of crime at
certain number Of years forced labor
This is very little punishment to mel
who are brought up TO hard work an,
who, whether in or out OF prison, bon,
or free, have TO work hard Tor living
1t is nor the sentence of the law. l
is saying, in effect The man VIII
steals Smiths horse, or murd - Jone
will have to work on Browns la..i
certain number of years. 1t ca,
never be possible to find parties will
ing to employ the convicts withou
choosing and picking; thesugar-plan,
efs and cotton-raisers will not have
white man nor even y yellow nis
ger" the railroads only take such a
are accustomed TO manual labor All,
no one wants the heightened criminal
the puny and decrepit, so that the use
less, Improbable and broken. dow
hulks are thrown on the state, at last
and the contractor gets the benefit g
the able-bodied. Working in a Goa
mine is not punishment as severe I
those who are accustomed 10
as it would be to many ma
who is in the penitentiary, q
who would be If justice were don
him, and therefore to ''level all rank
and treat all alike 1t might be we'll I
confine each and every one within IL,
walls. There would certainly be few
er escapes and convicts would h
treated better 1t is only the very rio
who can utilize convict labor, an
4 hsxt ,..t Al.