Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1885-11-28
hi PENITENTIARY.

The In~telligencer, in opposing the
location Of pcnitentiary number 2 at or
neal Lexington, has but one interest,
the welfare of the place. AS we see it
the evils that would attend its location
here would counterbalance the benefits.
So tar as the additions to our business
are concerned, we believe that these
would be more than Offset by the losses
we should sustain of honest working
men. Waving all minor considerations
we believe that the danger to u coal
interests would be so great that we
could not afford to run the risk of what
is at best a doubtful experiment. In
answer to this the friends of the move
ment allege that the law prevents the
use of convicts in competition with
square miners. This is an error.
There is no such provision in the law.
There is, really, nothing in the law
which will prevent the working of
%convicts in coal.
Following is the section OF the law
which covers the particular point at
issue:-
Section 6,49S, r. S.-'The warden shall.
in his discretion, advertise for bids for the
unemployed convict labor, under such terms
and conditions as he shall deem for the best
interest of the state. Such advertisements
shall fully set forth the terms, and, as near as
,,,u bo Tho nrp,har of Sn,b oonyinfc Tn no
employed, and the length of time for which
they may be employed. He may renew any
contracts for labor within the walls, which
may be already in existence, without adver-
Using the same. No contract shall be made
for a longer period than ten years. All con-
tracts shall be approved by the board of in
spectors: provided, that no convict shall be
employed outside of the prison walls, except
In making Improvements connected with the
penitentiary or other state improvements, or
in erecting buildings for the state, or for the
the state. and in collecting and providing
materials therefor; and provided further.
that the warden is herby authorized to use
the labor Of convicts, not otherwise employ
ed, on the penItentlary farm, in improving
any of the public grounds belonging to the
state. or in any quarry or brickyard belonging
to or under the control of the state, anywhere
within the state or for the purpose of procur-
ing fuel. water, ice or other necessary supplies
for the penitentiary, or for the protection of
the states property at Jefferson City from
changes or washes in the Missouri river or
otherwise, or as teamsters for the state; and
contractors within the walls shall have the
right to employ trusty conyicts as tesmsters,
and such other help as may be necessary in
transporting materials, supplies and manu-
featured goods to and from the railroad
depots and the levee: provided, that nothing
In this article shall be so construed as to
annul. set aside, or in any manner affect snv
contract heretofore made by the warden and
inspectors with any other persons for using
convict labor outside of the prison walls,
leaving every such contract to expire by its
own terms, except that all such labor as Is
now under contract shall be continued only
at such place or places where it is now EN-.
ployed. No state officer or person connected
with the penitentiary as an officer or en-
plOye, the inspectors included, shall be,
directly or indirectly, interested in any con-
tract for convict labor. ANY violat ion Of this
provision shall be deemed q felony, and upon,
conviction, shall be punished by imprison-
ment in the penitentlary not less than three
nor more than ten years."
1t will be seen by the above that con-
victs can not be worked outside of the
prison walls, with certain exceptions,
which do NOT OF oil nroyo,k tlo., r,o,o
being worked in coal. 1t will be no
sort of trouble, whatever, to work
them in coal within the prison walls, or
to make a ''walr" wherever it may be
desired to utilize the labor in a coal
mine. Read the law carefully aud see
if this is not true.
1t is also asserted that the amount of
competition would be trifing. This is,
in our opinion, very erroneous. We
believe it would be fatal. The first OBJ
ject OF those in charge is to make the
penitentiary seif-supporting. In no
way can this be more effectively done
than TO put the men in the mines, as
we showed last week is done at Leav-
enworth. This being the case the con-
victs will flow as naturally into the
mines as water flows down hill, and the
result in a short time will be that the
greater portion of ~convicts will be in
penitentiary number 2 This, in one
sense, will be beneficial to the state, but
1t will be the death knell of our coal
mining interests here, and that is too
great a sacrifice to ask of our people.
/ More, the placing Of convicts in the
coal mines of Lexington will defeat the
democratic party in the succeeding
state election. Some miners may now
be brought to think the institution will
not Interfere with their work. If this
is true, why is Lexington so greatly
desired as a point If coal is not the
object, in what does Lexington surpass
boonville, or Louisiana, or Cape Girar-
deau? Whatever a few miners NAV
say now, if once this thing is consum-
mated the entire labor organizations of
the state will be arrayed against the
party which sanctions the act; and the
man who thinks these organizations are
to be despised is not a statesman, but
has his ideas hedged about within the
narrow boundaries Of prejudice. Let
us look at the thing dispassionately,
and reason from facts, not from preju-
dice nor from partisan feeling because
of preconceived positions or ideas.
Bud hackney, who was dangerously hurt,
last week, by falling upon a barbed wire
fence, in Clay township, it is now thought
will recover.
Alfonso, king of Spain, is dead,
The queen has been made regent.