Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-08-27
CONVICT CONTRACT LABOR.

tract Association in Chicago yesterday,
marks the beginning OF new method
for the relief Of both the honest working
man and the manufacturer, from the
burdens placed on them by this infamous
system OF flooding the home markets
with the products OF convict labor. In
every prison and penitentiary in the
land convcts are employed in the man
ufacture OF some staple commodity, the
income from which is applied to the
expenses OF the prisons, and the surplus
put into the State Treasury, when sur
plus remains. Some of these institutions
are driving n hourishing business, and
pay large dividends to the State, as in
the case Of disgSStrot House OF Correc-
ton in DETER be bich not only utilizes
the labor of''Jne criminal element OF
the State, but bids eagerly for the
custody of prisoners from all the Terri
tories and Military Posts in order to
swell its revenues from their labor, and
pay the surplus into the State Treasury
as help to the taxpayers of the State.
To prove just how this system Of labor
benefits any State, the work of the prison
in question is perhaps the best to explain.
On an average, 200 men are confined
there, two-thirds OF whom are from local
tiles outside Of the State, and for years
the prison has yielded a revenue yearly,
over all expenses, of some $4,000 to the
State, which reduced to u per capita for
all the taxpayers, would be an annual
relief | 200 honest and upright mechanics
are without work at the trades practiced
there, and the markets for the articles
manufactured there are glutted with this
cheap product and the prices are
forced down to figure where
the manufacturer must reduce the
wages OF his men in order to keep
any footing in the market. Not the least
OF the bad effects of this system, is the
forcing out Of work OF many men in the
cities where these prisons are situated,
and by degrees OF want and privaton,
forcing them into criminal practices for a
living, which too often bring them inside
the walls Of the very prisons which have
caused their downfall. In all large met
.ropolitan communities there is a settled
per centage of the criminal element, and
the existence OF prisons as places OF con-
finement and punishment are necessity
but the labor performed in them need
not conflict with the interests Of the work
ing classes, who lead honorable lives and
feed the blood channels OF the COM
munity in which they live. The recent
studies and exchange of opinions on the
subject OF Penology, which have occurred
in various States, tends TO prove tha
the effect of all prison labor, which
> conflicts with that of men IL
the ordinary walks of life, is productive
of untold evil to working men, while il
brings no offsetting good to the convicts
Yesterdays convention advocated Il yer.
', plausible idea for the employment o
y prison labor, which seems to be vel
J, worthy of trial Every State and Ter
, ritory has its road laws, by which citizen
" are bound to pay road tax or work i
out on the roads at a stipulated price pc
y day. Now, if national law could b
>, framed, providing for the construction G
- military roads in a network all over tn
country-the roads to be wide and level
y and in every respect highways OF tn
:. first class-the convicts of the varou
10 States could be employed upon ther
within the lines OF the State in whic
they are imprisoned, and thus be con
- pelled to labor for punishment
10 while the country at large would b
20 benefited, and the position OF tn
" honest laborer much improved. There ar
W many questions OF right to be met an
~ explained in such case, but its agitatio
~ and discussion would soon show clea
= road ont of difficulty, and the relic
% promised by such a law, makes it worth
81 OF the most careful consideration. Th
q history OF the sufferings OF convicts i
io the Southern States also proves tina
- humanity too, calls for some amelioratin
w conditions in the present slave systel
+" employed there, and the work OF IL
'' Convention now in session in Chica,
g may happily lead to Il solution OF IL
%, whole difficulty.