The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-12-23

farms, It should be done gradually, and let the
proceeds of the farms already bought. on tow.rd.
tine. AA0"i liiiie t0
Where shall such farms be locateaY pars
comes up another trouble; for larse norton e ~
the people in every locality where II wonld ha oro
posed TO buy farms would enter serious objection.
ana ana protests. The whole question is beset with
difficulties. e' WIN
Some demand that the convicts be- workas IN OH
walls, because their labor comes in comnettinn or
the OUTSIDE with honest labor. Oilers demand m a,
.hey snail be worked outside because when wo rtaJ
INSIDE their labor comes in competition with skin
cd labor on the outside. Some want the con v;a,s
20 be confined and not he allowed TO work at 20
auIherative LABOR but to be a tax upon honest ia
pof' While others are willing for them To ,rort
anywhere and at anything, so the people ara NOT
taxed to support them.
The true policy would seem to be to conAna as
May conylcts as can possibly he made seIf.sns,
tanning within the walls, and to provide additoral
PRISONS and equip them for as many of that o.
as can be so made self-sustaining Those conyicts
w., Tno odhloL posslnly De made sef-sustainins in
tue walls should be worked at some remnnarati,,a
employment on the outside, either on state account
or otherwise, as may be deemed hest LEI iban
be placed at such LABOR as least detrimental tn
health wnere tney can be most securely kept, and
where hey are least likely to anagonize, or come
10 real competition with free labor
The demand for labor of all kinds in Tax,. 10
greater tnan the supply, and there cannot he any
| injurious competition between free and conyic,
labor, either within or without the walls Hon. ~
v. Baker, 1r, superintendent of the New Ynrt
STATE prisons, forcibly VS.: "Every man who an
ters prison, and can work in prison. was labor.
eT DeIOre he was sent to prison, or he was drnne
VINO hved of other people If he was the latter
ne was the consumer the products of free labor
ana pald nothing for what he used. When he sln
ports himself he relieves free labor of so mnch NV
as ne lald upon it. That means relief to free labor
II any convict maintained himself before he went
10 prison. and is made to do il in prison he Ia no
more competing with free labor than he was before
| he CO. into prison. Shall man who has assailad
society be made the guest of society in prison and
tax upon other menfh
Gould suitable provision he made for the present
number of convicts, and the increas is the same
IN the next ten years as in the past ten years al
the END of that time we would have a sllrp,us of
'oUO to provide for, AID the same troubles w0uld
Use "a now. But cannot the number of conyicts
be redusedg | think relief can be found in two
ways: l. BY providing reformatores for Youth
tul Offenders. 2.'By reducing the number of
telonies. The latter course was pursued few
years ago. and had 1t not been, onr annual receipts
would be great many more than at present.
The proposition t. hire short term conyicts To
the counties to work the public roads, has many
advocates, but doubts its practiCability At this
KIND OF work without Prison houses to keep them
IN at night, there would be a great many
escapes. They would be so scattered that proper
supervision could not be had over Them and out
RACES and abuses would be of frequent occurrence.
The expenses of transportation would be heavy.
and worked in small numbers, the expenses
would be heavy, and it would be soon found to be
anything but cheap and satisfactory labor for this
purpose.
Would it not be better to reduce the number of
feonies, which would increase the misdemeanor
conviction, and have persons convicted of misde.
meanors to work the road?