The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1886-10-23
PENlTENTiARY FINANCES.
The Adjustment OF the Contract Convict
Labor System.

Labor System.
"It is settled that the late administration of
the penitcntiary fell behind all preceding ad-
ministrations enormousiyin its financial re:
expenses and put money in the Treasury,
this one did not pay expenses. but ran in debt
AT rate that was simply amazing in compar-
bus Dispatch.
The question of financial saving or
loss should not be taken into account
when discussing the penitentiary prob
lem, unless a journal or partisan orator
proposes to ignore totally the motives
which prompted the passage of the pres
ent penitentiary law. A sentiment perl
vaded Ohio and other States very!
strongly few years since that contract
convict labor should be abolished. In(
New York public sentiment was sol
strOn g that constitutional amend-i
ment was adopted by the people proj
hibiting such employment of convicts.J
In Ohio opinion was so positive on the,
subject that both political parties I'M
State conventions adopted resolutions
denunciatory cf the system and demand
ing the total abolition of the custom by
legislative enactment. A bill to that
effect was introduced in the Sixty-ifth
General Assembly by Representative
Peet (Rep.), of Hamilton County. Il
passed the House, and when up for
third reading in the Senate provoked
the most exciting debate of the session.
Democrats generally supported the
measure, Republicans opposed. Behind
the seats, within the bar of the Senate,
prison contractors were grouped, lcb-
Dying aga nst the bill. The measure
was defeated.
The first bill introduced in the Sixty
sixth General Assembly was one upon
the same subject. 1t was not intended
to be partisan, and was not partisan;
members and Senators of both parties
gave support to the measure-none
more actively than the present Attor-
ney- General of Ohio, Hon. j. A. Kohler
The bill was given most thorough in
vestigation. Institutions in other st tes
were visited and correspondence re-
ceived from eminent prison managers in
this country and Europe. After mature
deliberation the present law was enacted,
and what is known as the piece-price
plan was substituted for the contract.
convict system. This plan, while not
wholly satisfactory to outside labor, was
a vast Improvement on the old plan, and
the most practicable solution of the
problem at that time. The same plan
was adopted in New York.
Nobody expected the State would save
money or make money by the new sys-
tenn, but the people of Ohio demanded
the abolition of the contract-convict sys-
tenn and the legislature simply did its
duty. The board of managers at that
time happened to be Democrats, and
upon them devolved the necessity OF
adapting the penitentiary to the new
order of things, machinery was required
and shops needed, all involving great
expense at the outset. With rious
forebodings as to the result, and facing
Republican criticism, the board COM
menced work, and protiting by expert
ence, did the best they or any other
body of men possibly could; and
they, and the friends of the plan,
were hopeful that C few years would
not only prove the piece-price plan
successful but lucrative. The poll
tics of the Statc changed last fall; and,
without change of law, or authority
of law, the pece-price plan was practi-
cally ignored by Republican officials
the contractors again appeared, and the
obnoxious contract system has partly
been put in force. The people have not
demanded u return to the contract sys-
tenn. Outside labor demanded its abo.
lition. The people demanded it, and a
retnrn to the obnoxious system, in {
whole or part, is only done by Republl
can officials that a display Of demagogy
over the financial condition of the peni,
| tentiarY may result Toledo Bee.