The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1888-08-15
TaRy That Won't Chew.

When | was boy, if l had a penny to
spend for candy. l usually bought taffy,
being careful to select the kind that would
chew best. and therefore last the longest. l
wish had some tatfy now; | would give
you all some. Taffy would be awful good
in prison. If any of you get hold of any tatfy
that will chew, send little of it up to 40.
have got friend here who is generous
hearted fellow He is a prisoner of course.
but he is the most gentlemanly one that L
know--nothing about him but his clothes
that looks at all like a prisoner. don't see
how he ever got here. He is capable of
gracing any society, utterly devoid of the
vocabulary of the crook, and possesses that
crowning virtue, ''charity" l am satisfied
that if he gets any tatfy will get some of
it, You know he is ''cOllege bred" and
possesses fine ability. but has been mislead
into defending that festered corruption. the
contract system. | refer to Observer. His
defense as published in the columns of THE
MIRROR was very feeble. when his ability
is considered. There is no way of account
ing for this except that he knew the verdict
would be against him. Yet how tickled he
was when gentleman in Illinois sent him
a chunk of taffy for his efforts. Observer
sucked it for few days. not trying to chew
it;sand then his generous nature urged him to
share it with the boys" so he spread it
over halt column of THE MIRROR, so
we could all get some Of it. When l got
mine | tried to chew it, but it wouldn't
chew so l thought ] would analyZe it. |
will present the specimens here that ! an
alyZed. quoting the gentleman from Illinois
as published in THE MIRROR and headed
'Observer Sustained by an Outsider" He
said: "Observer. fully concur with your
views on contract labor. 1t never has nor
never can compete with free labor. 1t must
be admitted that goods made by cOnvicts
are inferior to those made by skilled me-
chanics outside, hence cannot command the
same price Under the contract system the
convict is encouraged to become honest,
self-supporting and intelligent.
Now. | have denounced this system. My
experience under its vicious and demOral
iZing influence upon the convict. aside from
that of underselling free labor. has conclu
svely proven to me that this system is
feStered spot upon the fair eScutcheOn of
the state: It discharges it's stream Of cor
upon society and bequeaths it to generations
yet unborn. and believe it to be hated and
despised by all except a few who profit by
it: and when outsiders who are interested in
the regeneration of the convict and to them
so good friend as the gentlemanS letter
from Illinois proves him to be-are led to
believe that the contract system is the best
means to bring about the good results they
desire. and when that belief of theirs is
strengthened by the cOnvict's own paper.
through contributions by one Of its misguid-
ed contributors then feel called upon to de-
fend myself my fellow unfOrtunateS, and
the best interests of society. and to counter
act the evil influence caused by the publ
cation in our paper of one mans ideas, that
misrepresent upon this subject 80 per cent.
of the prisoners here. | shall only show
here, that the gentleman from Illinois is as
far off as Observer is; then | challenge
anybody citizen or convict to present one
single redeeming feature that the contract
system possesses that l cannot easily show
to be cOndemning in its every point. But
attention now to my friends who say that
convict labor never did, or never can COM
pete with free labor" One of the Oldest.
largest and most prosperous shops in the
j oliet penitentiary is devoted to the manu-
facture of cooperage, chiefly for packing of
meats and lard. and chiefly for the Chicago
market. The firm engaged in this business
has had contracts for convicts at Joliet for
many years. In 1875 this firm with their
convict labor made 267. 400 packages, and in
1885, 745. 261 packages. while free labor
shops in Chicago made 271. .044 packages in