The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1888-09-12
A Common Sense View Of the Prison
Labor Question.

LII CnlS issue Will Dc lOullu SCdlcmcHC
showing that under the contract system this
prison failed to pay expenses the past year
by $40, 500. This amount necessarily falls
upon the taxpayers. while the SAT, $50 re-
ceved from prison labor robbed the labor
ing men outside of at least $12O,O and
robbed 400 prisoners out of 1901 900 days
work for which they received practically
nothing.
Now we prisoners unite in an appeal to the
TAXPAYER and free laborer, for change.
We ask. is this right? No, it is POL1TI-
CAL ECO> ONLY. AS long as it is left to the
politicians to remedy, it will remain in this
muddle am surprised at the poor delud-
ed voters. of country that boasts of its
progress and enlightenment, being hood
winked out of their vote every election by
campaign talk, when experience should
teach them. that after the election is over
the bait that caught them is never thought
of by the political fisherman. no more than
you would think OF the worm with which
you had baited your hook and caught
sucker from the brook. Yes, the pOliti-
clans are fishermen, their platform the bait,
the election the hook, and you poor, deluded
voters are the suckers. You may think am
varying from the subject. but to remove a
cancer you must get at the root, and il the
former methods of dispOsing of and en-
plOying cOnvicts is not a cancer OH the fair
name of America. then ask what is it? So
vote for men whom you know to be men
and change the law regulating this question.
Another reason for this question remain
ing unsOlved so long, is, that the interests
of all parties concerned are not taken into
consideration. There are three classes that
must be considered and satisfied before you
can ever attain SUGGESTIVE prisoner first,
the Taxpayer next, and then the free labor
er. You will say. why the prisoner tirst?"
Because they are the only ones that have
the power to make it a Selfsustaining insti-
tuition where the number is small for the
fewer the prisoners the more it costs per
man. For One-third more than what it
costs to run this place with 400 prisoners, 500
could be kept. Now it costs this place 1922
per man for the year. Each man would
have TO earn 74c day. at 800 days year.
that is allowing So Sundays. holidays and
10 days each for sickness. Now, can you
MAKE those 400 men earn on an average of
74c each working day? l say you cannot.
Well. can they earn 74c a day? Yes and
from 81 to So day besides for themselves
if you will let them. You will say, How
is it that you can earn 81 to So day if you
want to. but that you can't be forced to
earn 74c day." Answer, you can force a
horse up to the trough. but you can't force
him to drink pint of water if he is not
willing, but if he is willing he can drink
10 gallons. So with prisoner. you can force
f.,y ncly hl1f Ii %,o
anything to amount to anything. Give him
an interest in the amount of work he does
and you will be aStOniShed at the difference.
Here is the only way that will ever do JUS
tice to the three classes Interested Let the
prisoner have such work as he can do and
finish it himself, SO he can be paid by the
piece for all he does, and pay him just the
same price as the same work commands out
side, deducting the cost of his maintenance
which in our case here would be 74c day.
Make it 75c even count and there is not one
of us will object to paying the actual cost
OF maintenance, providing he can get the
balance of what he earns. By so doing
you will remove the Objectionable idea of
working for the state. for that idea is what
gals prisoner and keeps him from doing
any more than he is compelled to. l know
some will say that if convict is allOWd to
make 81 to 50 day besides paying for
his maintenance all the tramps and loafers
in the country will be going to the pen"
to get rich. Well, let them go to the pen"
for under my system they would live off of
their own earnings, instead of living on
what they could beg or steal outside. While
here they would cost nobody anything but
themselves. and say they Staid here five
years and made above their expenses 81 a
day. they would have $500 going out in the
world and would not have to beg or steal
any more. for that much would give them
start and capital with which to make an
honest living. All that l say is from hard
earned experience and l know that without