The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1888-10-10

question. 1 think, should be studied very
carefully. for its importance is far-reaching,
and it concerns not only the inmates of in
situations like ours. but many outsiders and
a large percentage of the children now
growing up as we'll as future generations.
In my opinion, many of those who are
now fighting against the contract system
are making the same mistakes as did Hume,
Voltaire Paine. and lesser lights in fight
ing the christian religion. They mistake
the abuses of the system for its principle.
1t is not surprising that these should hold
that working convicts by contract in mines,
and on public works, and in concentrating
numbers in certain industries, is unjust to
outside wOlkmen, and that the treatment
of the cOnvicts is Ofttmes brutal. 1 hold
that with proper restrictions the contract
system is better for the state and better for
the convict than any departure from it that
has been tried.
The state employs officials whose duty it
is, not only to prevent our escape and see
that we observe the prison rules and regu-
latiOns, but it is also their duty to protect
injustice in any form from other parties.
We are in the hands of the law but thank
God we are under its protection. We are
guarded by an officer employed by the
state, we are also protected by the same
officer or he violates his oath and trust.
Each inmate in the shops is accountable to
the guard of his shop. No citizen en-
ploye has any authority over an inmate ex-
cept to instruct him in his work and show
him what is required of him. No foreman
or other citizen in the employ of the con-
tractors has authority to punish an inmate,
and any attempt to do so is direct viola
ton of the rules as established by the con-
tracing parties. FOremen OF shops may re-
port irregularities on the part of in
mates in their shops to the guard, there their
authority ceases. No one but sworn Off
cial can. by the law, have an inmate pun
ished. Our officials are sworn officers and
any violation of their oath brings an i'm
mediate punishment upon the head of the
offending officer. We haven't guard who
could, according to his oath, allow any one
Of his men to be abused. and [ don't
hesitate to say that if any one should dare
to brutally treat an inmate his guard would
not only stand by him, but would fight for
him. No guard will allow his men to be
overworked. if he should do so he is not
the proper person for the position; and as
soon as it becomes known at headquarters,
the guard will don citizen clothes and his
place is filled by man with heart as we'll
as backbone. Everything runs like clock
work under properly regulated contract
system. Every guard knows his duty and
responsibility. Ii he is wanting in either,
the Warden will relieve him in pretty short
order. 1t does not take convict long to
learn what is expected of him. If he does
this everything should be o. K.
There are three registers kept. one for
the Warden. one for the Deputy or cell
room, and one for the Inspectors. These
registers give in detail the one punished.
his offence. how punished, and by whom
punished. Any guard who makes false
statement or statement to which he would
not swear, is at once relieved from duty and
suffers other punishment as his otfense
merits Where this system prevails inmates
need never fear brutal treatment and can
as yet see no system that would be more
| beneficial to the inmates than our recent
contract system. That it can be abused l
do not deny; but where the Warden and
Deputy are of the right material the guards
will soon fall into line
| [ intended to write long article on this
subject but Observer in an article few
weeks ago has taken the wind out of my
sails. What 1 have written has been from
personal knowledge of the contract sys-
tenn in all it's phases. l think with certain
additional regulations to the system that
has been employed here for many years.
there is no better plan for the employment
of the inmates of prison. The officers
are enabled to devote all their time to their
duties as officers and are not drawn away
by the financial responsibility. which nec-
essarily attaches to all systems where the
state and the prisoners are the only parties
concerned. TEXAS.
The first lucifer match was made in 1929.