Omaha daily bee., 1888-10-17
CONVICT LABOR.
Hon. Q. o. Whedon's Sensible Speech
on the Subject.

evening, made the following forcible
observations: On the ninth day of the
legislative session a bill was introduced
in the house extending the lease for the pc
riod of ten years from the time of its expira-
ton and referred to the committee on peni-
tertiary. This blu as introduced contained
no restriction as to the employment of con-
victs, In its Investigation the committee
called before it all eX-state officers within
reach, including MIR. Sturdevant, the only
democrat ever elected to a state Office in the
history of the state. as well as those then fill
ing executive offices. The present prison
policy of this state received the endorsement
of all these officers and eX-offcers. The
knights of Labor held a meeting at Lincoln
at which the bill received consideration, and
this organization that the bill
as introduced be so amended as to prohibit
convicts from making cigars and from max
ing brick and cutting stone, except such brick
and stone as might be required by the state
dres, a member of the knights of
Labor organization was a member
of the penitentiary committee to
which the bill was referred, he brought in
the amendment proposed by the labor organ
lzation and it was adopted. AS thus amended
the bill was reported back to the house with
a recommendation, in which all the members
of the committee concurred, that 1t be
passed. The original prison contract was
| executed in 1877. and took effect on the 1st of
oSNcpNi L tiat '"i ~ AZ hh DSSh III
force two years, and at the legislative session
of 1879, that contract was extended for the
period of six years. So well satisfied was
the legislature of the wisdom of such action
that the bill extending the lease IN 1879 re-
ccived out of eighty-fOur votes in the house
SlXty-four to eleven against, and IN the senate
out of thirty votes twcnty.one were cast for
and six against.
In 1887, after the lease had been once ex-
| tended, and after the present system had
| been tried for more than nine years, out of
one hundred and thirty-three members of the
legislature, but twenty-eight voted
against another extension. 1t was not
a party question. More than IS per
cent of the democrats who voted for
| John A. McShane for United States senator
voted to extend the lease and contract in
1887. The bill, as amended at the suggestion
of the knights of Labor, having received the
tees of the house and senate, the endorse
mont of officers and ex-Officers composing and
who had composed the board of public lands
and buildings of the state, and fifty-six more
votes than a constitutional majority, was pre-
scented to the executive, and on the day fol-
| lowing its presentation received his approval.
In Nebraska a larger number OF persons
are engaged in agricultural than in any other
occupation, and in proportion to their wealth
they pay a larger proportion Of state taxes
than any other class. From any system or
policy which, without injury to other indus
tries or classes, reduces the cost of imple-
| lellS Ol agriculture, lie ldrLleT TcapS u Ill
rect and the entire state an indirect
benefit. One company is engaged in
manufacturing certain kinds OF agri-
cultural implements, and in so doing
employs convict labor. Since the passage of
the extension act of 1887 it has increased It's
plant and now employs 1l3 convlcts where it
formerly employed but seventy-eight. 1t
has reduced the price of implements, not
only such as 1t manufactures, but others, 10
| per cent since it placed it's goods on the mar
| kpt. II comes in cOmpptitiOn with no other
mandatory of the kind in the state. East
ern manufacturers have been compelled TO
reduce the price Of their implements to meet
the price of those manufactured here, and
the result has been u direct benefit to the
farmer. 1t would be far better If the state
had not a convict in her penitentiary; better
still If the necessity for a prison did not
exist; but so long as crimes are committed,
and criminals are a public burden, it is the
duty of the state, and should be its policy, to
reduce this burden as low as possible. The
prison population Of Nebraska does not in
crease as rapidly as would be supposed; the
number of convicts on the 1st of June, 1887,
in Nebraska, was 345; the number on the
first of June, 1888, was 1923, a decrease of
seventeen in one year. OF the number now
in confinement, ll3 are employed by the
Western Manufacturing company; seventy
are employed by other contractors; twenty
three are engaged in a laundry, and OF the
remainder, thirty-tive are Cripples and the
balance are engaged in prison duties or in
raising produce consumed at the prison.
With so small a number OF prisoners, and so
slight a rate of increase of prison population,
the danger of free labor being seriously af-
fected by being brought into competition
with that of convicts, is far removed. If
any citizen has to advance a better system
Of prison management than the one now in
vogue, it is his duty to bring 1t forward and,
il possible, secure its adoption at the proper
time, but If he is unable to propose a better
plan, he secures neither friends, influence or
| vntna Nv m M, III tho InnfiUaS NJ n an
plying epithets or inuendoes to those who
voted for or gave official sanction and APP
prevail to the act ! hava considered.
Following Mr.. Whedon, the chairman in
troduced i. w. Lansing, who spoke substan-
TALLY as follows:
We are now on the eve of a campaign that
will not die in the memory OF the people
after its termination. We have set out as an
oppressed people to battle for our rights,
and as republicans to protect our home in
dustries from the invasion of British pro-
ducts. The democratic party has simmered
down and has dragged what few principles
it possessed dow with it. 1t has simmered
down to one man-Grover Cleveland. 1t
has got TO that point that when Grover takes
snuff every democrat has to sneeze. They
launched out on an issue OF free trade, but
have since discovered that i: would not be
tolerated, and in consequence have began TO
craw-fish. Cleveland in his last message 10
congress dwelt lengthily on the tariff and
pictured metaphorically the evils it was
ShelIerlng. what was TINS messagei
| assert that it was q measure
on free trade. as radical, too, as ever found
its way into PRINT, and to the eyes of the
reading public. What does it meant Does
1t mean that the manufacturing element has
grown rich by not having an active COM
petitori | defy any man to draw any other
conclusion than that it was designed in the
interest of foreign manufacture and foreign
capital and labor. l do not desire you to
take my utterance as proof, but turn tn the
indisputable evidence that stands on our
records. Figures are the speeches. wit
nesses that often supplant human testimony,
and in this instance they play a most con-
splcuous part. Now let us take up tue record
Of the present democratic administration In
the cabinet of the United States we have
representatives who, TO a great extent, fash
ION the destiny Of all our purposes. Who are
theyl Six arch-traitors to this republic
landmarks of rebellion and disunion. But /
regret that such can be said. II is only one
of the many objectionable errors
| of the present administration Then
again permit me 10 call your attention TO the
weakness of the chief executive. Turn to
his action on the fishery issue with Canada.
Our school-boy of to-day is vested with more
moral courage than was shown in this in
| stance. Then we have the Cutler Mexican
fasco, his pension vetoes, and above all
| tinged with monumental disgrace and cow
/ ,,l;aa tho attaunhfaA ratttvp ~ tho rahpl