The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1888-08-29

its present form, with limited capital of
$25, 900 and everything to begin from the
foundations; and just as soon as the system
begins to compete with outside productive
labor, howl will go up that will paralyZe
the public account system. and thus it will
proceed until the argument reaches its lOgi-
cal st ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Ii convict COM
petition is the evil aimed at then no pro-
ductive labor can be done by convicts.
Even the ''stOne pile'' causes competition,
for there are idle men ready to do this work
for wages, and if the convict performs the
labor which a free labOrer may perform.
there is competition. The stone breaker or
dirt shOveler are just as much labOrers as
the skilled mechanics, and il there should be
any favOrtism. it should be in favor of the
unskilled labOrer, from the fact that he is
able to earn but a small part of the amount
earned by the skilled labOrer. In consider
ing the question the entire productive labor
of the country must be computed and then
ascertain what part of this is done by con-
vcts. Not one per cent Only one fifth of
one per cent. Now where does the cOmpe-
titiOn come in? In just such cases as cited
by l.. NJ, individual. particular cases. 1t
is dangerous legislation to begin by legislat-
ing for few men in one avOcatiOn. This
is on the border of class legislation. IT the
Joliet prisoners effect the wages of the Chi
scagO cOOpers. it is no fault of the contract
SYSTEM but the fault of the granting of the
EcOntract to the contractors at such figure
THAT enables. them to place the prison pro-
ductiOnS on the market at a less figure than
the citizen cooper can produce them for.
Our disagreement is also in first principles,
viz: Has the state right to require the in
mate of the prison to earn the cost of his
oi,,fn off do
ny. Then follows the manner and methods
of treatment. claim the contract system
is the best for all parties interested, while
they deny this. 1t is not question of
whether the convict is worth As cenW or So
per day. nor whether the prisoner be learned
trade. nor the ruinous effect of the sys-
tenn now in vogue here. | agree that there
is room for improvement of the methods of
the present system and no one has had
more to say of the injustice practiced upon
our class than l. but l claim the fault lies
not in the contract system. l have not
attempted to fully locate it. but l here de-
clare myself on this point. The fault is in
the purpose of Imprisonment, and the
methods of our criminal laws. together
with the general view society takes of a
vOlatOr of the law. and his treatment from
his arrest to the close of his life. But this
SUBJECT is 100 DTodu u treat Ill tHlS dTllcle.
1t has been ably discussed in these columns
under various heads The issue l make
and which | am anxious to discuss is. that
of all plans tried i'm the United States for
the employment of cOnvicts, the contract
system is the best when the interests of all
parties interested are considered. l claim
that under a properly regulated contract
system greater advantages can be secured
for the prisoner. the cost of his maintenance
above his earnings will be less, and society
can reap all the advantages Of protection
from the wrong dOer. with greater prospect
for reformation than under any other known
plan. My argument upon this question has
not been assailed and as long as it re-
mains unanswered l do not feel called upon
to repeat it. l will. however, reproduce
one idea which regard as unanswerable.
The requirements of competent warden.
free from political CONTROL are not the nec-
essary qualifications of successful business
man on so extensive scale as the public
account system requires. A good warden is
one thing, a good manager of a manufact-
uring concern is another. The two would
rarely unite in one man. OBSERVER.
Many people would be called smart did
they succeed in covering up their tracks;