The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1889-02-07
PRISON LEGISLATION.
Tammany Writes Wisely on the
Prison Labor PrOblem---In
Favor Of the Public
Account Plan

IACCouht Iahs
If any reliance can be placed upon the
truth Of the Oft-QuOted assertion that,
coming events cast their shadows before. p"
and the signs of the times are any indica-
ton. we have good reason to congratulate
ourselves that we are ON the eve of a de-
cided improvement in our condition. In
the recent messages of our present gov
ernOr. and his immediate predecessor. con-
siderable space is devoted to review of
our most urgent needs. and recommends
tiOns are made to the legislature which
doubtless will receive their careful and
earnest consideration. Now that the sena-
torial question has been happily disposed
of, and the Ozark horses being no longer a
disturbing element, we are casting our
eyes St. Paulward. to discern what prOmi-
ses to be brighter future. Tie prison
committees Ito whom all legislation which
directly concerns us is referred to be ma
tured) are now ZealOuSly engaged in ef-
forts to solve the problem which has So
long baffled the ingenuity of the many who
have preceded them IN that direction. VIZ:
How best dispose the labor of the convict?
The bills which they will be called upon
to consider. will be many and various. and
it is to be presumed. that they will honor
us with visit for the purpose of acQuaint-
ing themselves with 1.-THE situation" before
making any favorable reports. This is as
it shsuld be. Of all questions now before
the public. there is none in which they are
more interested. nor is there any which
exceeds in Importance, or requires more
care and skill. in it's successful solution, than
does that of the juStly-termed ''priSOn
problem" The question that appears to
be uppermost in the public mind. is that
concerning our employment. The system
under which we have been employed for
years, caused wide spread dissatisfaction
among a large number of worthy citizens of
the state. and in response to their demands.
a plank favOring the abolition of convict
labor by contract. was inserted in the plat
forms of the leading political organizations.
and at the ensuing election. the people pro-
claimed in no uncertain tones that the con-
tract system, like the Chinese, must go.
In accordance with the expressed will of
the people. the last legislature abolished
the contract system, and ordained that we
should be employed on state account, and
in pursuance thereof made an appropriation,
which was not only inadequate for the pur
pose. out which. by the inadvertent Oms
sion of several important words from the
enacting clause, rendered an opinion from
the attorney general necessary to ascertain
if it were really available. The session Of
the present legislature having been extended
by law to period OF ninety days, it is to
be hoped that on all such important ques
tiOns as this. that they will not only make
haste slowly" but that they will thoroughly
survey the field before taking any decisive
action.
AS regards Onr employment the question
to be considered is: whether there shall be
a return to the contract system, or shall a
sufficient sum be appropriated to inaugu-
rate the public account system? The merits
and demerts of both questions have been
thoroughly discussed not only through the
columns of THE MIRROR, but by the most
influential of the press throughout the Ell
tire country. and the preponderant opinion
Gf the reformation of the convict is to be
taken into consideration is in favor of the
public account system. The contract syS-
tenn has been on trial here for more than a
decade of years. and what is the result? 1t
has not only been failure as refOrmatory
measure, and created determined .Opposi
tiOn to it's existence on the part of organ
lied labor, and numerous manufacturers,
but it has also been failure financially so
far as the interests of the state are con-
cerned. Under the most favorable auspi-
ces for utilizing convict labor, and not