The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-02-13
OPINIONS OF CONGRESSNTEN.


erection of three United States prisons for
the confinement of prisoners from the fed
eral courts. 1t is proposed to locate one at
the north one at the south and one on the
Pacific slope. We read in the Congress
siOnal Record, a debate on proposed
amendment to that section OF the bill pro-
vidng for the employment of the prisoners,
and we were never before so impressed with
the truth of that old copybook line which
says there are MANY men of many minds"
Some were for employing the convicts in
this way, another in that way, another in
no way, while another would have them
work at anything at all. Mr.. Spinola. of
n. Y. demanded in behalf of tree labor,
that they should not be employed at any
kind of work that would in any way bring
them in competition with "honest labor"
He has no sympathy whatever for Grimm
ais. He would not answer the question of
how they should be employed, but would
leave it to Yankee ingenuity to devise some
harmless means. But the main difference
be employed Oh machine or hand labor.
The following are CONVERSATIONS from the
cOngressmen's remarks:
Mr.. Morse. of Massachusetts. IL have but
one lamp by which my feet are guided and
that is the lamp of experience Several
years ago. by an act of the legislature ma
chinery was excluded from the penal and
refOrmatOry institutions of the state, and
hand labor substituted for machinery. 1t
has been found to work badly. and has
been great and serious injury to the pris
Oners themselves. and has had the effect to
increase recOmmitments to the penal inst-
tutiOns and increase crime. The dictates
OF patriotism. humanity. and wise states
manship are utterly opposed to this propo
sitIOn to exclude machinery from the con-
templated penal institutions of the United
States.
Mr.. Farquhar. of New YOrk-Give your
cOnvictS proper education. Instead of their
''stealers and pickers," educate their hearts
and souls. Do not put them on railroads to
make millions for contractors. Do not put
them into great machinery halls to make
hundreds of thousands for men who by ia
vOr of state officers, make their fortunes
out of the poor mans work. If you intend
to reform the man or reform the woman,
give HIM or her an opportunity to learn
Make him a better man by the
same means by which you and l have been
made good men. Give the man a health
full occupation: but above all give him an
education; give him standing; give him
the pride he has lost Make him a man and
you have reformed him. Applause.
MIR. Lansing of New York.-NOw, sir.
what is the convict good for when he comes
3D. fc4
of some machinery by which to earn live
lhood? Is he to be put there simply to
punish him? Why. sir. that idea went out
of prison discipline a hundred years ago.
thank God. Now we put a man in prison
for two reasOns--tO reform and to punish.
But the reformation is the better and
greater part. | hope this House i'm such
legislation as this will not allow itself to be
carried away by any OF the demagOgiSm
that is always heard in such connections
wherever the interests of labor are con
cerned. which in this case would amount
a sum too small to be calculated.
Mr.. PendletOn. of w. Val pledged my
constituents that whenever and wherever
had chance in the House of Representa-.
tives to cast my vote in the interest of hon
est labor as against convict labor l would
cheerfully do so. do not want to be told
that sixty five millions of people are so
mean and so selfish as to use their thieves.
their rascals. their Jail birds. outlaws and
criminals for the purpose of competition or
with the idea that this unpaid labor shall
give us products that can be sold cheaper
than the manufactures of our paid labor.
Mr.. EnlOe. of TenneSSee.--I understand
that the gentleman wants to keep them
from coming into competition with honest
labor. l want to know what legitimate
labor in this country is dishonest. l am
opposed to taxing my constituents to keep
prisoners in idIeness because they will com
pete with honest labor. They must com
pete with some mans honest labor. or they
must sit in idleness. and all honest labor
must be taxed for their support.