The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-10-30
Stillwater Minn, Thursday, Got. 80, 1890.

organized labor. as L understand it. is two
fold, first. because of its degrading in
f1uenceS on the prisoners themselves, and
second, for the reason that it brings prison
labor into competition with free labor. and
in manner that pushes the products of
free labor to the wall. the former being
purchased at so low rate that the latter
cannot compete it. They recognize. as
everybody must. that for reason of health
as we'll as of discipline the prisoners must
be emplOyed-that continual condition of
idleneSs is not to be thought of. The prod
uctS OF their employment, must, of course,
be marketed. but if judlcOusly handled un
der the direct authority of the state itself,
this need not be. to the detriment of free
labor. AS far as practicable the state
should avoid bringing the work of prisoners
into competition with that of free labor.
With the contract system abolished and
wise business administration of the prisons
instituted, all the discussion and trouble
about prison labor in competition will dis
appear While it would not do to support
prisoners in ideness- proposition that does
not admit of argument-at the same time
the state cannot afford to manage its pris-
OnS simply for the money that can be made
out of them. 1t must be actuated by nObler
motives. Let the prisoners be worked and
worked hard. There is no reason for baby
ing them. They are sentenced to hard
labor. under the law. and the sentences
should be properly enforced. They expect
it. But l would have them engaged in such
labor as would qualify them to earn their
own living after leaving prison. This is
the correct policy for the state to enforce.
1t is not so much consequence what it costs
to keep criminals in prison as it is what it
will cost after they are liberated, i. e.. what
kind of lives they will lead
l have very hastily and very imperfectly
stated my views above. To summaries: l
should abolish absolutely the contract
system of prison labor throughout the
cOuntry-first. because it is degrading in it.
self; second, because it brings prison labor
into an unjust and unfair competition with
free labor, and. third, because it stands in
the pathway of prison reform. There are
many collateral reasons which need not be
given. The system. in my Judgment, an
tagOniZeS refOrmatOry work at every point
and helps it at none.
In closing you will permit me to add, the
great opportunity for reformatOry work
among criminals occurs before they reach
the priSOn-while they are yet nOviceS in
crime-Or indeed before they have commit
ted any. l think the Infinite judgment
will find great difference in persons who
have committed exactly and only the same
OffenSeS.
One of the most beneicient institutions
in this state, to my mind, is what is known
as the state public school at OwatOnna, an
institution whose mission it is to gather up
the abandoned and homeless children of the
state-the little fellows whose parents are
dead or have deserted them or who are un-
able to take care of them; who have no rel
atives to care for them and are utterly alone
in the world-and provide for them good,
comfortable, Christian homes. meantime
kindly caring for and educating them at
the home school at OwatOnna. l know of
nothing more benefcsnt in the line of
public charity. Besides think of the wis
dom of it. Instead of permitting its home
less children to run wild and drift off into
criminal channels and become criminals
and expensive public charges. as the larger
percentage of them naturally would, the
state steps in and makes good citizens of
them-moral. upright men and women
whose value cannot be measured by dollars
and cents This is the kind of work that
does away with the need of prisons, and
the more we have of it the better for all the
people who inhabit the earth.