New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-12
THE DEMOCRATIC ATTACK UPON THE
PRISONS

On Monday evening ASscmblyman Stein, OF
this city. introduced bill in relation to prisons
which had previously been introduced IN the
Senate bv Mr. Collins. The measure which Is
thus brought forward in both houses by Dem
ocrats is not worth moments consideration
by anv legislator who honestly desires to serve
the peoples true interests II prohibits the use
of steam power for manufacturing purposes IN
our prisons or houses Of correction, ana limits
the employment of the conyictS to the making
of articles which may be needed by charitable
and other State institutions In other words,
i, is one of those worthless pieces of legislation
with which the Democracy OF New-> ork mas
been bidding for the labor vote ever since the
convict contract labor system was abolished ny
the popular mandate
To pass this Collins-Stcin bill would be 70
return the prisons TO tho n'olcrable condition
from which they were rescued when the excel
lent law of last year went into effect. That
law was drafted and perfected by those most
compctcnt for the task by men who had de-
voted years 10 tho study Of the prison problem
Tho Superintendent Of Prisons tcStiiicS in his
annual report that it i working well. Under
il all the convicts arc kept a work the prisons
are prevented from becoming heavy burden
10 the taXpaycrS while. in virtue Of restrictions
imposed upon the prison managers, the con
,icts are employed upon variety OF industries
and are shifted from one kind of work 10 an
other in such a manner that competition with
FREQ labor Of any sort j. reduced 10 IN" MINI
num- That is the law under which the prisons
have been managed since last June. Because
# It's fair and wise provisions tn" >uperintend-
cnt was able 10 report that tho new fiscal year
opcrcd with encouraging prospects. Very dii-
fcrcnt was tho law of 1855. which in il gen
cral features the Collins stein bill resembles.
n is scarcely too much to say that it was the
worst measure Of the sort that ever reached the
.,a'uto-hooks. Under it. in 1859, sing sing
Auburn and Clinton prisons all returned de-
fciencies which amounted in the aggregate 10
>3G9.27i -. Nor was this the worst of the
.c.uli, for which il was responsible. By cauS
mo a susncnsion Of the usual industrial opera
lion, i'm the prisons il led. SO the superintendent
himself a Dcmocrat-rcports, :" 20 the de
,crioration Of the morale Of the prisoners as a
mass and an unprecedented death rate and an
uncquacd numerical lapse OF conyctS into IN
sanity"
At "A meeting Of labor union in Syracuse a
few evenings since a resolution WIS introduced
commencing the Collins->tcin bill. The rcSo-
luton was adopted but the delegate who OBJ
icciod 70 it on the ground that il looked to the
Endorsement of " political measure was lcycl-
headed. II i nothing but a political measure.
lis purpose is NO, to give the state better
prison policy than il now possesses. but 10 make
a number Of ambitious Democratic politlcIan>
in the Legislature and out Of II solid with work
ingmcn. Il means that. and 1t means Only
that Possibly it may impose upon the igno-
rant and the thoughtcss but all intelligent
workingmcn ought TO condemn it. lis passage
would work ncalculablc injury to the prisons
without comforting any appreciate bencht
upon free labor.