The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-07-31
Prison versus Free Labor.

Selected.
Prison versus Free Labor.
To the Editor of THE MIRROR: In your is
sue of the17th inst. you state that in the event
of the state putting down Irvine plant in
this institution. that such course would
raise howl of indignation from outside
manufacturers of this article.
And now, in the name of common sense
and justice. l ask why such a proceeding
should not produce protest in the free la
Dor circles?
Should the state authorities carry out
their idea they will suppose as per usual
run the concern for short time on their
own responsibility and then as is usually the
case eventually hand it over to other parties.
Why any certain company should lease
lot of men for mere nominal sum and then
place the result of labor of said men on the
open market. l for one am quite at a loss to
understand. There are various ways the
state can utilize convict labor otherwise
than leasing it out to company. For
instance, boots shoes, etc., for state pur-
poses could just as we'll be made in here
as on the outside.
Some persons may claim that this pro-
ceedng would also come into competition
with free labor-tO this would simply
reply that the government has perfect
right to manufacture goods for its own
use. Others may again say that by the con-
tract system the convict has chance of
learning trade-tO such would say that
such chances are slim in the extreme. Take
the machine shop of the MINI. Thresher
Co. for an example. Here a man is set to
lnfh o,,I ~, ToS.
he may become as proficient as any trained
mechanic, but at the expiration of his sem
tence he is very little better off than when
he commemorative can make the few things
appertaining to the thresher trade and this
is all; and even should he be successful in
getting work in machine shop on the out
side he can no more hope to hold his job
than he can aspire to turn the course of the
Mississippi, and as have clerked in one of
the largest repair shops in the north west
l must be allowed to know something of
this matter. The statement make may
not be cheerful, but it is in all respects true.
You Americans pride yOurselves-with
much justice-in leading the van of civiliza-
ton, and yet you have in vogue system
which is not tolerated in any other civilized
country in the world. Not even under the
despotic sway of the Car of Russia is such
system permitted. and without being sar-
castle. why it should be allowed to prevail
in the Land of the Free passes my limited
and perhaps somewhat Obtuse cOmprehen-
sion. But as the world grows older people
are becoming more charitable, more en-
lightened and less narrow minded, and
convict is not looked upon in the same light
to-day as he was fifty years ago. 1t is my
firm opinion that in few short years con-
tract labor will all be done away with and
looked back upon as relic of semi-civiliza-
ton; base my ideas on this subject from
Charles Dickens 'American Notes." If
you will compare the prisons of that date
with those of the present time you will see
the enormous improvements that have been
made. and l trust the good work will still
continue. Now, Sir, it may be out of place
to make any remarks on the Irvine factory
in this paper. but will simply say that do
not believe. such an enterprise will ever prove
a success in this institution on the following
grounds. The climate of Minnesota is so
totally different to that of Ireland or the
South of England. that do not think the
flax can be grown to profitable advantage,
and even should this difficulty be overcome
all that the outside manufacturers have
to do IS to form trust, undersell and swamp
the state. and this they assuredly will do
even if for time they are compelled to sell
at loss.
1 am personally we'll acquainted with the
owners of three Irvine and rope factories in
Great Britain. The largest of these en-
plOys between three and four thousand and
the smallest about seven hundred hands.
How the state intends to run with some
seventy five or one hundred men is some
thing do not pretend to be competent to
explain. And now. Mr.. Editor, in making
the foregoing remarks wish it to be un-
derstood that do so entirely without pref
udice. To me personally it does not make
the slightest difference as to whether the
state put in its factory or not; but once
on the outside will shout and howl with
the lOudest against Contract Labor:
I1NDrr Two TT 90