Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-10
CARING FOR CONYICTS.
Opening Session of the Prison Con-
gress to BE Held This Evening.
EX-PRESIDENT HAYES TePRESIDE.
Colonel R. H. Dawson Describes the Contract
System in Alabama.
DIR. BEECHER TO PREACH TOMORROW

conspicuous around the corridors of 1.-THE
Monongahela House yesterday afternoon
and evening. Each wore pink badge with
the initials 'fN. P. A" and "Prisen Cong
ress, Pittsburg, Pa worked thereon.
Headquarters were opened during the day
in parlor 4, where Rev. John L. Milligan,
Secretary Of the association and Chaplain Of
the Western Penitentiary, received the
delegates as they arrived, and in his usual
happy manner made everyone at home.
Ex-President Hayes, who is the President
of the Association, arrived at 10 o'clock, ac-
companied by his daughter They arrived
in the limited from New York, where the
General was, attending reunion. They
were met at the depot by Messrs. George A.
Kelly and C. c. Hax, and driven, to the
hotel The ex-President held an informal
reception in the lobby, shaking hands with
the delegates who came forward to greet
him. Among them we're Captain E. S.
| Wright, Warden of the Penitentiary; John
H. Patterson, Keeper of the New jersey
State Prison; Major E c. Mcmillan,
Warden of the Iowa State Penitentiary;
James Massie, of Toronto; the Rev. Mr..
Milligan, who acted as master of cere-
monies, etc. '' - ;
GOVERNOR PArr1sos FULLY EXPECTED
-,
tison early in the day to ascertain if he
would be present. Mr.. Kelly, who was
awaiting the reply in Mr., Warmers ab-
sence, had not heard from Harrisburg up to
1890 o'clock. The impression was that
"silence gave consent" in this case, and
that the Governor would arrive this morn
ing. 1t is doubtful if he will, in-yiew of
the preparations for the extra session of the
Senate next week.
Ascending to reception room on the sec
ond floor the ex-President was introduced to
Colonel r. H. Dawson, President. of the
Board of Inspectors, of Alabama, and Major
R. w. McClaughrey, General Superin-
tendent of the Chicago Police General
Hayes is as straight and looks as fresh as
when a candidate for the Office OF. Chief Ex-
ecutive in 1876. Though past.70 years, he is
hale and hearty. and it was in strong tones
he acknowledged the greetings of THE DIS
PATCH reporter when introduced to him by
Captain Wright. ..--l
excuse me from touching on politics"
he said with a smile, when the campaign in
his own State was referred to. mckinley
and Campbell are gentlemen both of whom
1 hold in esteem, but / know nothing of
their campaign, excepting as seeit.in print
The campaign in Ohio will evidently be a
hot one.
AGooD ATTENDANCE ANTICIPATED.
:. =
oo,t;,,,o'd tspath Con.,;n Wr;aLt ~
myself can talk to it. The association is in
Its twenty-hrst year, and thls years con-
wi
about two-thlrds of the States send their
wardens and officers of reformatories and
similar institutions to take part in the ses-
sions L believe this CONGRESS will be as
well attended as last years n-Clnclnnatl:
That reminds me, remarked Captain
Wright, that 1t was In Cincinnati ~ years
ago last year that you, General, then Gov
ernor of Ohio, were elected first Pre- ,ident
of the association on Reorganization, and
that last year you were still its President
and were President of the United States
during the period
There are few of the original, members
left believe, said General Hayes, only
you and and one or two more. The asso-
citation has done good work since that time
and its sphere of usefulness will no doubt
become enlarged and it's efforts in the direc-
tlon of the reformation OF convicts find.ad-
dltlonal effect with each successive meeting.
Perhaps no subject to come under discussion
will be more interesting than the question
of the employment of convicts as laborers
outside of the prison walls. That is, as con-
tracted or leased to persons outside of the
Government - -. ..-.t'p .-'
w.pnpS pSvp1curu1cu1vc co,yp, y,>,,rSnrrn
if--' ~ i't n1' Ell
The ex-President remarked on the good
done by the local associations throughout
4 Al al
of the penal institutions aRd their manage
ment, as compared with earlier times. = He
said that the Western Penitentiary, under
Captain Wright's wardenshiB, had no
superior in its government, q.
Colonel R. 81. Dawson, of Montgomery.
Ala, is a gentleman whose -utterances
during the progress of congress will be
closely listened to. He is the Superin-
aI tenu1H. ot tne Doatu az Gus. eosGfs oi .ne
ber of the commission appointed by the
Governor of Alabama to prepare an amend
ment to the convict labor laws. Alabama
is one of the eight States in which the
system OF leasing convlcts to employers is
in vogue. Colonel Dawson says that the
system is not as fagrant in his State as it
may be in others. When a New York
paper was investigating the system in
Georgia he wrote to the editors asking them
to send representatives to Alabama and
describe what they might find there, but the
invitation was not accepted,
81 am opposed to the system of leasing
and contracting convict labor, " said Colonel
Dawson in the course of a chat last even
ing, ''but acknowledge that it cannot be
altered at once and without much prepara-
tion. AS the system OF hirlng conylcts to
contractors is carried OF IN Alabama at
present there is no necessity for any i'm
mediate and radical cnange 1t is wrong,