Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-16
WRONGS OF CRIMINALS
The State Should Not Profit by the
Results of Their Labor.
WORK FOR THE PHILANTHROPISTS.
Views Of Correspondent on the Employ
ment of COnvictS
AN OLD STORY GRAPHICALLY RETOLD
To the Editor of The Dlsnatch:

| To the Editor of The DlsDatch:
The Society for the Amelioration of the
Condition of Criminals, in session in your
city, deserves the active support OF all good
citizens and the Jealous participation OF all
Christians and philanthropists in their good
work. The crying injustice Git can be called
present system to the criminal classes had a
very forcible and pertinent example in an
instance related graphically in THE DIS
PATCH few years ago. Its repetition now
in the same columns and the same clear ex-
position of the wrongs done that one indi-
vidual criminal, which are more or sstypi-
cal of the wrongs done the whole class,
would certainly be very appropriate
A certain laboring man stung to bitter
anger and drawn into fierce quarrel by
low language applied to his wife, and the
mother of his children, assaulted and killed
the man on the wharf where they were at
work together. He was arrested, tried,
properly convicted and given q sentence of
10 years. He entered the prison with 8
cents in his pocket, leaving his wife, of
whose honor he had been so unfortunately
and yet so honorably proud, with two small
work, not for them, but the State of Penn
sylvania for a period of 10 years. He was
an exceptionally good workman; an excel
lently behaved convict. By his conduct he
not only won the respect of the officials, but
he shortened his sentence four years, and
came out of the prison with letters from its
officers commencing his character and
recommending his skill as a blacksmith.
HIS MONEY WAS RETURNED.
The cents were returned to him with his
clothes, and he was free to labor. For II
years he had had only prison fare and his
cents went for piece of pie. He started
to find some WORK in the great city of Pitts
burg to earn money to get to his wife and
boys, who were away in the wilds of Mich
igan struggling for their own bread and un-
able to help him. From place to place he
went, honestly telling his story and asking
for employment to get money to get to the
wife for whom he had suffered.
Everywhere the same answer, "We do
not want convict, good men are plenty"
met him, and at last, disheartened, he
wandered into THE DISPATCH Office, whose
columns he had often welcomed as friend
and read in prison. He told again his story
and it was published. Whether he got
back to his wife and children, for whom he
had been patient, good and tractable under
the II long years he had served, THE DIS
PATCH did not tell, and he was only one
more unfortunate waif of society.
Had the State done justice to this man
whose labor she had appropriated for IL
years, how different would have been his posi-
tion. Calculate the result:
$500 days labor at 81 25..............s4 %. 81 125
Less $500 days board at 4Oc. ....-........ 1870
So, sos
Less $50 per year for cloth1 g........... $50
Due the prisoner So 475
Calculate his labor, though it was skilled,
at the the lowest manual price, and his
boarding at the highest possible mess rate.
which would even allow an indulgence in an
occasional piece of pie, and an employer
would have owed him this
HIS LABOR WAS APPROPRIATED.
Could any other than the State have ap-
propriated this labor and returned no re-
compense therefor? Has the State any right
inherent in social ethics to take away for the
good of society not only the liberty, but at
the same time arrogate to herself the right
to make the prisoner work for her as her
slave without accounting to him as an indi-
yidual for the profit or loss of his labor?
Had she right to make this one man,
honestly serving, working, and even in
prison uprightly living, pay to her his
profits in order that she might recompeDse
herself for the loss incurred in keeping
some idle, worthless or decripit prisoners,
thus taking the bread out of the mouth of
the woman? The State herself had made
widow and she had orphaned the chill
dren.
1t is absolutely necessary that the State
arrogate to herself the right to separate
criminals from society under confinement
or parole and enforced labor, but has she a
right to pool that labor, to farm it to con-
tractors to sell it to the highest bidder, or
employ it at all other than for the purpose of
the good of the prisoner morally and finan-
cially? If she has, then African slavery is
defensible, honorable and commendable, for
ignorance and immortality are crimes against
society frequently more destructive than
petty larceny or destruction and appro-
priat1on of property, and a just
master might encourage religion and mar
appropriate and pool the profits of their
labor returning to them clothing, bacon,
corn and the shelter of a cabin, with the
privilege of dying peaceably on the place
when they grew old, for labor well done.
LET PRISONERS LABOR FOR THEMSELVES.
The colonial system is an endeavor to put
for himself and has on the whole been sue
cessful and beneficent. Is it not possible to
extend the benefits OF individual and indie
pendent efforts to the confinement? The
Commonwealth does need vast amount of
labor for the ge"e eral good of society, which |
could be proftably, successfully and benefi-
cially done without interfering with the |
trades classes. A tax is imposed for its
payment on all property, viz, the road tax. |
ODen-air shanty accommodation and whole !
some labor on the roads of tine Common
wealth at fairly remunerative prices could
absorb every days work of the criminal |
classes in a scientific application of material |
and labor to mend the public highways. Such
labor is paid for by the taxes levied
in each district. The criminals, at the ex-
piration of their terms, would be returned
to the body polite, not empty handed, con-
vict branded, but with the satisfaction of
knowing that to every man who had honestly
tried to amend himself, the Commonwealth
had been fair, just and if not LIBERAL at least
upright and commendable, instead of severe,
unjust, slave holding and extortionate. He
would return to society with money honestly
earned, with habits of frugality encouraged
hopes new born and rights of property.
Was not the man who, iA anger, smote
the calumniator of his wife and slew him,
veritable child in passion, and is it not true
that he that offendeth the little ones had
better be thrown into the depths of the sea?
Is it not an offense to take his labor for II /
long years without recompense, paying empty
words therefor, even if they be we'll in
tended? Let the unfortunate criminal
classes be Judged on the line that two
wrongs never make one right S. B.
FRANKLIN, October 10.
l TOLD Won so! So YOU succeeded in