Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1891-09-19
rpaao CONVICT LABOR.

is let out TO one f. =. Chase, at fifty
cents per man per day. Dan Har-
rington, Of Bellevue. State Secretary
OF the Il. Of L., who Ia wide-aweke in
the labor cause, indited the following
letter to the Attorney General in re.
gard TO the matter:
BELLEVUE. Aug. %, 1891.
Gen. George H. Roberts, Attorney
General, Boise City, Idaho: Dear Sir :
herewith enclose newspaper clip
ping, to which beg respectfully To
call your attention, believing the mat
ter therein referred to 10 be contrary
To law, and you, in your double ca
pacity, the proper person to deal with
1t. | would be much pleased 10 have
your assurance that the subject will
have your attention. that ] may he
able Ia present il To those ON whose
behalf ! write, that unnecessary irri-
tation may be allayed.
Respectfully yours,
DAN HARRINGTON,
Sec. State Assembly K. Of l. of Idaho
The clipping referred to in the lotter
Of Mr.. Harrington reads Ms follows;
+. s. Chase, Of this city, who IT,
working the penitentiafy stone QUAR-.
at Boise on contract employes fifteen
convicts Tor whom he pays the State
| fifty cents per man per day. This beats
even Chinese cheap lahor all to smash,
and our townsman should get rich at
! hat rat. .t..tl 4.
'soft snap" can not last very long
not il ahe labor unions get to know
it--Hailey Times.
f. In response To the letter or Mr.. Har
rington the doughty Attorney General
I prints AN open letter in the newspapers,
coluWn long, written la his usual
raphsodical style, without once quoting
/ any law ia the matter or attempting to
answer the charge that prison labor
has been farmed out at fifty cnnts per
day. He appears to be very thin
skinned and highly indignant that
citizen representing vast army of
I free labor in Idaho should have the
temerity to investigate this charge
through him. Why he should get on
his high horse and rant around in un-
seeming style because Of an innocent
application for information from one
OF his constituents, is more than we
can say. He is one Of the State prison
board. and should not jump out Of his
when an inquiry into prison matters is
instituted. The board consists OF the
Governor. Secretary of State and AT
torney General, who are respectively
and respectfully N. B. Wiley. A. J.
Pink ham and G. ii. Roberts. II a
contract has been made which is in.
imical TO the cause OF free labor, and
outside OF the pale Of law, they are re.
sponsibie TO the people for such action.
We contend that the practice of
farming out prison labor at one-fifth
the rate paid for free labor, is an out
rage and injustice to any branch oi
labor upon which il encroaches, and IL
without the sanction of lawful au-
thority. When people obey the laws
and pay their taxes, itsis done for the
protection of law in their persons,
property and business pursuits. 1t is
in the nature of contract. When
prison labor Is brought into open com.
petition with Tree labor. "A lawful bust.
ness pursnit is attacked hy the State,
and the contract is broken. II will
not do for the General to attempt an
evasion Of the question by bowling out
in his usual fervld style, that Mr.
Harrington's letter embodies '.the
voice Of demagogae." II dema.
goguery ex lists, it will be found, in our
humble opinion, in that eyasive aud
4 high. flown letter Of the Generals. and
not in a modest note from private
/ citizen, king instruction add pro-
lection from one who was placed in
the highes legal station by the people
to protect them, one and all, in their
constitutional rights.
OF cou 50 prisoners should be kept
at hard la 'or. The law enjons it. and
the Warden should enforce it. Let
the quarry be worked by the State, for
the benefit Of the State, and whatever
Of profit there is in the labor of the
convicts would inure To the State.
Let walls be built. new buildings be
erected, and the necessary work be-
dene, AMI then. If extra supplies Of
prepared rock is left on hand, let il be-
sold at the same market price to l,uild.
ers as that furnished by free labor
Any othe course pursued would work
an injust,ce. all the specious bowling
of the 4 ttorney General To the con.
trary not OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Hen.
aid, 18th.
The action referred to above has
caused great indignation--justly
too-am ong workingmen through.
out Idaho, and the Republican party
that upholds such a wrong upon
the hard Y, free sons of toll in this
State, ST ould receive lesson at the
NEXT elpt tinn that the laadara .raull