Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1891-04-11
MINING JOURNAL
FROsTBURG MD, APRIL IL, 1891.
Make Prisoners Work.

Legislature VI MlSSoull WHlCu plo-
vides, in brief, for the employment of
convicts confined in the State peni-
tertiary in building up a magnificent
system of public highways, the chief
one of which shall be a boulevard from
Kansas City to St. Louis. In warmly
favoring the bill the Kansas city
Times says:
In the first place there is nothing more
needed in Missouri than good public roads,
Their benefits are unquestioned, and any
thing that has IN view the completion of
fine system of highways ought to be given
early attention.
In the second place Mr.. Lanes bill may
furnish the solution of a question that has
been vexing the State legislators of every
State in the Union for many years-the
question Of the employment of convicts with
out interfering with free labor.
We have here the need and the only
moral consideration involved-each
clearly stated.
We will repeat them:
l, The prime need Of good highways.
., The policy of making convicts
construct and keep in repair the
peoples public roads.
The matter of good looks IS not con-
sidered.
Whether it is or not "barbarism"
does not come into the account.
But the question of economy does en-
ter the discussion. 1t comes in at sew
eral points:
l, In employment the convict es-
capes the dry rot and immortality of
idleness.
2, In employment he is kept in tone
and habit prepared to make his living
when he gets out of penal servitude.
3, In employment he reimburses the
State for the expense of keeping him.
i, In working on the public roads
he supplies the greatest material need
of the current time.
5, Moreover, he does so absolutely
without competing with workers in
any other field of labor for if there is
any field of industry which free labor
appears to despise it is road building
and road-repairing.
To the JOURNALS mind these con-
illusions are established. They settle
the morality of the question and an
swer the complaint of those artisans
who prefer to support convicts in
idleness to competing with their en-
forced industry. The people get road
work for money they would otherwise
pay to keep up a picnic for the Grim
inal class.
If the proposition be good in morals
for State, why not for county or
town. If the State can make its con-
victs work for years on its public
roads, why cannot county make its
prisoners work for months, and town
for days?
Suppose such system were in oper
alton here-how long would an aver
age prisoner of the county work under
the public eye before paying his fine ?
How long would defiant prisoner of
the town work on rockpile under
public notice before he would find
money enough to get out of the
scrape? And, with one lesson in such
a school, would it not be a long time,
speaking generally, before he would
come down to it again ?
The JOURNAL would not hope to see
many roads built by county prisoners,
or streets repaired by town prisoners.
But it would expect to see sheriff's,
magistrates and constables' fees de-
scend to minimum. 1t would expect
to see great decrease of crime and
greater confidence in law as a con-
servator of society-a greater sense of
public safety.
In the matter of dealing with crime
of high and low degree this country
has been taking backward steps for
many years. Violation of law has
become less and less odious, and the
"barbarity" involved has steadily and
surely shifted to the wrong side. 1t
was a "barbarity'' for the Malta to
assassinate the chief guardian of the
public peace in New Orleans, but it
was counterbalanced by the "barbar-
ity" which acquitted the dangerous
Order. Then followed the "barbarityn
of numbering all the mob could get
at-until now it is hardly question
of good looks, but how many Char
barities" one real "barbarityn can
produce by direct and reflex action?
But in generic, not personal terms,
the real barbarian" is opposed to
making crime odious; the real "bar-
barian" sympathizes with the per-
petrator, not the victim of broken
law. In short, the barbarian" per Sc
has the left boot on the right foot, and
yice gersa.
TOWN Of Ghp,>Jyoa,>on.