Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-02-28
WORK nor CONlCTS
OVER A HUNDRED FAR, BBARTY, ABLE
BODIED CONViCTS IN TAG PIN
With Not a Thing TO Do bat to Eat and to Sleep
Whils the People Put Up for Their support
The Number Grows Yearly Grealsr and Some
Work Should be Furnished 10 Keep Them
Employed and Make Them Saii-SuPPorling.


sion 70 the very great increase in the
amount required 10 pay the expenses of
bringing the criminals OF the State 70
justice. The facts contained in the ar
tlcle have been seriously considered by
taxpayers and citizens an over the
State and the figures nave been widely
copied. The expenditure of so large q
sum OF money is necessarily q matter OF
much concern % the people who have
it 20 pay aud the large Increase 10 the
burden which the criminal classes OF
the State are imposing on the people
has set them 90 thinking. Tn CONVEX
cation with a REG1sTEB representative
yesterday a well known gentleman OF
this city referred 20 the REGISTERS
hgul9s and said.
TO is not only true that the criminal
charges have been materially increased,
but it is also true that the number Of
convictions have increased proportion
ately. This does not prove an eXtrava-
CANT expenditure OF the peoples money,
bat TO does prove, either that crime is
Increasing rapidly iu the State, or that
more criminals are ceins called 90 ac-
count for their crime.
There are now in the pen;tentiary
about four hundred aud fifty c0nvicts,
representing an increase in number OF
of over sixty per cent during the last
three and a half years. This is an un-
precedented increase, and 40 the pres
ent rate of increase, 10 viii be but q few
months 40 farthest until the prison Is
6.led 90 overlooking. Elity-siX cells
were completed in 1890, Seventy-two
more in 1S92, and one hundred aud i0nr
are just being completed, making a to-
tai OF four hundred and 6lty-slx cells,
thereby making 10 necessary 90 erect an
additional building, in which 20 build
cells before the cell capacity OF the
prison can DO increased. It is evident
therefore, that the next Legislature
must be called upon 20 appropriate no
small amount OF money, 90 increase the
capacity of the prison, IL the stream of
cOnvicts continues 90 pour in.
TIE last legislature passed an act,
or at least amended the then existing
law In such manner as 90 allow the
counties TO work the c0nvicts on the
public roads free OF charge, and with
out giving bond for the safe keeping OF
cOnvicts. To was thought that several
counties would make use OF the OppOr-
tunity thus offered % improve their
roads, that the number OF Convicts Ia
the penitentIary would be reduced dur
ing part OF the year, and that a step
had been taken in the direction OF set
ting the convict labor question; but
not a county in the State has yet made
application for a convict.
To is not gratifying 90 the taxpayers
of the State 90 know, that there are
more than a hundred Fat, hearty, able
bodied conyicts 10 the penItent.ary at
this time, unemployed. Nevertheless
such is the ease.
The convict appears Co be a necessary
OWL AN law abiding people desire the
speedy conviction and punishment Of
all criminals, out as soon as the crim-
ina becomes convict, be Is thereby
transformed at once into an expensive
luxury and a bone OF contention. Ii he
is maintained at the Denitsutiary ia
idleness, the taxpayer who labOrs, and
the taxpayer who does not labor, COM
plain OF the idleness OF the cOnyicts,
and great expenditure of the peo-
pla's money is required 90 feed, Ci0the,
the doors OF the prison are opened 90
the manufacturers, and they are per-
mitted 90 manufacture articles OF mer-
chandise with convict abOr, the cry of
"cOm petition with free labor Is al once
set up. 10 appears that 10 matters not,
whether or not the articles manufac-
tured or proposed 90 be Manufactured,
do. or do not come in cOmpe-
titiOn with articles OF like kind
manufactured in the State, the cry goes
out Just the same. AT one time 10 was
proposed 90 allow the convict labor 20
be used for the purpose of manufactur-
ing hO'lOw-ware, ninety per cent. OF
which Is manufactured In prison, and
not any OF which is manufactured in
West Virginia. To is difficult % under
stand why any citizens OF class Of citi-
7ens I'm the State would object 90 the
manufacture of an article az the peni-
Tertiary not manufactured in the State;
nevertheless, committee OF represent
alive labor men, representing them
selves 90 DO representatives. OF labor
organizations, promptly appeared and
vigorously protested against convict
labor being used for such an unh0iy
purpose. The authority OF The COM
mittee was not questioned, aud neither
we're they aSAyI '' p.o''oo .-e'' gre
oent.a.s' Do. 'Ne 'lS ,.-ll'' p-oS s.l- p
ZION Us 'u-. 49,. 49,.
atiVes %, oi-"u.-'- ."..'' ~.' '-1' .uey
reHecleI l1' SEMI. n, ,-'' y. u. @l..ou
laooI. Ane Le-Ies, que INN. ,.ee 0S-'
coed I'm fho ~rnfa WAS hv rr0vfnr by a.
-.e,,bsr M tbe committee. thar some
49, s,r,e,.bsro FL, tbe Stq.e. has some
t-lt,,,, ,,.re Dortsrs IL is now wbfs-