West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1894-03-22
OUR STATE coNv1crs.
The Warden or the Penifeutisry, Mr..
Van Pelt, Writes an Interesting
Article In Favor OF Hiring
Ont" the Prisoners.

AO"i All, III tue tulJOfIdi COL
umn Of the Preston County Journal
OF February 22nd last, appeared an
article commenting on the manner
OF employing the convlcts at the
Peniteutiary, and credited to the
Free Press. take. it that the arti-
Gle was first published in the Jeffer-
son County Free Press, and that it's
reproduction in the editorial col
umn of the Journal, means that it
voices the sentiments Of the Jour
nal also.
The first advice gwen to the
management of the institution"
is the same old, old song, "Work
them at road making"
The second is, 'Go slow in hir-
ing convicts to contractors from
Ohio, or any other State"
Next we are told, that hiring
convicts at AZ cents day, els
enough to drive good citizen mad. !"
Let US look a moment to the fret
proposition. Every thinking man
in the State is well aware of the
fact that it is not practical to work
convicts at road making, as other.
wise it would be done. | will not
stop to ascertain why it is not
practical, but will make the coun
ties of Jefferson and Preston,
through the Journal and Free Press,
a proposition, which, il accepted,
will afford the editors of the Jour
nal and the editor Of the Free Press
ample opportunity to test the mat
ter by practical experience. 1t Is
always pleasure to the "manage-
ment of the institution" to accom-.
modate everybody, and while we
have no'disposition to drive any
good citizen mad," or bad citizen
either, We will agree to furnish
Preston and Jefferson counties any
number of convicts from one to one
hundred, to be worked cat road
making" free of charge; aud will
agree not to require oond for their
safe keeping, their return to the
prison, or for any purpose. Now,
gentlemen, show us your hand, get
down to business, prove your SIN
certify in this matter, or else admit
that your utterances are the merest
Duncome.
"Go slow in hiring convicts," &c.
The writer evidently had in mind
gentleman from the "Buckeye"
State, who was and is now contem-
plating employing convict labor in
the manufacture of hollow ware at
the Penitentiary. BY this particu-
lar kind of hollow ware is meant,
stove pots and other stove vessels,
and cuspidors of different patterns.
This ware ia manufactured almost
exclusively in penitentiaries, and
venture the assertion, that there is
not housekeeper in the State who
has not in use one or more hollow
ware vessels which were manufac-
tured in some penitentiary.
Ohio and other States are the
producers OF hollow ware, and West
Virginia is consumer. Wealth
follows In the wake of manufac-
tured products, and poverty In the
footsteps of the consumer. Ohio is
growing rich at the expense of West
Virginia, in go far as the ccumula.
ton of wealth from the manufac-
ture OF hollow ware goes to augment
the wealth of the State. 1t rs true
that the profits arising from the
manufacture Of hollow ware at the
prison would cross the Ohio river,
because Mr.. Patton is a citizen of
Ohio; but the price paid for labor
would remain with us, and in the
course of time Dir. Patton might be
induced to transfer his citizenship
to this sido of the river.
No well grounded sobje has
yet been advanced against the adj
mission of the hollow ware industry
to the prison. Organized labor has
failed to make plausible showing
in that direction thus far.
At the last meeting of the Direc-
tors a committee of five gentlemen
representing the Trades Assembly of
Wheeling appeared and sought an
audience, which was cheerfuIlv
granted them. The committee con.
sisted Of four West yirginians and
a citizen of the State OF Ohio. The