The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1895-11-15
Convict Labor.

Convict Labor.
The policy OF using convict labor in
| agricultural and mechanical produc-
ton, either by States or the Federal
government is in our judgement bad
and unwise one. One Of the foremost
objections is the bringing of the pro-
| ducts OF such labor into competition
with free labor. The localized effects
do not seem To be very apparent aud
the aggregation of all the production
of such labor in q great country like
ours results in vast magnitude and
| helps to act with SO many other
present unavoidable causes in quitting
or depressing the markets OF free labor
which are narrow enough now, and
aracterized by small enough margin.
1t is paternalistic, capitalistic and
virtually private and comparative en-.
terprise for which there is no just sea
son or adequate cause. The idea that
a State or government must make
money out of criminals is pernicious
falacy. The purposes of prison lite is
one of restraint ard punishment. and
not to make dollars 70 put into the trea-
sury. The grounds upon which such
course is justified is that the prisoner
should not become bur len upon the
government for their keeping. II sim
Pile sustenance were all this would not
be so far wrong, but it is the pride OF
honest and judicious management to
point to the volume of money conve 4
ed into the treasury above actual ex.
penses. We could dwell at length up
on this feature of our subject but will
leave it to proceed with the one uper-
most in our mind in the outset which
is this. That all criminals without
any exceptions 81 ould he utilized by
States and Nation on public works in
which all or nearly all the masses Of
our people are interested and from
which all directly or remotely would
be benefited and upon which all such
forces could be employed for the next
hundred years. The first movement in
this direction should be in scientific
systematic work, under competent and
skilled engineer upon every Datural
water way in the United States, I'd
after every one of these from the
smallest tn the greatest had been made
to serve all the useful purposes that
the best engineering skill ofthe age
could attract from them, then begin
the construction of artificial ones, to
ramify every avenue Of trade available.
When all this was done. then, ohjec-
tionabie as it may appear now tackle
railroad building. First break the
| back tone OF great railroad corpo-
rarions and extortion by water ways
and cheap transportation, then where
water cannot be made available use
railroads. To bring matters near home
and illustrate our policy, we will take
Pearl, Big Black or any other annu.
ally running stream in the State. Let
the State put all her prisoners for in-
stance on Pearl river not under contrac
tors, but State or Federal authority
| and straighten and clear it of obstruc-
| tions beginning at the mouth and pro-
ceeding upwards, building locks and
dams OF whatever means engineering
skill may direct 20 husband her never
failing supply of water which now
flows uselessly into lake Borgue and on
to the gulf, so that ii will float our sur
plus products TO the Eastern myriads
of lower classes to whom good full
agate meal. regular three times a
day is a stranger. and TO whom a meat
diet is something they only hear about
There is no question but what this wa
ter in our running streams can by be-
ing damed by locks and conserved at
the mouth begraduaIly iIeld and forced
by successive locks up the stream TO a
depth within its present banks so as to
float crafts of sufficient apacity-for
all practical purposes. The man who
cannot see this is poor. blind and mol
capacitated TO direct the desiinies of !
great and progressive people. Tine
does not enter into the calculation nj
all, it is only final, mPhant, glori.
GUS results. Pharaoh operated a canal
through Suez thousands of years ago.
Aquaducts and road ways mark the
progress OF Rome. The pools OF Solo
mon capable of floating a steamer
stand to-day and the irrIgsting bitches
of our own Western borders as well az
Eastern countries SHOW what can be
done with water. Buf the limits OF
this article forbid dilation. and we pro-
coed to the feature Of humane treat
ment Of consicts. which certainly could