Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-11
TALK AGAINST CONVICT LABOR.
The Trades Council Has an Open
Meeting and Adopts Resolutions.

The Central Trades and Labor Council
held a most interesting meeting last
night in EIetts Hall, at which resolu-
tons were adopted memoralizing the
General Assembly to enact legislation re-
quiring the marking or labelling of all
cOnvict-made goods manufactured or sold
in this State, and also asking that body
TO abolish the practice OF corporal pun
ishment. which, it is claimed. is now re-
sorted to I'm the State penitentiary as
mode Of punishment of prisoners.
Mr.. \. B. McCulloch, of the Council,
offered the following resolution in regard
to convict labor
Whereas, we are OF the opinion that the
present contract convict-labor system in
vogue in the State of Virginia Is detri-
mental % the interests Of all classes
OF our citizens. and should be reformed
at the earliest possible time; and
Whereas, We believe that the enact
ment Of a law prohibiting any person in
this State from exposing for sale within
its confines any convict-made goods mo
matter where manufactured. except they
be distinctly marked or labelled convict
made" would be Of direct benefit 10 the
thousands of merchants, w0rkingmen, and
others who are suffering from the gross
injustices of the present system: there
fore, be 1t
Resolved, That it is the sense Of this
meeting that the Legislature now In ses-
sion be memoralized 10 enact legislation
recurring the marking or labelling OF
all convlct-made goods manufactured or
sold i'm the state. and TO this end we
would call attention to the legislation OF
this description that has been adopted
in New Jersey. Pennsylvania, Maine, and
other States
In speaking in favor Of the resolution,
Mr. McCulOch said that In his opinion,
IL was lust as proper and just that con-
vict goods should be so Labelled as tnat
oleomargerine should bear mark show
ing that it was an inferior product. The
LEGISLATURE, he said, is asked to pass such
a bin i'm regard 10 OleOmargarine and
that as goods made at the penitentiary
were not the product of skilled labor,
and were not of first-class material they
should not be allowed to come In COM
petition with the work Of honest labor
without bearing the penitentiary mark
upon II. He was i'm favor Of abolishins the
whole contract system.
Mr.. NJ Murphy, also a member Of the
council, next spoke in favor OF the reso-
luton. After reading the reports from
the penitentiary," said he, 1t looks Ike
presilmption to ask the Legislature to
I
that they have collected about $4,000 in
the last two years. 1t is quite a great
item for a penitentiary TO turn over TO a
state. but what has il cost the State TO
/ nut those men in there 10 make that
sum? | claim that to make this $1,000
a year they are spending $4,000 % get H..
| am In favor of changing the criminal
laws. IL is within our recollection where
a man has been sent 20 the penitentiary
for five years for killing another man
and In less than twenty-four hours aitei'
wards another man. in Henrico county
was given five years for stealing q cen.
COST OF KEEPING THEM.
Mr. John r. Chappell. OF the council
next smoke. and said he fully agreed with
the member OF the Democratic caucus
/ last week. who said he did not biieye
that the penitentiary had melted SoZ'VO
a year. The reports from the pehlteh-
tiary as far back as 1856 showed tnat III
cost # maintaining the convicts was siI
| ner year. and n did not believe they
| rc,id 10 kent for this sum, as In every
| other state it cost three or four times
more.
MIR. John L. Curley. as representative
Of the National American Tobacco CONF
pany, followed Mr.. Chappell I'm speech IN
| favor of the resolution. II am here, sdld
| ne .to Identify myself with you as one
| of the laboring-class." The speaker SAID
! ne and the local union he represent
we're i'm favor OF fighting convict LABOR
/ or any trust or MONOPOLY that may exist
! which is detrimental 10 the best interests
/ OF the laborfng classes.
President John b. Doherty ana MI
/ c. ]. wills made brief speeches, AFTER
which Senator Flanagan was called upon.
/ He said he had already, in the Senate
anticipated the Council by declaring MINI
seis opposed t. any association win
/ criminals. and that he certainly would
not have a pair OF shoes or a coat made
| for him by a convict, when he had assert
ed that he would not have man clean
a "splttoon" for him who had the prison
dust upon him.
CORPORAL PuNIsHMENr.
This resolution was adopted, and Mr.
McCulloch offered another one express
ing unqualified cond amnation OF cor
poral punishment being permitted In the
| renitentiary," and calling "uIon the
/ present Legislature 10 abolish the aooIni-
nabl. practice and substitute In lieu
thereof "A system OF punishment for re-
/ fractory prisoners that Is In conformity
with nineteenth-century civilization
Mr. Carl shulsz earnestly advocated
this resolution. and condemned the min
isters OF the city for not speaking on the