The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-10-17
CONVICT LABOR.
How Shall 1t he Utilized So AS To Ben-
eft All Concerned.

To the Editor OF the Indianapolis Journal:
Not any more important meeting has been
held Of late anywhere than the State Con-
ference of Charities and Correction which
is called to meet at Fort Wayne next Tues
day. and no topic is likely to come before
that body near so important in its Geo.
nomic, social and moral bearings as the
hackneyed question: What to do with con-
vict labor. Though it will there be in the
hands of experts 1t may be allowable for a
layman to say a word on it in the Journal.
for the question is too broad and far-reach-
ing to be settled by any single convocation
of even such men and women as will COM
pose that conference. No single State Leg
islature can settle il. 1t is interstate If not
international in its scope Like all such
questions, ii will never be settled until II is
settled right. and il never can be settled
| right until it is settled in conformity with
justice and at once In the interest of the
the conference, after fully discussing it.
viii invite other similar conferences 10 join
In q national conference, so that whatever
thought OF the day may dictate may become
practically uniform at least through the
| United States.
Let me premise that we are not ready
yet to adopt the best treatment Of prison
ers. Public opinion and the public con-
science ale passing through a transition
is just now a conflict between sentimental
| ism run mad and unreasoning and I'M
reasonable organized labor. What with bou-
| quets on the one hand and organized labor
on the other the convict is often idle half
his time, and II put to work at all ii is at
q class Of labor which ho Yields little lit f., to the the
Wet in after life, even If he should want TO
earn a living by labor.
mental principies which must underlie the
question in its final settlement, such as.
first, of all. prison life is not to be made a
must not be diminuted, while humanity Is
to be interviewer through the entire sys-
tenn. Hard labor used to be required OF
convicts: 1t now seldom is, but it ought
to be, always. Hard labor is the lot of the
majority of honest men who support their
families, and it is chiefly because c~onvicts
are convicts. Besides. employment In
prison Is as essential to the morals and to
the mental and physical health of prisoners
have been damaged both physically and
mentally, and morally also. by the idleness
which our tentative process has enforced.
The only proper question to settle is what
to put prisoners to doing. Promising that
profit to the State should Suid. be a h, secondary
l would urge that the industry should not
be degrading or humlliating. II any neces-
ssary industry can nh De so oo Slass sd 1t ; should
within prison walls; hence, the fad Of max
ing good roads by convict labor should not
| De entertainer a mOnfenI. Inc lQnumd0lIF
of this is obvious, while the plea that con-
Wet labor should not come into competition
with free labor. therefore. put them on
roads or in mines, is specious and cruel.
No class Of laboring men demands protec-
ton more than the unorganized labor which
finds employment In just such work as this.
drive anybody from the more profitable
callings to starvation because other indus
tries are not protected by organization. and
1t is the perfection of cowardice for the
State to be stampeded by such a ciamor.
Let the Fort Wayne conference and the
interstate or international conference first
resolve that convicts should not labor. and
that the extent or hardness OF the labor
should have the element of punishment in
1t without. cruelty: then let them wholly
discard all considerations of competition
with anybody else's labor. Railroads have
entirely destroyed the once profitable and
honorable industry of teaming. and the
thousands of carpenters at its beginning.
and now comes the type-setting machine
and disregards the convenience, not TO say
the right of thousands of printers. and the
electric car has not only nearly broken UP
the livery business. but il has made the
traffic in fine horses and the manufacture
of fine carriages almost worthless. Yet no.
body thinks of interdicting these and a
thousand other similar things. because of
all this. The work goes right along, ieav-
ing those who may seem to be sufferers 10
adjust themselves and their callings TO the
new. order of things. and all who have
pluck enough to live respectfully soon do
this. The selection of any one. or two, or
more industries as best suited TO convicl
labor might cause a temporary ineonyeni-
ness and OF the world would be
so adjusted to the new condition that not
one In ten thousand would notice the
NY thought is that this cening conference
should patiently discuss this question and
pahss n ii u Should u i be tS Sa,,Sssi e eonsidenes'
and ultimately this National Conference
should select from all industries possible tc
n ..--1 tel rfao. -aIIa f-4 -. xn2a4
not many-that can be operated with the
least expensive plants, and that will fur
nish the most employment for unskiiled la
of punishment, can be exacted without
cruelty. whether such industries can be op-
:; era o,,ab pr0 not he onerated g, ! loss VINE ths
profits to the State should be a secondary
consideration Employment. constant en-
The learning of some honorable trade
should also enter the question, SO that. II
the man or woman, after release, wants Il
case. a living through employment may be
possible. Some system Of profit sharing
might be wisely introduced so as at least
has to be done. and all organizations of la.
Dor. In prison or out, In this State or in any
other, that may discriminate against an ex.
convict otherwise worthy. or should make
his receiving as good wages as any other
person of equal skill. should be forbidden
by law. Society forces many a man to re
III " tlt
toward ex-convicts, and largely through la
Dor organizations. which will neither take
them in nor allow them to work at Their
trade outside.
When a National Conference of Charitie.
and Corrections shall have selected such
industries, let them be recommended TO the
states. no matter what Industries may seen
at first to be damaged by IL. and then lei
all the States adopt them with as mucl
uniformity i'm detail as possible. The case Il
urgent. but not so urgent that due delibera
ton cannot be taken. Making all due al
lowance for diverse conditions in the sew
eral States which may Justify slight modi
~fications of details. the essential features
ought 10 be the same in all the States. both
for the benefit OF society and of the Grim
inal Glasses. A matter so affecting tn.
whole country. should not be left to tbs
whims OF local boards OF directors. nor 4
wardens, nor even to State legislatures
and the National Conference OF Charitie,
and CORRECTIONS can so mature this schen,.
glad to conform to its essential features. a
would also prison boards and prison war
densL IT tt b not presumption. let me suf
Gost this line Of thought to the c0mi1l