Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-28

lie has the alternative Of taking this re-
| leased Jail bird, with his foul prison
morality, into the union or risking chances
of his sclbbing him out Of his job, ana
the more thoroughly the convict has learned
| his trade the greater the danger, The felon
can work cheaper than an honest man, for
what he don't earn by day he steals by
night. In any case honest labor loses by
the transaction as well as the state at
large.
We have had some trihing experience In
Nebraska In the matter OF purchasing pcui-
tontiary tools and the result was not happy.
though less disastrous than might have been
expected We purchased some as,hmatic on
Eines a few well worn files and sundry other
tools and things at a cost of about $4,000, If
my memory serves me. II Is reasonably GER
tain The seller received their value, or
coursa we inspected them. If a business
man or farmer should buy piece Of ma
Chingry he would consult some one familiar
with tha, machine to give him Information
about g.. But in his superior wisdom the
governor appointed 20 inspect steam en-
gines and mechanics tools a farmer, and,
pursuing the same line of policy, If we
turned our prison into an immense farm
would doubtless appoint a mechanic to su-
porlnttnd the crop growing. This is not
50 much the fault OF the governor as Of
the system. The idea that a public official,
because he is a successful politician, may
therefore successfully manage a business
about which he knows nothing, or series Of
diversified businesses, Is tha false foundG-
tion on which the whole fabric of the plan
of direct employment rests If the people
could be absolutely sure that every official
10 be connected with the prison in future
would be absolutely incorrupuble, still the
plan has in IL the inherent weakness Of inn
practicability. From tbs constant changes
in administration. even IL we did find one
that knew 1t all how would we be able to
know of the future? In any event, what
is the state to gain from embarlsng upon
the uncertain sea Of speculative manufactur-
ing?
1t appears clear to me that the only safe
and busine3slike policy for the state is to
get the greatest per diem cut of each ind
vidual convict The contractor thus takes
all the chances of business conditions, and
he Is pretty sure to be a man who knows
more about the business than any state
officer we could elect. and since he under
stands how to get the money out of 1t, can
pay the state more than 1t could repli2e in
any other way. A reasonable nun Der OF
hours could be agreed upon, and certain
lines of manufacture which interlerod with
Nebraska enterprise be taboOed. If favorit-
ism among the prisoners were then shown 1t
would be at the expense of the contractor
or the individual. it certainly would not
OF the state. That the product Of hi2 labor
will TO some extent go into competition
with that of the honest toiler is unfortunate,
but | have seen no plan advanced as yet
to prevent that. 1t may be reduced to
minimum so far as Nebraska workingmen
are concerned at least, and under the con
tract system better than any other. Prison
product is notoriOusly inferior to free labor's
output, and this will continue to have its
commercial bearing.
From any point of view the problem is
vexatiOus and unsatisfactory. 1t is an out
rage that honest workingmen must come
into the market against the labor of felons.
but it is very much better so than that
they should be compelled to associate with
the felon himself, and no solution has yet
been reached or suggested by which this
competition may be avoided entirely. One
way might be TO make the name of the
prison a terror to evil-doers by the severity
of its rules, thus keeping the number of
prisoners to the minimum, and then II
juries would send convicted murderers to
the gallows instead of to the pententary-
to continue to be a pest-that would also
help. ERNEST MERSHON.