Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-28
WHAT SHALL We DO WITH HIM
Oonvicts Considered from the Taxpayers
Point Of View,
FEATURES OF A VEXATIoUS PROBLEM
socicty's Duty 20 Itself nnd the Fact
TINT the Criminal Must lie
Dealt with ATord the
Basis.


the prison labor problem is stewIng in GER
tain quarters 1t is claimed that Governor
! Holcomb favurs the abolition OF the contract
/ aystem. and it is probable that some members
Of the legislature have notion OF such a
system of prison regulation that all the con-
ycts VIII be holy and only the guards De
vile 1t appears to me that this matter
should be determined in the interest OF
those concerned, and who have rights in the
prcmiscs-the taxpayers, and this includes
all our people outside the criminal glasses
whether wageworkers inanciers, manuiac-
tuIers or farmers The criminal has no
rights which society is bound to respect,
nay, none which society should respect in
opposition to ito own interests safety or con-
yenience, whether dealing with dcpravity
we regard crime as a disease an insanity
or vice. The strong arm OF the law should
protect the lawabiding citizen at whatever
| cost to the criminal, and this mewling men
tai dOtage. misCalled sympathy, that looks
with plying eye on the murderer taken
red-handed in his crime, is both trying
and dangerous. our prisons hold men dan
gerous to society, natures dwarfed by sin
! into the horrible mOnstrosity OF crime. They
are not rGiugeS for unGOrtunatCS in life;
they are bulwarks for the protection OF the
thrifty, the pure, the gentle the good
Men are sent there for punishment. and the
regime should be sufficiently severe to make
a return of the prisoner when his term eX-
prCS, undesirablC-a thing to be avoided,
even at the cost oi remaining honest. Shorn
OF the halo that too often surrounds him, the
criminal stands confessed as one who has
rutElessly taken from others their property
their virtue, or their life, who has YOluntl-
rily put himself Beyond the protection Of the
laws, and sweet charity has too many needy
gardens in which to plant its beautiful flow
| ers without condemning 1t to the blistering
| atmosphere of convicted vice
What shall we do with our convicts. not
in the interest of the conviCts, but of So
ciety? 1t is everywhere admitted. at all
events by all people who may visit an in
sane asylum with safety, that the state
should hold its prisoners at the least cost
to the public Taxpayers are too heavily
burdenod in the first costs of convcting
criminals. At the very end of this year of
grace, 1896 it took four able lawyers,
learned judge and twelve good men and
| true, not to mention court baiifTs, stenog-
raphers, etc, ten days to convict man
VINO himself admitted that he had brutally
murdered his roommate and then robbed
him, and who gave this precious assassin
a Christmas present of a life sentence in
the penitentiary, whittier he goes in the
hope that some soft-heartod governor in
the future will make him another Christmas
present of pardon. Meanwhile the worms
are having Christmas feast on the body of
his victim, erstwhile his friend and bene-
factor, whom his murderous hand
sent to (his) account
with all (his) imperfections on Chis) head.
And the taxpayers of Douglas county will
foot the bill to the tune of thousands of
dollars There is no mistake about that.
Juries may disagree. astute attorneys may
| quibble him out, the laws delay may release
| him, governors may pardon him, and
thousand and one things may intervene and
the criminal 20 unwhipped of justice. but
| there is no escape for the taxpayer Thrift
must pay the penalty of its virtue. that
we may open every avenue of escape for
society's assassins. But now and then we
do get him in the penitentiary, and then
what shall we do with him?
Reform him." shrieks the theorist. who
often lacks but courage and opportunity to
become criminal himself, and so fellow
leellng makes him wondrOus kind" Pun
ish him. says common sense and If there is
anything in him worth reforming il will
come out in the wash. II Is due the public
that he be made self-sus tanning. if practica-
bic. That his labor should come into COM
petition as little as possible with homes.
toll outside goes without saying. 1t is but
fair that the burden Of his keep IL burden
IL must be- should be equally distributed
among all our citizens. He should not be
permitted TO do in confinement what he did
when at large, prey upon society. But he
| must bo engaged in some line OF prosta able
labor. and there is no legitimate sentiment
in the matter. Which Is most profitable to
the state, the contract system or direct en-
ployment? This being answered. the ouss-
tion should be settled. 1t is urged in some
quarters that our convicts could be proftahly
employed in the manufacture OF clothing
shoes, ETC. for our state institutions and still
not como into competition with honest labor
trust the people outside our state will no,
conclude from this argument of the screechers
that Nebraska's feeble minded insane.
paupers, etc, in our public institutions are
permitted to so shoeless nor compelled to
1--WE in state of nature, nor to sleep on
the hare ground uncovered If such were
tha case there would be meat in the ar-u-
ment, and the plan be both sensible and
humane. Where do the shoes clothing
bedding, etc, and the houses our unfor-
tunateS live In come from? With bound
less belief in the wonderful productivencs5
OF the soil OF our beautiful state. I am still
unwilling to believe hat houses grow up
from our prairies unElded. Nor Is il prob
ahle that in the morning after Il shower the
attendants may go 10 the rain barrel and
find there the needed stockings coats and
all other wearing apparel, cut just TO size
ana beautifully made up for each inmate |
believe in Divine Providence but in the
absence OF evidence to the contrary | in
cline to the opinion that all these things
are made by busy human hands Where
then, would be the advantage. so far as
honest labor is concerned. in employing our
convicts on state work? The result would
be the same with all the risk of loss to the
state. All these things used by the com
monwealth in caring for its unfortunates
If manufactured outside the prison, give en-
ployment to labor and II we make them by
prison labor We deprive the workinrmcn
and women who now manufacture them OF
Just that much employment. We somewhat
change the conditions but not the result
Learn the convict trade, that when he
comes out he may have a chance" | like
the proposition still less, but granting its
utility how are you going to do IT unless you
employ him? 1t is urged that by return
ing 10 primitive methods this might be
done in such way that his product would
be 50 small that 1t would have little or no
effect on outside labor. In the first place
such plan would be Improbable to the
state and that Is quite enouEh to du'cat
II. But from the hyStcrical view OF giving
him chance" how much chance would
he have? The state pays annually a large
sum for public printing. Suppose the state
decided TO do this printing In the penlton-
tipry. Let 1t buy It's type, etc, In the old
way, ana not so old, either. aul teach the
murlerers, the ravishers. the housobreakCrs
the pickpockets the villains OF every de-
rcriptiOn confined there 20 set type and
pull a Washington hand press. II would |
have the effect of dCpriVing honest Drin tprs !