The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-04-05

prove favorable. Their labor costs them
hide 10 raise corn. sugar, molasses, wheat
tohacco, COTTON, fruits and vegetables to
snip to their factories 10 feed the Labor
that costs them little. What chance has
Indy dual enterprise to compete with
them i'll any industry they may choose
10 adopt They send their labor TO the
woods To fell the trees and saw the logs
10 be- hauled to the mill on the State rail-
road to be saved on the states sdwmill,
20 20 10 the factories 10 be worked into fur
niture and agricultural implements, with
convicts to chop and saw the logs run
tho railroad ami Manufacture the goods.
/ repeat, what would lac the chance for an
individual enterprise TO compete with
them ana operate those factories, foun-
dries and machine shops, which create
and develop among It's citizens that en-
ventlyc genius, divisions of labor, diversi-
He'd industry. and demand Tor work. with
out which the people of no State can be-
come permanently prosperous?
Under the present management they are
| Laying down lumber III their factories at
a cost to the State OF $50 per 1000 leeI.
a saving of so per luUo over what an NJ
| diVidual enterprise could lay IL down at
| ita factory. The same would be equally
J tue of all iron mar utacturiug industries.
| and substantially so Of t9bacco, cotton
| and WOODEN ana any other manuiattur-
! INK industries 10 which the penlfcntlary
| may turn this mighty force OF creatiN" In
/ dustry. II is not necessary for them 10
! manufacture all of the goods used 10 de-
| stroy Individual enterprise. Purchasers
/ whn want 10 lay In supply OF tine goods
| they make Viii write for their prsce list.
| Then the individual must meet them or
| not sell his goods. ami to meet the COM
! petition will bankrupt him and foreseeing
| this he viii not engage In the industry
| Hence | hold that these state factions )
under present laws and management
| stand as menace to the industrial
| growth and prosperity OF every city IN the
state as Il bar To Individual enterprise,
and destroys demand Tor labor, and mat
| II IS high time that people OF the state
| should be aroused TO the Importance 81
| the question. We see that the cry is 90 con
| fine the prisoners In the walls under exist
| Ing conditions, IL anything is more detri-
mental to the labor of the state than 10
| work thVn on tho farns. Something must
| bee done. We see that the GID political
| chestnuts. our politicians have been seiv-
| ing u.s. do not meet the necessities OF the
| times. The hour has struck when the
| American people must do something Tor
| prosperity that the conditions 10y which
| thay are surrounded entitie them. What
/ is 10 be done with our convict labor shall
| We coniine and feed and clotho 1t in idle
| ness at tho expense of the honest, In
! dustrous. economical citizenship of the
| Statc? by no means. Let us call upon the
| people of the state 10 join us In causing
to be enacted a law that will direct the
employment of all convicts In manufactnr-
| ing whose labor Is hest suited 10 that
| purpose. And 10 require the henitentiary
| mnnagemont to export and sell In foreign
markets the products Of their labor, In
| eXoeas OF the quantity necessary 10 feed
and clotho thenh whether 1t he the pro-
| duet Of factory or farm so as 10 free our
| Individual enterprises and dahor from
| CHS competition In our own markets.
| Then take the convict labor which is
best suited to farm work, that may be
| in excess OF the number necessary to
work the agricultural lands now owned
by the State and put them 70 work on
| building good public State roads. so that
| instead of the products OF their labor
becoming competitors IN our markets 10
| cheaper the products of industrial enter
prise and toll. by cheapenlng the cost
| Of transportation, they viii aid these I'm.
| terprises to control our own markets and
| TO more successfully compete in the
worlds markets, thus extending the de-
| mand for their products and giving in
| creased employment for labor. which
should be the primary object of every ac,
| Of legislation affecting state economy
Let laws be enacted for the equitable
| distribution OF such convcts as are TO
| be worked upon the public roads. among
| tho different counties ~ the State wish,
| ing them, and to provide Tor their being
feh guarded and given medical ottentioIi
at the expense Of the county while al
work within its borders This will make
| tho convict self sustaining as his clothes
| can be made at the State factory an1