The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-04-14

Chain Gang Provision I'm the Molster Bill
Not Received with Favor-Last weel
the Liveliest One of This Session of tn.
Legisiature-Bill of Interest to Frater
nal Benefit Organizations - Governor
Pingree and His Scrap Books.
Lansing, Mich. April lS.-It may be
put down as safe proposition that il
will be many a year before the state
OF Michigan will set its convicts at work
on the public highways. This fact was
very thoroughly demonstrated last week
when the holster anti-convict labor bill
was discussed i'm the house. 1t was quite
generally conceded that had II not been
. for the chain gang provision Of the
measure il would have received more
than 20 votes, although there was no
reasonable hope of its passing in any
form This is the smallest vote that has
been cast for similar bills for a number
Of sessions. the reason being that for
mer bills did not employ the provision
for parceling out the convicts to the
various counties for work on the high
ways This was looked upon by a large
majority OF the members as a step in
the direction OF a return to barbarism,
and the opponents of the bill drew most
unattractive pictures of the effect that
the spectacle of convicts, adorned with
ball and chain, would have on the NOR
ais of the youth of the state who would
be forced to gaze upon them. II is evil
dent that the convict labor problem Is
serious one. and also that the labor
men will have 10 present some feasible
plan OF employing the prisoners to adj
vantage before they will be able to Sc
cure departure from the present mode
OF working them at whatever can be
found for them to do.
Robbing Peter to Pay Paul.
The idea has become pretty we'll
grounded in the minds Of most citizens
that, even under the most favorable cir
cumstances, the convict is bound to
compete with his free fellow citizen, and |
that il would be simply robbing Peter |
10 pay Paul TO abandon present industries |
only 10 engage i'm others where the COM |
petition would be felt more keenly by |
some other branch of labor than under |
existing circumstances II has come to |
be pretty generally understood, too |
that even though maintained in abso-
Lutte idleness the burden OF maintaining
convicts would fall as heavily upon free
labor as il does now.
In its last report TO the legislature the J
state board of corrections and charities
recommended that greater discrimna-
ton be exercised in the matter of open
ing the prisons of the state to visitors.
il not being creditable to the state that
she should make an exhibition. for gain,
Of her wards. The fee of 25 cents
ri a 10 a |
be poor compensation for the injury
done. In accordance with this recon-
the senate has passed a bill
that general visitors shall not |
be admitted to any Of the prisons Of the
state, and the matter is now pending i'm
he house. Warden Chamberlain. of the
state prison at jackson. IS opposing the
passage Of the bill. He says that no |
larm has come from the system so far
rs his observation goes. The small ad-
mission fee charged, he says, brought
lutte a revenue to the state without !
larm 10 the prison, and with great con-
'entence 10 the public. OF the money
eceived from this source, $500 is an
lually used for extending the prison IL
rary, and thus does good work
Demoralizing to the Prisoners.
The board of corrections. however.
makes strenuous objection 10 theadmis .
ion Of women and children particular
=, and in support OF their proposition.
ONT 70 the fact that at a recent meet
lg Of the Wardens' Association Of the
nited states and Canada, resolution
enouncing the practice as demoraliz- .
" 10 the prisoners and without benefit :,
; the public was passed, the only mega :
We vote being cast by Warden Cham =
ariain and the warden Of an Ohio pris- =
Whether the result Of election. or the =
ct that election is a thing Of the past. =
as anything 10 do with the situation il | \
u known, but the fact is. as every one | :,
ere mas. noticed, that matters have ! -
ken on very lively turn during the
ist week. Last week was altogether
II hVeliest Of the session, with the DOS -
bic exception Of the first week OF the ! -
FAR when the new state officials took '
lssession Of their offices and a goodlv ,
are Of their constituents came here 70 !,
rike them for jobs. The lobby which u
I'd previously been conspicuous by its g
'sence. put in an appearance with the | :,
sction returns, and legislative matters =
neially took on much Of the ld-time "
'pearance. The hotelkeepers are be- =,
ming 10 reap the harvest for which ~
ey have long been waiting. and every 80
dy Is tollying up along the line. Up =.
the 1st Of April the session was dull -
than any that can be recalled by the =,
esent generation OF Lansing citizens. -
he signs for the balance Of the session -. ~
g hopeful inasmuch as all OF the i'm. -
rtant matters are yet to be consid :.
"a. the beet sugar and convict labor 20
Us being about the only legislation. =,
her than that Of purely local nature g.
az has thus far been disposed II ~
ie result OF the election. especially In -
.troit, has changed the situation not a -
tie. and it is evident that the so-called -
ngree bills stand a much poorer show ~ ~
becoming laws than was the case be- =,
re Democrat was elected mayor Of -
troit sc
To Increase Salaries. M
FOR the thirteenth time since 1870 propo- an
ions toincrease salaries of state officials co
We been submitted TO the people of su
chigan, and unless the official re- sic
rms shall prove that the amendment ty
raise the salary of the attorney gem IN
II from $500 10 a. 600 which ,,as ,,o,os | 60