New-York tribune., 1897-07-23
INEFFECTIVE AS WELL AS CRUEL.

The result of the law against convctmade
goods is a brilliant but by no means unique
example of the faulty of legislative sops TO
prejudice and demagOgy Under the plea that
free labor must not be subjected 10 the com
petition of convict labor demand was maze
that the taxpayers Of the State should pay thou-
sands Of dollars to support its criminals instead
of making them earn their living. The idea
that they should be kept idle was too inhnmah
to be considered, so it was suggested that they
might make supplies needed by the pubic de-
partments and Institutions, regardless or the
fact that such supplies would be produced III
competition with free labor and that the burden
would only be shifted from one set OF trades 10
another gOod-natured Constitutional Con-
vention. anxious to do something for laDor
responded to the appeal, forgetful that Inc
scheme had been tried in this State already
with disastrous results, and gave the prison
authorities a puzzle that they have not yet
worked out.
The pItiful condition Of the inmates OF our
prisons, driven insane by wholesale through lack
of occupation, was enough to condemn the law.
But it Is now apparent that not even the pre-
tended benefit to labor, for which this torture
OF the convicts was invoked, has been secured
The contractors, we are informed, simply moved
their plants to other prisons Instead OF max
ing waists in the Kings County Penltentiary
they make them in Trenton, y. j. Instead OF
buying their raw material in New-iork, ana
paving all the outside expenses of operating 10
our citizens, they pay their money to other peo-
ple Instead of contributing large sum TO the
expensps Of this State. and relieving our tax
payers they are contributing TO reduce the TAX
rate of New-Jersey Instead of selling their
goods here under the disadvantage of having
them stamped as prison made, they sell them
here without any such label. competing more
rujnously than before with the product OF free
workers The same condition holds good con-
cerning other prison manufactures. AS re-
sult of the law the prisons are demOraliZed, the
prisoners driven insane, the taxpayers loaded
with a heavy expense, much paying business
driven from the state and not one free labOrer
benefited.
1t is difficult to see a satisfactory solution
of the problem except in constitutional amend
ment undOing the work Of the convention. Thar
however will take time and probably will ex-
cite opposition from people who are deuded by
talk about the rights and dignity OF labor to
! ignore plain facts. Meanwhile something must
be done Officials are haggling over the con-
structlon Of what is indeed perplexing law,
while the criminals are being taken to mad
houses. If nothing else can be done, they might
better be set to breaking stone to be given
away to roadmakers than left idle In their
cells 1t is no time for fussiness about tech
nical construction Of statutes. Public opinion
and If necessary, future legislation will back
up any reasonable expedents to provide work.
There are certainly enough things In the nature
of public improvements which the convcts
could be set to do. There are streets to be
paved, parks to be graded, roads to be i'm
proved Let them be set at some Of these
works, which have been delayed for lack of
money, If they cannot be employed in any other
way. Only let them do something at once.