Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-30
How the Convicts May BE Used In
sugar-Beet Culture.
Richmond. Va, January q

Richmond. Va. January rs, 1888.
To the Editor of the Dispatch:
In your leading editorial Of to-day.
headed. what Can We Do" you present
the advantages and difficulties in starting
the beet-sugar industry I'm Virginia.
The first step is to secure an acreage
of beets to supply the factory for the
first three years; mthout this capitalists
will not invest money in factory How
can this be done without injury TO other
interests in the State?
Farmers rightly are conservative, and
hesitate about entering upon new. I'M
tried Industry TIL they see others grow
the crop. Nor do they like convict labor
to monopolize a crop said to be so ad-
vantageous to them. But they cannot
object to. let others assume the risk OF
inception, while they note carefully the
costs and results provided they at any
time can grow beets in place OF the con-
vcts.
The bill introduced by Senator Opie
does this, provided they will supply beets
for the factory at 81 per ton, under the
terms and conditions existing in other
States. Perhaps Senator Opie's bill might
be amended with advantage, as follows:
Instead OF giving one convict for every
ten acres 10 be put In beets to be with
drawn by the State as fast as ten acres
are offered by farmers employing free
labor, / would give to the first factory
which will handle all the beets from at
least 5000 acres yearly, for the first three
years, one convict for every seven acres,
and thereafter to factories only one con-
Wet for every ten acres. the withdrawal
of convicts, when free labor takes their
place, to be one for seven to the first
= In co NJ
other amendment might be wise: That the
hours of work by convicts should be ten
for the States account, with option on
part of convicts and factory to employ
them two hours longer at such times as
the business requires, for some stipulated
sum per hour, this amount belonging 10
the prisoner being held In trust by the
State for the convict, to be paid him
when his sentence expires, or to his fam
lily in case of his death.
The present system Of profiting by con-
Wet labor is not just to the convict or
creditable 20 the State. They morally
and legally are the wards of the State
while in the States care. To profit by
them partakes too much OF human
slavery; besides, 1t multiplies criminals.
fills our insane asylums. reform schools,
and houses OF prostitution. Other States
have already seen this, and no longer
employ convict labor in competition with
honest labor.
IT is about to be enacted that the pro-
ducts of prisons shap not be conveyed
outside Of the State made In.
1t certainly is due the citizens OF this
State, and still more so TO our sister
States, that all goods made by prison
labor In competition with free labor
should be stamped in some conspicuous
- hot "
would not become accessories 10 making
criminals, insanity, and prostitution. can
refrain from buying the goods made by
prison labor
There Is no longer any question about
sugar being made in this State, for II
was made for years In Staunton. The
advantages are not questioned by any one
who has given the matter the least
thought and investigation. Lands tribu-
tary to the factory double, treble. and
quadruple in value as these benefits be-
come apparent
Lands in California worth seven years
ago s. to so per acre are worth now
500 to $3.50 per acre. 1t doubles rotary
crops. The wastes are frequently OF
more value per acre than other crops,
ner acre. grown ON adjoining land. Sena-
tor Opie's bill is free from special legis-
lation. and opens wide the field to all
who care to enter upon IL, besides giving
healthy employment to criminals, relieves
the congestion of our State Penitentiary
ooh. no; practically speaking, all the idle
convicts are now at the State farm, and
SIN the penitentiary is crowded-six meS
10 n cell The Dispatch.) does away with
enlarging our prisons. insane asylums,
and reform schools; doubles the taxable
value Of our lands, adds new Industries,
and lessons the burden of taxation per-
manently while the present system or
employing convicts, TO the destruction OF
honest and free labor, is suicidal to the
welfare of the State by as much as IL
becomes profitable to the contractor or
prison labor These are but few OF the
advantages which always and everywhere
follow this industry.
Now that countervailing duties have
been added TO the regular duty against
European nations, which pay oounties'
foreign nations owning railways are
making nominal rates OF freight to those
engaged In making beet sugar, that th0s
NAV still retain a monopoly OF the busi-
ness. and continue to take from us
hundred million dollars yearly for what
we can (when once established) produce
for less than they can.
President Dole has come TO our capital
annexation.
Already we have given few Americans
and Europeans who own the sugar es-
tates on the Hawaiian Islands nearly
s7O.OOO,0O0 during the past twenty-five
years
We are TO pay some eight million more
taxes this year by allowing free sugar
from the islands, with no advantage In
return for the little cotton cloth, &C..
they buy from US we would sell them
anyhow, being able to sell 1t at less than
any one else.
With coolie labor at s. per month. this
band OF exploters now menace the. In
dustry, and II successful, are likely to
defer the development OF the beet In
dustry in this country for twenty-five
years.
'eWnl It pay" to add 10000 population
of leprous Chinese? o. K. LAPHAM.