Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-11-03
PUBLIC CONNECTS MUST MAKE
PUBLIC ROADS.

FODLiSz NOADS.
There is q business which from the
most ancient times has been peculiarly
that OF government, IL not it's exclusive
~, and that is the public highways: to
lay out, construct and repair them; and
to this work, from the same antiquity.
government has dedicated captives.
prisoners and criminals, to whose ranks
are now added. in some countries. he
reditary road-workers, descended from
former prisoners and criminals. 1t was
by the labor Of these classes. we'll man.
aged and directed. that the stupendous
military and other ways OF old were
constructed. of which much. after many
centuries, still remains unparalleled By
any modern highway; and in some
countries to-day the best systems of
road-construction and repair are main
tanned by convicts, ex-convicts, their
descendants and associates. In some
OF the counties Of Virginia, North Car
DINA and other States the city, county
and State prisons have contributed
convicts whose labor has been most
successful in making common roads
and Keeping them in order.
This is their proper work, and to it
they should be kept exclusively, and
there can be no greater misfortune be-
fall State than that 1t should find it
profitable thing to put its convicts in
competition with its honest citizens in
the ordinary industries and enterprises
of life, or to hire or lease them to
others to be so employed-as in farm
ing or planting. shoe making. cooper
ing. cco-manufacturing. mining,
&c. Where popular government is not
positively forbidden to enter into this
contest with it's citizens in materials,
labor, products and capital itself, or by
supplying these, or any of them to part
ners, lessees. or borrowers, the true rep
ought to see and feel not only the hu-
initiation and degradation, but the pc
cuniary loss to the honest and indus.
trlous citizens by forcing them into a
competition with prisoners and crimi-
nails, worse than slaves, under a strin-
gent system that free men will not
consent to, and at rates that decent
householders cannot live upon.
1t is therefore that the VirginianPi-
lot. in behalf of the people of Virginia,
demands that the present system of
hiring and employing the State con-
victs shall cease. as, in any case. un-
worthy OF her and in every way derog-
atory to a sovereign State; humiliating,
insulting and injurious, to an honest
and Industrious populations; and tend
ing to and only justifiable by sys-
tenn Of government founded in COM
munism or socialism and which, de-
stroying individuality. confounds all,
good and bad alike. in that most mon
strous of despotisms which makes
every person mere cog In wheel,
or part OF regulated machine. with
out will. or choice. or hope Of advance
ment. Down with such n policy-the
worse the more money It makes; and
leave honest industry free to free and
honest toilers.
What the State needs above all things
is good system of public common
roads. Everybody knows this; but
now. as for years past. the pecuniary
profit that can be realized by pitting
cheap criminal labor. under stringent
mastery, against the labor of honest
free men, is appealed to unblushingly
to maintain the wrong against the peo-
pie. and at the same time to deprive
the Commonwealth of good roads that
would contribute untold millions to the
general prosperity and happiness
The Virginian-Pilot has long been
crying ettt against this petty and
shameful plan of employing the con-
victs. and urging that we have better
roads by convict labor. 1t is folly to
talk of the counties building roads by
contract labor at any early date, If
ever; but the convicts, be they where
they may. can at once be put to giving
us' good roads, helped by additions
from the city and county jails. The
way to do 1t is TO do it; and we ask
every good citizen 10 make it his duty
to help the Virgnian-Pilo push this
matter on attention and action.
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