Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-12-12
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Hoods Pulls cure liver Ills; the non.irrtatng and
only cathartic q take with Aood.s sars.paE!lla:
does not compete with free labor to
any appreciate degree"
Those Directing to prison labor on
the ground of competition suggest the
| following as proper work for prisoners
which will not compete with them,
| viz: D Breaking stone and building
highways; (2) farming; (3) building
public works; a. employing convicts
at making articles for other state in
| situations.
But first is the one of the suggested
employments that will not compete
with free labor. If the convict builds
the highways, he takes just so much
work from some one else. If he does
farm work, he is entering into compe-
tition with the farmer. If he builds
public works, he does that which free
labor might, and thus deprives such la
Dor of SO much work. If he manufac-
lures articles for other state institu-
tons he is supplying articles which
! free labor might furnish, and thus
competing with it. You may search
the whole range of vocations and occu-
pations, varied and numerous as they
are, and not one can be found for the
convict to work at where his labor win
not compete with all others employed
in like labor.
Not only will the convict, if he is
given any labor, always compete with
free labor, but the four things suggest
ed for his employment as freest from
competition are all Objectionable. Road
making would be very expensive to the
state in watching the prisoners and
moving them from place to place.
There are only thirteen counties in the
state which have sufficient stone to
make roads. The roads are local at
fairs; there would be no work in win
ter, and what community of farmers,
for instance, would enjoy having q col
ony of convicts in the neighborhood?
And after all, the working Of convicts
on the roads would revive the chain
gang, and the employment Of guards
armed with rifles; possibly the addi-
ton of bloodhounds. Would free las
Dor want to compete with a centraliz-
ed form of convict labor on public
works? And in any event, what public
works has Iowa or the cities of Iowa
W
i And would not the objections that are
brought forward against the chain
j gang and the armed guards in road
making work apply to public works7
Convicts employed at farming would
compete with the labor of the farmer,
certainly; and where would the state
Il acquire enough land to furnish EN-.
ployment to 1000 convicts, and how
could it employ enough guards to
watch them and keep them from es
j Gaping? If a convict makes goods fo1
the other state institutions, certainly,
he is competing with the labor of the
free man who is employed in making
the goods the institutions would 9TH
erwise buy. There is no getting away
from this competition business, SO far
as it goes. If the convict works he will
compete with free labor, but as mat
ter of fact the competition amounts to
nothing.
II we will eliminate from this ques.
ton of convict labor all political con-
siderations, and treat it as we would
any other business proposition, its So
luton is easy. Experience has taught
that:
First-Letting labor of convicts by
; contract or on the piece price plan Sc
VII co lliO&C lCfCuuG " VIC SIdlC Ludu
any other plan.
Second-That it requires smaller
investment by the state than under
any other plan.
Third-That it requires less high
, salaried officers.
Fourth-That the convicts are as
well cared for under this. as under any
other system.
Fifth-That under it the risks al
ways incident to the conduct Of large
. manufacturing enterprises are avoided.
If I have succeeded in interesting
!. you, gentlemen, and other thoughtful
; men, SO that you will thoroughly in
: vestigate, have no doubt that you
} will agree with me that as the state
] has for about sixty years, (reaching
back even to the time it was terrific
5 ry) recognized and followed the pres
ent system, and as it has worked well,
it would be poor policy to now enter
upon scheme of limitation as to pris-
on labor and its products, whereby the
expense of supporting our penitentia-
, ries to be borne by the people of the
state will be enormously increased,
/. with no resulting corresponding bene-
! fit.