The Indianapolis journal., 1899-02-13
The Convict Labor Problem.


To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal:
see the question of employing the con-
victs of our prisons without bringing them
into competition with anybody on the out
side, is puzzling the minds of our legislators
Having been connected with prison at
one time, and having read the thoughts of
others who have discussed the subject in all
it's bearings, given attention to and studied
the matter myself / am forced to the con-
clusion that so long as a man stays on the
earth and does anything, either on the in
side of a prison or the outside he is in
competition with some one else, unless pro-
tected by a patent. If he does nothing
more than go on the streets to beg, or joins
the army of tramps, he increases the class
he joins, and, of course, lessons the chances
for success to all. All convcts before they
were sent to prison, whether blacksmith
carpenter, painter, cook, miner, raiIroader
farmer, common laborer or anything else
were in competition with others OF their
class, and will be again when released from
prison, and must be while in prison if they
do anything while there. Consequently any
attempt to employ convicts at remunerative
labor and at the same time avoid competi-
ton with outsiders must and always will
prove futile. Several plans have been sug-
gested, but none appears satisfactory. One
Will suggest that the State go into the farm
ing business, which means the purchase of
lands tools, horses, harness and all kinds
Of farming implements; and out of all this
investment will be produced some potatoes
cabbage, tomatoes and onions-a very small
item in the bill that makes UP the cost Of
feedlng convicts; and while they are doing
farming they are doing so TO the injury Of
the truck farmers near the institutions who
would be pleased to furnish all these things.
Another has suggested that the conVictS be
used to improve the roads Of the State This
suggestion is hardly worthy of any consid-
Grafton at ALL as it would necessitate the
establishing of barracks at different points
the transportation of the men, material and
provisions, a greatly increased number of
guards, and what little benefit might be de-
rived from all this expense would go only
to the particular locality where the roads
were improved and not to the whole State
Some advocate going into the printing busi-
ness That Is, the State shall buy ali the
necessary machinery, erect suitable build
ings hire competent men to instruct the
convicts in the art of printing and book
making, and then do the States printing
If this plan could be carried out 1t would
still put the State in competition with all
the printing and bookmakiEg establishments
in the State and yet not employ more than
one-fifth of the men The expense to the
State would be enormous would furnish in
creased opportunities for Jobs which fire.
quently occur in the disbursement of large
sums of public money. The State does not
want to manufacture anything on its own
responsibility 1t involves the purchase of
the necessary machinery, the material the
manufacturing and the disposal Of the prod
uct. The average taxpayer feels that he
already has about all the money in grounds
fine residences. elaborately furnished and
officers salaries that he cares to invest in
that way. What the taxpayer wants
(and they are the most numerous class
know Of from the business men who pay
heavy taxes, down to the struggling
farmer who braves the winter storms and
exposes himself to the scorching summer
sun in order to care for wife, children and
have enough left TO pay his taxes to save
home, is that these institutions should be
operated on business principles. Use more
economy and less extravaganza. Make the
institutions nearly sclf-supporting as
possible. This viii nure to the benefit of
all taxpayers the state over. The most
successful and satisfactory system that has