Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-09-08

that society which should have given
him chance to make a man of himself.
We believe that in this day and age no
sane man. upon serious thought, would
suggest actual idleness for our convicts.
Assuming, then, that these manifest
suggestions have been due to the care
lessness OF over-zealous writing rather
than errors of deliberate judgement,
we arrive at the problem Of not whether
the convicts shall be given work, but of
what kind of work they shall be given
and how it shall be given. Shall they
pound stone or make brooms2 Work for
the state or be leased to contractors?
These are the questions that constitute
the real convict labor problem.
When the state deprives man of his
liberty and places him in penal insti-
tuition it has fulfilled its first duty to
socity by thus removing a source of
danger, but it has not performed its
duty toward the man. That this duty
exists is evident or else why not end the
mans existence and his tax upon soci-
ETY.? He will soon be turned out of his
prison back upon society again, and it
becomes matter of common interest
as to what kind of an individual he will
be then. Whether it will be safe for
him to enjoy personal liberty and
whether he will be able to cease being a
charge upon society.
This latter point of the convict's abil-
ity to support himself after serving his
sentence is a most important one. I'M
agine for moment man turned out
upon the world after serving sentence
of ten, fifteen or twenty years in a peni-
Tertiary. He lands with sickening
thud amid strange surroundings. His
penal servitude has been blank in his
life, while the world has gone on with
out him. He looks about him for
friends, acquaintance, reputation, oc-
cupation, money, they are gone. Long
ago this world had forgotten him and
has since so changed in its ways that he
the mundane sphere. His spirit is
broken. His ambition gone. What does
he do? What can he do? He either COM
mits another crime and goes back to
prison or gives up the struggle of life
and seeks an asylum. But where has
society gained? In either case he re-
mains charge upon it.
Now if he had been taught a trade,
been drilled and kept up-to-date in the
methods of self-support, when he had
secured his freedom he would have a
place to turn. He could Wake erect and
support himself. though twenty years of
his life had been lost to him. Society
would have made a man. There need
not be any feelings of sentiment in the
matter. Let the subject be treated
solely upon practical grounds. Society
would have made a man: and the man
by his useful labor during servitude
would have paid society for his making
and cease to be source of expense af-
The accomplishment of such an end
is not the impossible achievement many
would have us believe. There are many
ways in which the conyicts can be en-
ployed in useful labor. 1t matters lit
tie what they do so their efforts are put
to some purpose and the convict learns
~ 40 co,,ati,ip,y ,,caf,,j IF ba y,,alac
brooms. the brooms should be sold at
such prices as not to cause disastrous
competition with the results of an hon
est mans labor. If his labor is let to a
contractor it should be at such price
that the contractor can not undersell
his competitors who employ the honest
man.
What harm can come to honest labor
so long as the products of the convict's
labor is sold upon the same basis of
cost of production. In fact Is not the
laborer, as an integral part of society.
better off if the convict has paid for his
own keep? These matters can be easily
regulated. In many cases a portion of
a convict's labor could be used in the
manufacture of road building material,
of which no man could complain for
| the product would be sold direct TO So
ciety as a whole and no individual is
entitled to a profit from the public if
the public can better itself by not pay
4 ing that prDfit
| In dealing with such public charges
as convicts it is we'll to see that the
honest man is not unnecessarily injured
4 by the treatment given his errine
brother but it is we'll to keep in mind
also the duty of the state to the I'M
/ fortunate, the responsibility for whose
| life and liberty it has assumed. Always
remember that some day the state mus
/ deliver the unfortunate back to the
world from whence he came and re.
/ member too. that if we place a man in
| the middle of a stream without boat OF
/ raft he must either sink or swim ane
1 if he does not know how to swim there
| is but one thing left for him to do. No
/ feeling disposed, in view of his pas
| misdeeds to furnish him with boats OF
/ RATS the least that the state can do i.