The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-10-12
SATURDAY~~.OCTOBER u, 1901.
Weather forecast for Fred
erickS6vrg and Vicinity.
Probably rain.
USE CONvICTS ON THE ROADS.

N.NI4 1NfNN 10 YIN IL RNIAlYN.
Running along in the vein of a
recent editorial in this paper, adj
wishing against the use of cOnvicts
forpurposes ofmanufacturingarticl
to be placedin competition with hon
est labor and trades and advising
that they be put to work on the
county roads, the Richmond Times
discourages the suggestion as to
their working on roads and thinks
they ought not to be at work at the
trades. The Times hasits ideas as to
what should be done with the con-
Victs, as embodied in the following
One of the most popular plans is to
work the cOnvicts on the public roads of
the State. But this seems to us to be
impracticable, and we have very grave
doubts if there would be any substantial
results in the State at large. II all the
cOnvicts could beemplOyed in one county
for a considerable length of time the
roads OF that particular county would
undoubtedly be improved. But when it
comes to distributing the cOnvicts
throughout all the counties in the State,
there would not be enough to do much
good.
eve have long been of the opinion
that the best system of dealing with con
victs is to locate them on a large planta-
ton and work them in such way as to
make the institution self-sustaining. The
competition with other farmers in the
State would amount to little or nothing
and would not be detrimental to the agri-
cultural interests of the Commonwealth.
The cOnvicts could produce all their food
supplies and have something to spare,
the women could be employed in weav-
ing cloth and in making clothes for the
cOnyicts. and there might I've blacksmith
shops and other shops TO keep the ma
chinery of the farm in repair.
As between the two ideas THE FREE
LANCE will hold to the woodworking
scheme. Say there are twelve hun
dred able-bodied cOnvicts nthepeni-
tentiary;this would give an average OF
II men toeach cOuntyfor rOad-work-
ing, even should every county de
mand its quota. 1t is not probable,
however, that One-half of thecOunties
will be wanting or in position to
utilize their quota at one time. We
know some counties which are des-
perately in need OF road repairs where
half a dozen men for a few months
would get the roads into fairly good
shape. We think the Times objec-
ton to this method hardly tenablC
ground.
AS to the farm suggestion, it is not
a bad idea; but we are trying to
solve this important good-roads
question: matter, by-the-way,
which the Democratic candidates,
papers and speakers are pledged to
see furthered. In our road-building
calculations we have made no pro-
vision for the female cOnvicts or the
invalid male ones. They offer a
chance for the Times to work in its
industrial plan. To farm with a
thousand or two sturdy cOnvicts
would require large tract of land,
and to guard them sufficiently would
be a heavy expense. In the road
suggestion the counties would be re-
quired to provision the cOnvicts and
furnish suitable guard To achieve
two objects-better roads and low
cost of maintenance of the States
penal colOny-the suggestion of let
ting out the cOnvicts to the counties
appeals strongly to US. To put them
at farming even the most visionary
will hardly predict that a revenue
would accrue to the State. Since ouI
penitentiary has been producing a
net income to the State we cannot
well do without some such continued
result. No better return could be
given us than a chain or system Of
good roads throughout the State.