The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1903-02-20


in this pasttime on the Sabbath day.
The courts will now have an oppor-
tunity to pass upon the question OF
the constitutionality of the convict
contract labor system in Michigan as
referred to in recent letter. Several
days ago the National Broom Makers
Union, No. 2, the Whittier Broom
company and the Van Duran Broom
company of Grand Rapids, conn enced
suit in chancery in the Wayne cir
cult court against Warden Vincent and
the board OF control of Jackson prison,
The court is asked to declare void the
contract recently made with the llli-
nois Broom company for the labor OF
twenty-five or more convicts at 90
cents per, and that an injunction be
issued to restrain the respondents from
carrying out the contract The max
imum number of cOnvicts to be en-
ployed under the terms Of the con-
tract is $50 and the contract is to be
In force for eight years. The bill OF
complaint alleges that the fulfillment
of the contract will flood the market
with prlson-made brooms with which
the outsiders will not be able to COM
pete. The legal right of the board to
enter into the contract is denied and
the project declared to be against pub
lie policy. The matter will doubtless
find its way into the supreme court
and 1t will be some time before the
question involved is finally adjudi-
Gated.
IndeterminGte Sentences.
Speaking of cOnvicts reminds me
that in furtherance of the action taken
by the people of the state last Novem-
Der in amending the constitution so
as to make. indeterminate sentences
legal, Senator Vaughan has introduced
a bill providing for such sentences. 1t
provides that every convict must serve
at least the minimum term prescribed
for the crime of which he Is convicted,
and cannot be released until such min
imum termGas expired. The plan out
lined in the bill is that the convict
shall petition the prison board for
parole or final discharge and the petit
ton shall not be presented to the gov
ernOr unless it has the approval of at
least three members of the board. If,
after being paroled. the convict re-
sumes his criminal habits, he may be
again taken into custody under the old
sentence. Only paroled convicts will
be eligible to final discharge.
Another prison or convict bill intro
duced by Senator Vaughan, who, by
the way, was for several years pre-
vious to his election to the senate a
Michigan reformatory at Ionia, re-
quires that all male convicts sixteen
years of age or under, convicted for
the first time of felony, except murder
in the first degree, shall be sentenced
to the Michigan reformatory. Such
males convicted of second offenses
shall he sent to the prisons at Jack
son, Marquette or Detroit. This see.
Ond or subsequent offense need not
have been committed in Michigan.
The object of the bin is to make the
Michigan reformatory a place for the
incarceration of first offenders only
and save these persons young in crime
from being housed as at present, with
old and hardened criminals from
whom they learn more about crime
than they knew when received at the
prison.
Payment for Publishing Laws.
Another constitutional amendment
made by the people last November re-
pealed the provision providing for the
M nj Of 70 oh,
publisher who published the general
laws enacted at any session of the leg
islature. OF course, advantage of this
provision was taken only after a spe-
cial session when only two or three
laws were enacted, but in those cases
it cost the state about $4,000 whack.
In line with the constitutional amend
ment the senate has passed a bill re-
pealing the act providing for the pay
ment of the compensation mentioned.
This provision served a good purpose
when the state was new and the very
few newspapers were the peoples only
sources of information.
Representative Van Zoeren, of Grand
Rapids, who is an earnest opponent of
lhC NOllN 1T NOiltl luDOl SySitll, Will
shortly present bill providing for the
by convicts of furniture,
clothing and other articles which are
used in the various institutions Of the
state. He would prohibit the sale of
any articles made in prison in compe-
tition with free labor, except as they
are sold to state institutions for use
therein.
Investigate and Prosecute.
The second section of the bill makes
1t the duty of the prosecuting attorney
and sheriff Of the county in which the
shooting occurs to Immediately investi-
gate the shooting and prosecute every
person who violates the above provi-
sion, and failure to so investigate and
prosecute shall subject the offending
official to a fine of $1,000 and removal
from office.
Once more the joint resolution sub
hitting to the people the question of
a general revision of the constitution
has made it's appearance. The Lord
knows that general revision Is neces-
sary, but in all probability He also
knows that it is apparently hopeless
task to make a majority Of the people
of the state go to the polls and say
SO by their ballots. Several attempts
tO accOmDIish this ohiect hova rroyad