The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1905-12-22
EMPLOYMENT OF cONVIcTS.


more American gives timely article
on this important subject. Outside
of the Kgis, this is the first time that
this question has received any notice
from the press Of the State. We feel
that there should be a general agita-
ton, as the Legislature will be in ses-
sion in a very short while, and there
should be an expressed sentiment ia
voring the ideas that have been here
tofore set out. should they meet with
general approval.
We do not believe that the change
should be made until after full and
satisfactory investigation has been
made by committee of the Legisla-
tu-e. There are number of states
where prisoners are employed on the
public roads, and the results have
been very satisfactory. In the move
ment for better highways, Hartford
has taken most prominent part,
largely at first through the benef-
cence of one of its former citizens,
who left his entire fortune for this
worthy cause. The campaign of the
Hannah oyster bill, coincident with
the roads Improvement, began in
Hartford as far back as 1892. The
impetus obtained from these two
has placed the county in the front
ranks of the movement.
We now go still step further and
ask if it is not practicable to utilize
our unfortunates in rendering to the
commonwealth fitting recompense
for their wrongdoings by placing
them at some healthful employment
for the public good. 1t is step in
the direction of practical humanity
and would mean the saving of many
lives whose trend may be diverted in
better directions. There may be
some false ideas about the publicity
of their surroundings while working
on the highways, but in actual fact
this is an absurd sentimentalitv
whitfield down to very fine point.
Each conviction and sentence is a
matter of public record, and it would
add only to the wholesomeness of
carrying out the law to let the con-
victs serve in some needed work, in
stead of coming in competition with
the regular trades.
Our County Commissioners during
the past summer have had much
trouble in obtaining labor. Should
criminals be used, they could even be
allowed a small sum above their
keep. which would serve as a little
nest egg to be given them with their
return of liberty. The experience of
other states is we'll worthy Of inves-
tigation, and we hope that our men,
bers of the Legislature will again put
Hartford to the front, in their start
ing the effort to have proper COM
mittee to make an investigation.
Commenting on the new road law,
the American says:
at will be found that while some
of the counties took up the work of
improvement with energy, others re-
jected the State appropriation rather
than tax themselves for their share
of their expense.
1t may be said that commissioners
and citizens of such counties are
short-si GIFTED and evince little public
spirit, but it is true that in some of
the counties the expense would have
been a present hardship, though
eventually the improvements would
have operated to the profit of the
poorest. The conditions should sug-
gest to legislators new agitation of
the project Of employing convicts of
the counties upon the public roads.
This has been done in various states,
and not only resulted in benefit to
the state, but also to the convict,
who was healthier and more cheerful
by reason of his work in the open air
and the broad sunlight than upon
some trade which demanded that he
remain always within prison walls.
= sit will hardly require ar
gument to show that the State and
the counties could better employ con-
victs directly for the Improvement of
the public highways than in any
other capacity or by keeping them in
idleness, and that such employment
would, more than any other, make
for the good OF the body and morals
of prisoners. Wherever the expert
ment has been tried it has been pro-
nounced good, and has never, it is
believed, been abandoned"