Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-11
Opposition to Whipping Post.

terms his opposition to the proposal to re-
store the whipping post and his disgust for
the brutal fellow who whips or otherwise
maltreats his wife. He believes, with many
other good citizens and men of thought,
that in applying the legalized lash to the
bare back of the wife-beater not only the
man is punished, but the community is also
punished to a greater degree by the demon
alizins performance under the sanction of
the law. 1t is his opinion that it will beget
brutality in innocent children when they
near OF the disgusting details of the fog
Slngs. In terse and pointed paragraph
Mr.. Gompers expressed much. He said:
The infection of corporal punishment
through the lash or whipping-post is bar
barous and revolving, and must not be in
PRODUCED here in the capital of the Ameri-
can republic. The wife-beater is a brute
and adequate punishment should be melted
out 10 him. but in this effort we must not
begin by brutaliZing all the people"
Mi. Gompers says it is sad commentary
on twentieth century civilization that the
matter of going backward to the age of the
whipping-post and other instruments of
physical torture is considered seriously by
even few reputable and intelligent citi-
zens lie believes the future is pregnant
with other and less demorallzng corrective
measures for wife beating and kindred Of
lenses. and that no good. but much that is
eVl' would come out fthe restora ton of
the lash as a means of legal punishment
RevertinS to the subject of convict labor
President Gompers said:
or course. 10 sane, thinking humane
man wants the convicts in our prisons to
remain idle. Every one agrees that they
should be employed, but the question of
employing them by and through the con-
tractor for his private profit is quite an
other thing.
NO advocate of labor has ever had de-
sire expressed or implied. to keep the con-
Wet in idleness. They should be employed
but employed by the state direct on its own
account. and with view of benefting both
the state and the convict wit bOut IN
the free citizen.
The states of New York and Pennsyl-
Nania continued Mr.. Gompers. have
practically solved the problem with adyan-
tage TO both. Generally the system of New
York is regarded as the best, although that
or pennsylvania has its merit in that the
conVlcts may be employed in any occupa-
tioh on state account, but the use of ma
cmnery and power of all sorts is prohibited
ne results or this system are shown by
the fact that many of the convcts after
being discharged have opened small estab-
lishments for themselves and have become
honest. self-respecting and self-supporting
men.
System in New York.
Tn New York the system is different, as
1t admits the employment OF prisoners In
any occupation and the use of any macbin-
cry or power, but prohibits the sale of any
OF the product in the open market Practi-
eaHy this law obtained before becoming part
OF the constitution of the state In 1894 a
revision of the constitution of the state of
New York was made by a constitutional
convention and subsequently ratified by the
people Under this system the product of
the prisoners in the state of New York is
utiilzed TO the support of the inmates the
remainder being sold exclusively for the
use OF the inmates in minor prisons and in
me Sleenosynary institutions of the state.
~ might not be amiss TO call attention to
me iact that the federal Industrial COM
m .si' winch for more than two years
Stuuleu All phases of Industrial conditions
having given The subject matter of convict
Iapor iull investigation-that is the sys-
TENS IN vogue in the various states-un-
9eaIlnedly indorsed the New York system
or convict labor the best in the entire
country and urged the adoption of the sys-
tenn by the other states in the Union
NO; ofSanized labor does not want con-
Nicts kept In tdleness; IL wants them en-
ployed; they should be employed IL Is true
mat they have transgressed the law and
should be punished, but We contend that the
purpose of punishment, the purpose of their
confinement in the prisons of our several
states. Is not to make them hard and fast
criminals on the one hand nor to make
tnSnl source OF profit upon the other
either 10 the state or 10 private contractors
who have no interest in the weIl-beinp Of
the state, the convicts, or the citizens gem
orally"
Report to Convention.
In his annual report 10 the recent con-
Vention OF the American Federation of La
Dor at San Francisco President Gompers, in
the chapter on convict labor said:
I'VE recognize the unwisdom, aye, even
the brutality, of permitting convicts to
serve out their terms in idleness The
states which have solved this problem of
convict labor best, New York and Pennvsl
vania, are clear demonstra lions that from
the standpoint of economy and the public
welfare, the prisoners good, both while in
generated and thereafter, is promoted to
the highest degree by some form of work .
Other labor leaders argue in the main
with President Gompers. Their views In
detail follow:
HARRY w SHERMAN