The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1908-05-22
SENATOR J. |. BRADLEY
SPEAKS AT JOPLIN.
He Addresses the Joplin Trades As
sembly on the Eight Hour Law
and Convict Labor.

State Senator John l.. Bradley of
st. Francois county, candidate for
the Democratic nomination for state
Auditor, addressed the Joplin Trades
Assembly yesterday afternoon on
questions of the convict labor com
peting with free industrials, the
eight hour law and the fcllow-ser-
want law. o..
Senator Bradley has been mem
Der of the Missouri Legislature for
ten years, and since that time has
been one of the leading champions
Of organized labor. He recently re-
turned from an inspection Of various
State prisons. His home is in Des-
loge, where he conducts general
merchandise store.
Senator Bradley, in his address
yesterday, said In part:
"Of all the great questions which
are uppermost In the minds OF or
ganized labor, do not believe that
any one thing needs more attention
than the competition of prison-made
goods with those produced by free
labor.
~ am in favor OF Missouri depart
| ing from its present custom and fol-
| lowing the same line ms Is done in
New York, where constitutional
amendment prevents the State from
using convict labor to produce ar"
ticles which may come In competi-
ton with those produced by free
labor. The prison products Of New
York are used for consumption in
the State and municipal institutions.
These products consist largely Of
school furniture, refuse carts and
garbage cans for municipal use, and
wearing material and furniture for
use in the various institutions.
While the production OF these ar
ticles in a small way completes with
outside labor, the amount is not so
great as that in our own State.
81 am in favor, however, Of en-
| ploying the convicts in class OF
work which will not bring them in
to competition with the free labor in
| the State in which they are confined.
Whether this would be the most de-
sirnblc solution !, personally, do not
| presume to say. 1t does seem, how
ever, as if it would be good be-
ginning.
ain any solution, it seems to me
| that free labor is entitled to first
consideration. But this doesn't
mean that the unfortunatcs in the
pcnitcntiary are to be disregardcd
utterly. Indeed, ii should De the
purpose of the penitentiary not only
to punish, but, ifpossible, equip men
with Il trade that will enable them
to earn an honest living when their
prison terms expire. In other words
the penitentiary should be rcforma-
tory, as well as punitive. And this
idea is gradually being carried out
in many states.
Il am glad to say to you that !
was largely instrumental in procur-
ing for Missouri an eight-hour law
which has been proven constitution
al by both the State and Supreme
courts, and which will remain ef-
| t,., In.
pie OF the State will he vigilant to
their duty and elect representatives
who will support the bill and not
permit its repeal.
"Having become converted to the
proposition by reading in the Bible
that the workmen on King Solo
mons temple were engaged in labor
only eight hours and that the other
sixteen hours ofthe day was divided
equally between slumber and the as
sociations with their family, de-
cided to set to work and procure thu
same relief for the laboring men Of
my State.
standing in my place Of business
before the miners Of my community,
who had just returned, almost un-
able to move from Il twelVc-huur
days work, | promised them, if
elected to the Legislature, that |
would work for the passage of an
eight-hour day. Although ! worked
hard to get the bill through, it was
four years before my dream was re-
allied. Should /, by some turn Of
fate, not be permitted to continue
this work, would he consolcd with
the knowledge that had done the
laboring interests of my State on"
good turn in making this bill pos
| siblc.
MY next activity, which may
have come in for considerable criti-
| cism from this part of the State, and
which has been boon in my dis
trict, was my advocating the pas
sage of the fellow-servant bill. Such
n law had long been in force regard