The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-10

penitontiary. he was inclined to oppose
the convict road system on account OF
It's publicity.
The man placed along Il public
highway. In the view OF people. In The
prison stripes. sometimes wearing a
ball and chain, as have seen In some
States, has bad effect on tile public
mind" he declared. II believe Major
Morgan Is doing a great work, and for
his conditions this may be n good plan.
but tile criminals In some States are
more dangerous, and the people don't
want them loosely guarded in country
Districts SO far as Indiana Is con-
cerned, / don't believe 1t will ever be
done. AS Captain Morgan has said.
there should be some education in a
trade or Industry"
In the discussion which followed two
points were made-that the incarcern-
ton of prisoners was to protect So
ciety. and to reform the faion. Several
of tbs speakers hold that public work,
as In n road gang, tended to lessen tho
iself-respect of the prisoner, and would
not reform. while the camp system did
mot guarantee safe-keeping. or result
lin any reduction OF illiteracy and ig-
lnorance.
l'ri,on-NIn,lc Goods.
1t was stated that in Massach usetts,
and especially in Boston, though there
lis a compare lively small negro popu-
iation the criminal element among the
blacks is about six times greater in
proportion tc population than among
tire whites. From the foreign ele-
ment little criminality was reported.
1.-THE Italian, contrary to the general
Impression, except for occasional "ona
or two-oftense men," is conspicuous
BY his absence in penltentiaries even
where there is a large allen popula-
ton.
The matter OF prison made goods,
which are being sold In competition
with free goods. was discussed Mt
length. In many sections prison-made
goods cannot be sold in the state in
which they are made. while in others
The prisons must not sell below the
market price.
In New York the prisoners are en-
gagged in making supplies for pup
lie institutions only, manufacturing
brushes and brooms for the Street
Cleaning Department, and shoes Tor
the various State institutions, in this
way avoiding the Objectionable conf
petition.
Must Make Them Work.
Mr.. George S. Sehon. of Kentucky,
closed the discussion. saying that whcl,
a prisoner Is Senl W SouiilS Jiii Aci
a misdemeanor he should be made to
work.
THE present county Jail system is a
hellhole on earth" said Mr.. Sehon, who
said the State of Kentucky was pre-
pairing to return to the public State
roads system. using convict labor af-
ter the Virginia plan. "We have Is
per cent OF negro convicts, and there
is no employment better for health
than work on the public highways.
"I think we should all copy Virginia:
clean out our iails and place our men
in some decency and proper occupation
and surroundings. In the Virginia Pen
itentiary there are 1,340 prisoners. Of
whom % per cent. are negroes. You
people are getting your first taste Of
the real race problem which we are
graphing in the South. Under the
convict road system the State Is bene-
fitted. the roads improved. the farms
made tenable so that their products
can be taken to market and sold, the
prisoners are put in Gods sunshine
and treated as men. and expected to do
a mans work. They go back to the
farms from which they come better men
when their terms are up and do not
return as two or three time men to
the prisons"