The Washington herald., 1908-08-15


state Of affairs that has shocked that
Commonwealth 70 its very center and at
tracted countrywide attention The best
element Of its citizenry has called for an
extra session Of the legislature 10 take
steps 10 repeal the law which allows the
sale Of convict labor TO the highest bidder
in open market. and take measures 10
protect the helpless criminals that are
presumably under State care With the
repeal OF the law viii come a diminishing
Of state revenue and a Iessening Of the
income for schools and roads. but this
loss progressive Georgians are willing 20
sustain IN the interest," Of humanity.
Georgia IS one of the i've States that
sJul hold 10 the lease system as the best
means OF making their coEvicts pay for
themselves and al the same time add 10
the public funds. In most states convicts
are q dead expense While some are en-
ployed in manufacturing or on State roads
and public works. OF on farms. over 5000
IN all being in productive occupations.
there is a large percentage that IS per
petUaIIy idle. Alabama, Florida. MiSSis-
s-ppi Virginia. Georgia Louisiana, Mis-
s0uri. North Carolina. and South Caro-
Ina make a profit from their convicts-
The latest reports from the Bureau Of La
bor Of the United States Department Of
Commerce and Labor shows that IN penal
Institutions where inmates are worked
the years value OF labor on farm products
was SL61u.05J; in the manufacture Of boots
and shoes. N55l.11- The labor value on
highways and roads was s.. 041.000. in the
manufacture Of clothing SS55.008 in coal
mining over $4,000. and in furniture max
ing S17511t- The average market value OF
goods per convict was $50. the average
value Of his labor S-53. or So. .1la 900 in all.
The average net appropriation for the
maintenance Of penal institutions in this
country is about Sl24 per convict So II
The Ions run each convict more than pays
Tor his keep.
Less than a century ago those con-
fined in penal institutions We're kept in
an i6lenesz that boded no good for their
moral and physical being and that Of
1ered little opportunity for reformation.
any work assigned was purely Of a punt
1--WE n1ture-the turning Of cranks. the
working Of rreadmiIls. the pacing 10 and
fro IN given space. the doing over and
over OF useless things Then came the
awakening and the past half century
has Witnessed an attempt 20 make in
CGstrlasisru a factor II The REDEMPTION
OF the convict Of to-day Since It is the
law Of society that every man be frde-
pendent in his support Of himself so tt
seemed reasonable that an offender
against society should be made seIf-sup-
porting rather than be a drag on that
society against which he had Offended
Manufacturing was 6rst put IN the penal
institutions, and still obtains 70 a great
extent
In The South. when the war had left
little else than ruin, the freed slaves.
unused 10 so much personal liberty. soon
made e large prison population There
was no money 10 build institutions OF hire
guards so the States adopted the idea
of leasing out the Iong-tern convicrs TO
farmers. or letting them by contract TO
manufacturers or farmers. As the south
grew more prosperous. and as IL recog-
nized the evils Of the leasing system. It
abolished IL state by State In $50 ten
Southern States and three Western-New
Mexico. Nebraska. and Washington
were sill using the lease system To-day
there are only Alabama, Georgia, Viz
gilia- Florida, and Wyoming All these
except Wyoming md II a profitable ven
L---rs aaE- Al-E price LL-E ADll4EfllEl
pay in increased immortality. in degrada-
ton Of citizenry. and in lack Of general
progress Is not 10 be measured In 1ss5,
70 per cent OF The cOnvicts in this country
were leased. now only about per cent
are in this modern slavery
Since The nation awakened 10 the need
OF the convicts supporting themselves.
there have been SIX systems developed
for the utilization OF their services
Flrst-The least system. used by five
States. Is that wherein the State leases
the convIcts TO some party OF parties
who agree 10 feed. cIoJhe. guard, and
furnish medical aid 10 them. the state
making certain rules IN regard 10 them
and reserving the right 20 inspect the
camps OF Institutions al viii For these
men and women The iessOTs pay so much
per head The State shifts all resporsi-
biiity, apparently. and the helpless felons
are al the mercy Of their purchasers for
a given time and under the surveillance
ot qUestionabIy competent guards
Ssc0nd-The contract system. used by
Jwenty-sevea States gives the prisoner a
better chance az life and health By this
the State clothes. feeds. houses and
guards the COnvicts. and lets them at so
much per head 10 contractors, who fur
1lSh the raw material and market the
goods for their own profit
lhird-The price piece. found IN Seven
teen states. is the same as the contract
system. with the exception that work is
paid for By the piece.
f'oCrth-By the public accounts system,
applied IN forty States the state enters
the manufacturing field for itself. This
system has met with strong objection be-
cause II IS regarded as antagonistic to
free labor. and has been found 10 de-
n0ralizs the markets at times Yet this
can be made inimical to free labor by the
manufacture Of articles that DO not bring
them into such strong competition with
the outside manufacturers
Fffth-The state Use System. practiced
IN forty-six State and two United states
prisons. IS applied 10 the manufacture of
such goods as the State itself can use
and that are not put in open markets in
competition with free labor.
SixrE-In thirty-eight States the Public
Works and Ways System is found This
system uses the COnvicJs in the construc-
ton Of public works. such as public
buildings. roadways. parks. and break
waters Each system has its advocates
and its opponents Indiana, for example.
condemns the Public Works system.
which has a product value TO Georgia Of
S49LTS9; 10 North Carolina. SIS 105- 10
South Carolina, S25 SIS. and TO the United
States government, S419, ,355. declaring il a
thoroughly impractical method and not
suited in any way TO that Common
Wealth's IDEAS Of civilization New York
leads in the perfection Of the State Use
System, having 10 its credit 30 per cent
Of the value Of the total products under