Semi-weekly herald., 1911-05-08
CONVICT LABOR AND THE aIGH,
WAYS.

WAYS.
While we are not conversant with
this subject to degree which will
enable US to 60 into statistical detail
giving figures relating to the cost,
per inch, Of highways built by con-
vict labor, yet we wish to take it up.
as general proposition. and give you
what appears to US to be good sound
medicine" on the subject
In the first place, II we under
stand the subject at all, road making
is about the only labor in which the
state prisoners can be employed with
out bringing their labor into direct
competition with the labor Of free and
law abiding citizens, convict labor is
of = necessity cheap labor and for
every convict employed in the trades
there is taken from the labor market
the demand for just 30 much free Ia
bor, but, in the building of public
highways this objection ia done away
Witllr Tie CouNlCt WuIh IN y DCurIt
to all and hindrance to none.
There is also another side Of the
matter which Is worth taking up and
discussing, that is the rights Of the
convict. A convict, no matter how
vile, if sentenced to term in prison
is entitled to such treatment as will
preserve his health 30 that, at the
expiration of his term, he may 60 out
physically able to engage in labor and
earn an honest living II he is SO In
clined. To keep man incarcersted
in cell, without proper physical exer-
else and pure air, Is to break down
that man and make a wreck Of his
body, to destroy his muscles and his
lungs, to make of him an incompetent.
so far as the power to earn an honest
livelihood by manual labor is con-
cerned. On the other hand to take
this human machine and place It at
work out in the sunshine, surround
II with pure air and mountain scenery
and give 1t proper amount Of labor
to perform, is to build 1t up, to en-
large its capacity, instead Of to de-
stroy 1t.
There is also another, and a very
important, feature to consider, that
is the reformation of the young con-
vict, the young man who ia q con-
victed criminal because Of some
thoughtless, or ill-advised, act of his
which brought down upon him the
man inside prison walls, to make the
daily routine Of prison life his only
world, to deprive him of all pleasure
and give him only hardened criminals
ever spark of manhood and honor
there remains In his soul and to force
life Of crime upon him. On the
other hand If this man is taken away
from the environments of The peni
tentiary, from the brutalizing influ-
ences Of prison walls, and placed out
in the open air, In camp where the
convicts are, to a greater or less de-
gree, placed on their honor, where
they breathe tie pure air and enjoy
the exhilarating influence of the rug
ged mountain conditions, is given a
reasonable amount Of labor and SUBJ
stantial amount Of well cooked food,
he may come out Of servitude 4 good
citizen, builder for good instead Of
a destroyer, 2 help and not a men,
ace to the commonwealth.
The other feature, the selfish one,
il also worth taking into considera-
ton, we pay taxes toward the mainte-
nance Of the convicts and we are en-
titled to fair proportion of their
services. We need the labor on the
reads and there is no other way in
which their labor can be placed which
will bring us as great returns as in
road building.
We understand that the mater has
been already taken up by the San
Juan congress and that there is fair
prospect that the work of building
roads in La Plata county with the aid
of state convicts will be instituted In
the near future. II our board Of coun-
ty commissioners will aid in the cause
they may be able to hasten the day
when a camp Of convicts will be To-
Gated in La Plata county and engaged
in a work which will give good to all