| Show PRISON LAZOR LABOR LABOR organizations in new york state tor for a I 1 ong long ahlie insisted that the working man was afas injured and op presse n consequence of the competition pressede df of prison labor in many lines of manufacture and by means of the political ifju ence they were able to exert they secured the passage of what is known as the yates prison law under which convicts con victa are not allowed to manufacture commodities a as formerly concerning the operations of this law the springfield republican says the yates prison law passed at the dictates of labor organizations is already having its effect on the convicts in new york state the officers of tile the prisons at sing sing auburn and clinton agree that their charges are actually suffering for some thing anin to do jail surgeons testify that nickit sickness as has increased and the wardens have devised disciplinary measures to keep the restless men in bounds the convicts who first look forward to an easy time were the quickest to beg for work and the trivial duties allowed are eagerly sought sough after tafter the superintendent of sing sing says that 80 30 convicts can do I 1 in two months all the work the law allows and nearly 1500 are suffering from the enforced idleness there meantime the labor party men themselves have been forced to admit that tile yates law is not perfect all they wanted was to remove competition and they think they can devise some means of keeping the prisoners busy apart from the convicts the tax taxpayers who are assessed half a million additional to keep the prisoners in idleness have some rights and the subject is likely to be an issue at the next nest assembly V there is something repugnant to genuine philanthropy and true statesmanship as well as the spirit of christianity ti in the idea of dooming a man to la hard labor ibi i the confines of a prison for a term of years the toller toiler feeling all atie time that no reward is in store for him but that society is extracting tr what it can from him in the way of skill and strength by revenge the prisoner is a slave and reducing him to that ca condition cally is not likely to elevate hi amorally M nor is the feeling rankling in his bis breast b r east that he is being made to suffer cne li e long lasting revenge of a power lie he is unable to resist conducive to a genuine reformation of his bis character no doubt some such arguments as the demands of labor agitators that prison manufactures should cease fr on the other hand band to compel prisoners to pass in idleness the weary terms of their punishment is perhaps to inflict upon them suffering as severe as hard labor much of course depends upon the natural disposition of the individual but many men would ar rather work than be idle wages or no ao wages A plan which would obviate at least in part the objections to both handwork and idleness might it would seeth seem be framed and carried into practice among p prisoners riso ners of even the hardest classes let them be allowed wages either in time to be subtracted from their terms or in money or both and make intake it to a certain degree optional with them whether they will earn the reward or oot not society will lose nothing in the long run by the exercise ot of philanthropy towards prisoners griso prisoners ners kindness will melt a hard har heart when severity would but make it if more strong it is gratifying to note that the tendency of our times is in the direction of a more humane and enli enlightened policy in the treatment treat men t of persons whom society or its own protection is compelled to keep in confinement |
