The Prison Bill

To the Editor of tht Detroit Post. Sik - I have been urjted by representalivcs trom tin; different polltieal parties ti sitïn the bül aholishing the contract la systern n our prUons, introduOfc In Mr. Egiin. As it was p is-ed iliirinjr ilieclosing honra of the legislalive ses sion, 1 had no means to return Itwith my 'ibjeclions, and theicfure will tliank you tor space in your pauer to give ilie public urne ot ihe re.isoiit why I cannot appruve it. The me.istire was recommended n my ürst UMMMire to the legUlature, bui, 1 must fiankly eonfess, willmul the mature Ihought so important a mcasure deservcs. 1 shüiild have added in my recommendanou tliat the change be not made nntil oiim) practical otMliUlte could be malured and adopted. The bilí provides for abolishinjr contract labor, but prncticnlly substitutos iioUiing In its place, except to lock the piisouers up in their cells day and night. tvbton nmuut8 to Militar; confinvuient, atterthe conir ctsexp reu pon whicli,thiy are Iftboriug, uittil rapitai is furnislicd tor a De w biuliWM aud it is put in successlul uperatiou. Senator Belknap offeredjan amendment to the bfll tbat 50,00O he approprlated lorcunyidir on the Work on state account, and Senator Broun oftered an anieudment u the Htnendment to make the nmount $300.000, the lütter of whicli to my jiuljruieut, and HOnordlniC to the expirieiice of ihe öt.ite of New York, would be an insutflcient suni. B'itli amendments were defeated, and Hiere s no appiopriatiou tliat can be used lor ihe purpo-e except $10,000 which was set apart for the piece gytru) now cairied on in i liinited way in our prisons, wliich um would not last a week if used to cairy out the pnrpmtM of this bill. It must lie borne lii tnind that our prisoii average over 1,200 inmates, an imnieiise torce to furnish employment for Wtiat, tlien, would we have were thi l)ill to become a law? A large foroe Idle ui a sliort time. with no capital vvitli whi.li to purclia.-e material and the appllancea necesary for eurylng alonj; the Mrorka, ta'ililiintr agencies, etc, and, in faet, building up an enormuug eslablishinent, m i: ui tact ui ing many kinds of liooda, tioin the cominercetne'it, without any practical expei ience in such matte is. Il iiuul.L k. ¦ , ¦ ¦ . -ii present contracto!? own their business, ira.lc Okitrka and trade, none of which would bc tramferred tothe prloon tutboiiiies. VVlieu the nevv .-ysttm is adopted the prison autlioiities must, first determine what kind ot rood tliey will manutacture aud then "wolk up a trade," proving thet can produce troods that will compete in the markets aud tind sale, oiherwi.se, an Immense umount of extra capital must be furnished bv the 'is to pile lip goods lili a mai'ket can be found, or sell at prices that will ruin foreign compelition and honest labor. The clmt. ge, wheu made, must also necessarily be very gradual and of slow giowth, and will theu require the best business talent in the state to couduct it iviili auy defiree of succes. Uuder the present law the wardrnis of our prisons, upon wliom the success or f iilnre of tliH i-ystcm would depend, are liable to be changed every tvvo years, and tnt-ir suceessor.1 would probaüly know no hin; of theduties connecteU withsuch au iciiuiense establishinent. No private business coulil be suceessfully uonducted in thl inHiiner, s every business and laboriag man knows. The coiiTicts ia our prisons ure seineneed for their terms "at hard labor," and unless employed, as I said before, must necessaiily be lockeri in their cells day and oight, which is praciicilly solitary conüueinent, and is bolh Ilegal and inhuman. Many other cqually forcible rea 8ons for not preeipitating this chance cnange without first providing tlie necessary capital and thcn Iaying out and perlecting definito plans wi,l sugjiest theinselves to every business and laboring nan who gives the subject careful thoueht. UKl urclmrd, Me., Juiieüü, 1885.