The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1842-01-28
For the Spirit OF Ms Ags,
REFORM, NO. I.

REFORM, NO. 1.
Tha wonders which were wrough, by the
word reform during tho last Presidential canvass,
he's rendered the term the most prominent, and i'm
porant Of any in the American vocabulary, nnd
there can be no doubt that il the things signifed
by this mngic term were applied, (not merely
promised) to the State government Of Vermont,
such a mass Of corruption, ignorance or negligence
In the discharge Of the duties of the affairs Of the
government would he disclosed, as was never even
dreamed of BY the honest and unsuspecting Of
either party. 1t is generally supposed that the
present debt Of the State, arose from building the
State House II may be so in part, but wt are in
formed by official documents, that the whole ex-
pense Of that establishment TO the State, was but
$4,000, i also appears by the auditors Report
that at the commencement Of this project, there
was in the Treasury the sum Of $4,000, which
deducted from the above, leaves an amount OF debt
arising from the building Of 100000, while the
whole amount Of State debt is nearly $500, 900,
1t is evident then, than nearly one hundred thous-
and dollars Of The present debt has arisen from
some other cause than building the State House,
and think il can be shown, that this cause, is the
want of economy and the misDanagement orlhose
10 whom have been entrusted the interests OF
the Slate The first subj ct of investigation to
which the freeman are invited is that of the State
Prison.
1t must he apparre Mt TO every one who considers
the subject thai this Institution should supper, ITSELF
without becoming drain upon the Treasury, es-
peciay il the following facts are understood, VIZ,
that the number of convicts, us stated in the SUI
perntendnnis report is 81, of these, only are IN
vads, and the whole medical account of the Frs
on is stated at only S64 ,l9.Nowl would osk,onghl
not 81 able bodied men and three ,tosuppnrt
themselves &enrn $64 10 towards the extra eSpen-
ses ofhree invalids' Bu,such hasno been the case,
md at The session of 1910 the Legislature apprn-
priaed $4,000 and the last session $1,000 to de-
fray the expenses of tho Prison. And 1t appears
also, from the report of,he Commute TO settle with
the Superintendent, that the amount Of claims
against the Prison on LIST day Of Oct. last, was
Sl5,563,S5.
During the last session Of the Legislature nm in
ves'iration Of the concerns Of the Prison was had,
before n committee Of the House, with the mlu-
utes Of which, and also n copy Of the Prison re-
ports have been furnished and from mn invesli-
CATION Of those papers think have key to the
whole mystery.
Bv the minutes Of the investigating committee,
Il appears that the Superintendent WAS credited on
The hooks of the prison liberal salary beyond that
fixed bv law and in addition to this, he possessed
himself Of pnrquisles 10 very liberal extent,
md the report Of the committee appointed to
settle with him, was so constructed that none
nj these facts were shown by that document. And
In order TO keep up Appearances, the property OF
the Prison WINS inventored Mt extremely liberal
prices, such ns the Superintendent saw fit TO niix
10 it, and BY this means the income Of the different
shops exceeded, (on paper only the eSpendi-
lures by $500
The management, md income OF one shop, Is
worthy Of notice. 1t appears by the report that
the balance Of income in The carriage shop was
1922 in favor Of the State. But on examination il
was found that Mr. Brown Ind entered into con-
tract with n carriage maker Ivy which the State wns
to- or did stock the shop and furnish rot less than
eight conviris to labor therein ut 81 l2 cents per
day, while the contractor was 10 receive 81 per
day for his services, and also half of the prof
its Of the hnsness On the book It appeared ihn'
Mr. Hutchinson, tho contractor wns credited %l27,
for his half IF the income. whilst tho committee
had reported. ns the half belonging to the stnte,
Ss22 By the examination il seems that the
whole amount Of nreicndeh profit was 81 gao Of
which Mr. IFS half WAS $427 and the States hall
se52. On very close examination 1t was drawn
out that no settlement was made with ". ana The
balance entered on the hook was merely Jumped
nt That from the half Of the income 1928, they
deducted ahcu, 5000, f,r supposed bad debts. and
that this deduction If 5000 from the one half was
added to The o,hor half. and thus the cheering IT.
lie sum Of 1922 for the State. was fixed on pApe
ns easy Ms nothing, and hid fair to re.cect MI
Brown TO the superintcndency AGRlCoLA'