Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1847-12-17

Departments will be Immediately sent TO the place
Of rendezvous, with funds to dslray the necsssa.
rP expenses, which may be incurred agreeably 10
law."
The Asylum for Lunatics, for the blind, and
for the deaf and dumb have all been managed by
their respective superntendants and officers, with
distinguished ability and success every way
worthy of the high character which they have
attained, and OF the lustre which they have shed
on the good name Of the State. I cheerfully
commend them 10 your continued patronage.
The mild yet firm discipline administered by
the warden and officers Of the Penitentiary, and
the moral and religious instrument 1lites brought
into requsltlon, including the la' gely increased
library for the use of the conyicIs, collected by
the Rev. Mr.. Finley, are exercising, trust,
wholesome influence upon their character. No
duty intrusted TO government is more difficult of
execution than that Of the punishmenI of crime.
The great object TO be kept nview is, the prolec-
ten Of society, by tho confinement and especial
| ly by the reformation of the criminals, in such
manner as shall at once defray all expenses and
train the convicts to habits of industry: not for
getting, though fallen, that thsyare yet men, with
minds to be enlightened and hearts to be anima-
ted by the lessons of morality and religion. Is il
not true that we have directed our attention TOO
much to The financial view alone of this great
governmental obgatiOnl Having succeeded in
making the Penilenliary deGay its own expenses,
and IN erecting other institutions, and pay bal
anco into the Treasury, have we not overlooked
the nature OF tho contracts by which the conyic,s
have been hired out and transferred from hand to
hand; and have we not, in some respects, forgot
ten what is due TO their rminds and bodesl Nav
II not well be questioned whether unremitling or
unrequiIed toll, from early dawn ill night, under
the eye Of an interested taskmaster, without an
hour TO read by day, or light to read at night,
constitutes the great road to moral reformation!
Is II right to continue in the hands of one ind-
vldua a monopoly of between two and three hun
dred laborlng men, at only thirty-three cts. per
day, boarding, lodging, and workshops found! is
t just TO keep up that monopoly, at that price, in
compettOn with the honest mechanics of the
State! Is it 10 be tolerated that such contract
is claimed 10 be perpetual! suhmittO your de-
llberate judgment whether the Warden Of the
Penltentlary had power, either by virtue of his
! office, or by any legal enactment, to limit or con-
trol Legislation, by any such perpetual con tract,
and whether the General Assembly has not un-
doubted right, in the exercise of its discretion, to
abolish the Pcnitentary sy stem entirely, or TO a.
dopI solitary confinement either in whole or in
part; or if they find the present system detrimen-
tai TO the industrial concerns of the State, wheth-
er, from the nature of Government aud the terms
Ol the contracts themselves, they may not en-
pIqy either the whole or part of the convicts
at the public buildings! And ! would further
submit to the wisdom Of the Legislature, whelh-
er the work on the State House ought not to bo
tnl % nur md ybat h
er convict labor ought not to bo Withdrawn from
uvocatlons injurious to mechanical pursuits and
directed to this unnecessary object, taking care,
IN its raduaIwlthdrawal towork no injury 10 any
just rights Of contractors.
And if by this direction to the labor of the prl-
son, or portion of it, appropriations become ne
cessury to pay for the stone quarry purchased,
and dtosuppor that institution, whether they should
not be made. Is it not better to do that than eli.
they to hire out convicts at thirtythree cents per
day, and employ other labOrers to do the same
+ work at one dollar and fifty cents per days or to
suffer The foundation laid, and materials provided
for the State House, us we'll us archevcs, to 60
To ruin.
& The Nat, ,onal Government having, for the
time being at least, abandoned our lakes and riv-
ers, and directed all the energy and resources OF
the nation To war of foreign conquest, it be-
. comes tho more important, especially as il is the
settled policy of the State of Ohio not to increase
her debt but TO pay it off, that all proper encour-
agomenI should be given to such organizations as
,r will bring the private enerprze of the country
r TO bear on its physical Improvement. The grea
. lines of Railroads extending from Boston, New
:. York. Philadelphia and Baltimore towards Bufla
7 10, nunkirk, Pittsburgh, and Wheeling must all
in two or more concentrated chains, cross tho
4 State Of Ohio, at right angles with our canals
and railroads, from Toledo, Sandusky and Cleve
land TO the Ohio river, and connect with othel
"a roads soon to be completed to The Mississippi
river at GaIena, Quincy, Alton and ST. Louis
), In all truly democratic governments where
/, tho policy of the law is to distribute, no
+ TO concentrate estates, and where ther
are, consequently, few rich men, associa
:. ted wealth and effort become indispensable to III,
"a accompl lishment of great enterprises. 1t is thu
that corporations emanate from and exist as III,
O efficient lnslrumenlaliIies Of Republican lnstitu
/. tions and are multiplied in direct proportion Il
"a the enterprise and freedom of states and nations
/. FoI these, amongst many other reasons,
,s would recommend the passage of a more effcicn
,. general law incorporating manufacturing compa
ID nics with proper limitations. To ca into activ
70 use dormant capital, to build up manufactures
TO aid young men of small means to begin bust
Is ness, to create for the husbandman market Il
W his own door, to develope the resources of III
g. State and to repress emigration from 1t, the ten
$, dency of such u law is not only obvious, bu
\, sanctioned by the experience of Massuchuselt
aud other States.
10 Permit me also to recommend, that the la,
le regulating interest may be so modified as to pei
81 nit parties to contract for any rate not exceedin
O. a certain limit TO be fixed by the Legislator,
10 leaving the law as ii now is, in all cases wherei
S. no contract has been made in relation to nte
D. est would invite it amongst us, and thus by con