Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1859-01-07

EH&la40 N Gus IA A&p A1 NCW AOEA1 az
csrding TO the census of 1850, Sne in
so: in Massachusetts, one In IS. For the
of It's incrsase in Ohio. we
must RELY on the aid Of education, upon
the influence of Religion. and upon equal
laws, securing to labor its just share of
pfoduction. There is no reason howev-
er, to expect the poor viii ever cease out
of the land. He eater. as heretofore, it
will be the duty of States and individu-
ais to open wide the hand to the needy.
Let as hope hat our w State, SO hon
erabIya distinguished for her Institutions
Of Be~nevolenee. will never fail in the Just
performance of it.
To ascertain the entire number of the
dependent classes. twill be proper to
add to the number of the Insane and
othermise. naturally infirm, 6,e40, and to
the number of paupers, Il. 500. the av-
erage number daily in confinement under
charge or sentence for crime, estimated
at IL 400; making the whole number of
to be maintained wholly, or in
part from public reveuues or by private
aid, 32,340.
This aggregate includes all the Insane
the Idiotic. the Deaf and Dumb. the in
door and outdoor paupers, and the i'm
prisoned. The whole mass may become
at any time what MUCH the larger portion
is at all times, a charge upon the State.
1t is what may be Justly called the infirm
element OF society. It's proportion to
the whole constitutes an important indi-
cation of the moral and industrial con-
.lition of a State. That proportion in
Ohio is a, n to rs; in Massachusetts
as one to Al; in New York as ono to 16.
Under the general name of Crime, as
an element of social condition, may be
comprehendel all action, associated, or
indivilnal which, violating moral obli-
CATION, inAiets injury on persons or SO
cietE. What have to submits you res
lating to crime in our own State, will,
however. be confined to The proportion
of offences against positive laws to the
total population and to their retarding
and disturbing influence on the otherwise
healthfrl and regular progress of society.
The number of Indictment for crime du-
ring the past year was about 5000; thc
number of police arrests for crimes
against the State not prosecuted by in
dictment, was about $500: the number
of arrests for offences against police or
finances 4,6S6; making the number o
arrests and indictments. for crimes ane
o~fcnses of lower grade, 1I,4S6. Thu
! convictions carried into judgement, upeI
Indictment, were 1900. The murders
during, the year were so, and tho suicides
So. The proportion of crimes and off
enses to the population was one in 208
| the proportion Of offenders of course be
ing somewhat less. The proportion o
murders was,one to SO. o00; that of sui
cides one to SO, 1923. *2S
The in~frequency ofconvictions as com
pared with indictments will doubles
attract your attention. It indicates
defective administration of criminal jus
tice, to lie remedied not SO much by leo
islation, as by increased vigilance and
firmness on the part of those to whom
that administration is committed. It il
worthy your consideration, however
whether, npen convictions for murder il
the frat degree. it may not be expedienr
to authorize the courts to sentence a
discretion to capital punishmens, or t.
inn risonment for life. [ am persuade,
that, in many instances, murder escape,
all punishment, or ali Adequate punish
ment, through the reluctance OF juries tt
find verdicts which must necessarily b,
followed by sentence of death
It is we'll a~scertained that, of crime.
of violence, nearly one-half have thei
Immediate origin IN intern psrance. anf
| that more than four-ffths of the polio,
/ &c.,, 900 1ra a. H. 1..zE.
cause. It is the abundant source of Pau
perism, Lunacy and Disease, as well a.
| Of crime. Its cost to society is beyond
the power of computation, and it's null
tifcrm influences for evil beyond thu
reach of estimate. 1 again invoke you
attention to this vitality important sub
ject, and trust that your action in regard
to it maysbe wise and efficient.
In this connection I think it my duty
to recommend to you the establishment.
of an Asylum for Inebriates. Much eyi
to individuals and society may be avert
ed, and much possible good accomplish
ell, by means of such an Institution. /
established on the State Reform Farm
upon a ju9icious plan and scale, its eos
need not be great.
The administration of civil, not les
than that of criminal Justice, is init
mately related to social condition ant
advancement When cheap, prompt, un
biased and sure, it guarantees industry
promotes enterprise, and ensures prog
rcss. When dear, dilatory, partial ant
uncertain. it inipoverishes labor, discour
ages useful Undertakings, and introduce
/ lan1Sna TN th1u Sfuf. tho 1aan1o a1oo
their Judges, and thus directly determin
ia a large measure the character OF Judi
cial administration. The results thu
far. especially in civil justice, have no
disappointed the advocates OF an ~electiv
judiciary. Incompetent judges have, i
is true, been sometimes elected, and tn
evils of mal-administration have some
times been felt; bnt the Courts of Ohio
considered in general. have nothing t.
apprehend from a comparison with thos
of any other State in respect to ~learnin,
intelligence. or efficiency. The amour
of their labors may be inferred from III
fact that the number of civil suits las
year, was about SO, 1000, in 5000 o
which Judgments were rendered. TIL
number of suits involving serious con
treversy of law or fact bore a small pro
port on to the Who'll lie. Much the large
number were prosecuted for the collec
ton of claims. an it is estimated tina
nine-tenths in amonnt of the debts nm
secured by mortgage or otherwise, whicI
class constituted thres-fourths of tn
whole, was recovered or recoverable
This estimate, if at all reliable, indicate
plainly the grounds on which the higl
credit of the business men, az well as o
the State Of Ohio, is established. TIL
whole debt of her people. public an,
private, as 1 took occasion to show las
year. is hardly equal in amount to ono.
fifth of the nrOnartY of the Sintn- an