The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-01-13

ties ftlly justify Il. they will. I think, also
satisfy you Of the expediency OF encourage.
ment, by law, Of the establishment Of pri.
vate Infirmaries and Asyluns, in which
there il rea4on 10 believe many will be main,
ed by their own means or BY relatives, and
friends, and that others, needing help from
the State, can, in many cases. be provided
fnr at much less than the present cost. They
will also, il may be hoped, recommend to
all entrusted with the administration OF these
Institutions, the ddties Of ecoEomy in expen.
diture and vigilance.
Many individuals Of the classes partially
provided for in the State Asylums, are in
mates Of County Infrmares. This fuct i'm.
parts additional force to the general consid.
erations which suggest further Legislation
for the regulation OF these Institutions.
regret that the Commissioner appointed In
der the act Of your predecessors to examine
the reports required by it, and prepare a bill
for the better endowment, regulation nnd
management of Infrmaries, has US yet be4n
unable to ful6 the duty imposed by his ap-
pointment trust, however. that the pre-.
para,ion Of proper bill, aud the necessary
legislative action upon it will not be long
delayed. .i
fAuPERIsM.
Another important element, entering into
every adequate estimate of social condition,
is that Of Pauperism. In Ohio the pauper
class is less numerous than in many other
States but is yet large enough to require
thoughtful consideration. The number uf
poor, well or i'll provided for, either temper
arily or perm nently, in Infirmaries, Houses
of Refuge, or other Institutions, is estimated
at $500; and the number of the same class
receiving t-duor relief, at u 900, making
the total number ol poor supported wholly
or parli,IIy by the public during the year,
ID 500 Estimating the population Of the
Stae to be 2,400 600, the proportion Of pau
pers is in l62. The proportion OF the
same claS- in England is in II in New
York, according to the census in 1850, ii
was 10 so; in Massachusetts in 65 -
For the prevention Of its increuse in Ohio,
we must rely Oh the aid OF Education, upon
the influence Of Religion, and up IN equal
laws, securing to labor its just share {" pro.
duction There is n o reason to expect, how.
ever, that the pUor will ever cease out of the
land. Hereafter, as heretofore, it will be
the duty OF States and individuals to open
wide the hand 10 the needy. Let US hope
tbut our St'te, 50 honorabiy distinguished
for aer Institutions OF Benrv0ianGe, will new
er fail IN the just performance OF it.
To ascertain the entire number Of the de-
pendent classes, it will be proper to add to
the number of the Insane and otherwise nat.
uruily intirm 6,0l0, and to the number of
pauperS, l4,a00, the average number daily
ip cUntiaement under char re or sentence for
crime, estimsted at ll,400 !; making the
Whole number of persons to be maintlined
wholly, or in part from public revenues OF
by private aid 32,240
This aggregate includes all the Insane, the
Tiiotic, the Deaf and D9mb, the Blind, the
lnsdoor and outdoor plupe7s, and the i'm.
Dris3ned. The Whole mass may become at
any time what much the lIrger portion is at
ali times, a charge upon the State. 1t is
" hat may be justly called the intirm element
of society. lis proportion 10 the whole con
stitules an important indication OF the mora
and Industrial ccndItion of a State. Tina
proportion in Ohio is us ] to Is in Mass.
! achu5etls az / to 4l in New York as tC
20.
CHIM1.
Under the general name OF crime, as an
element OF social condition, may be compre-
hendad all action, associated or individual
which, violating moral obligation, inH,cts
injury on persons or society. What have
to submit to you relating to ctid!e in our oWr
State, will, however, be confined to the pro
portion of offences against positive laws tt
the total population und to their retardin!
aud disturbing influences Oh the otherwise
health'ul and regular progress OF society,"
The number OF indictments for crime during
the past year WIS about $500 the ndmbcl
of police arrests or crimes against the State
not prosecuted by indictment, was about g.,
900; the number OF arrests for offence;
against police ordinances 4,656 f.; making the
number OF arrests for crimes and offences o
lower grade IL ,456. The convictions car
ried into judgment, upon indictment, were
800. The murders during the year wers
80, and the suicides 65. The proportion o
crimes and offences to the population was
in 2OS the proportion o offenders being 0
course somewhat less. The proportion o
murders was ! to 80 900 that of suicides
to SO ,923.
The infrequency Of convictions as compar
ed with indictments will doubtless attrac
your attention. 1t indicates defective ad
minist:ution Of criminal Justice, to be rene
died not 50 much by legislation, as by in
creased vigilance and firmness on the par
Of those to whom that administration is com
mitted. 1t is worthy your consideration,
however, whether upon convictions for mur
der in the first degree, it may not be expedi'
ent to authorize the courts to sentence al
discretion TO capital punishment or imprison.
ment for lie. am persuaded that, in many
instances, murder escapes all punishment
or all adequate punishment. through the re-
ucrance Of juries to find verdcts which mus
necessarily be followed by sentence o
death. ... ..a .-.r. .-...
| It is we'll ascertained that, Of crimes ofvio
lence, nearly one.half have their immediate
origin in intemperince. and that more thar
tour.fiths OF the police offences are due tt
the same baneful cause. 1t is the abundAn
source Of puuperism, lunacy, and disease, u:
we'll as of crime. Its cost to society is be
yond the power OF computation, and its mu
ti(orm influences for evil beyond the react
of estimate. ! again invoke your attention
10 this vitaIly important subject, and trus
that your action in regard to it may be wiss
and efficient.
In this connection think it is my duty te
recommend TO you the establishment OF al
Asy lum for Inebriates. Much evil to indi
vduals and society may be averted, and muct
positive good accomplished, by means OF sucI
an Institution. Il established on the State
Reform Farm, upon u judicious plan ant
scale, it's cost need not be great.