Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1867-04-11
For the Herald
THE STATE INDICATED.

THE STATE INDICATED
I observed in th&,Herald of the
Dist ult, an article headed iPun-
ishment as a Means df Rgforma-
ton" l read it, and could but
think it contained singularideas and
suggestions. l therefore re-read
the production with a view to ascer-
tain if l had misunderstood the SEN
timents it contained; but the con-
viction produced was, that it con-
tanned ideas new, strange and extra
ordinary. The writer sets out with
the assumption that many think that
capital punishment is useful in re-
forming offenders against the Grim
inal laws of their country, together
with an allegation that it is l mis-
taken notion, and no way adequate
to the purpose; which | do not in
tend to discuss, as I do not view
capital punishment in very favor
able light But the part that struck
me as peculiarly strange, was the
idea that the State was the cause of
all the immortality and crime com
mitted within her borders by with
holding the means of proper edu-
cation; hence crime had become
rife, and that the community was
disposed to be revenged therefor if
it cost the life blood of the offender,
The writer then draws a parallel Of
father correcting his wayward
child, and the State dealing with
criminals and personating the State,
goes into an affectionate and affect
ing talk with the convict after this
manner: "My dear child, l am ex
tremely sorry for my past conduct
in regard to you; l should have
given you a better educationj |
have sadly neglected you, and par
ticularly as you might have enjoyed
life to better advantage, and been a
more useful man. In the first place
as you have through my shameful
negligence advanced so far in life,
without being properly instructed
in useful learning, which has caused
YOU to be criminal, 1 wish now
to make all the atonement in my
power" I do not quote verbatim) J.
He then proposes to introduce him,
together with all other convicts, in
to a high school, furnished with the
best of teachers at the expense Of
the State, mot with drawn swords
but in Kindness" to be instructed
| in the arts and sciences, and that in
good commodius building, and
not in a gloomy dungeon" Thro'
all the above it is obvious that the
State is charged indirectly with al
the crimes committed therein, in
their various and startling forms.
Now, l do not propose to follow
this writer through all the ramifca-
tions of the article under review,
but will state in a concise way a few
arguments to defend the State
against some of these high charges
and first with regard to education.
The State has adopted by wise leg
islation, a system of free schools,
unrivaled, and almost unequaled in
the known world; has created a
powerful and gigantic educational
fund of hundreds of thousands of
dollars, to be drawn upon in an ex-
act ratio Of apportionment, accord
ING to the number of pupils, and
necessities of the different districts /;
and has also made every necessary
regulation to carry out efficiently,
this great system of popular educa-
ton, and requiring a school of at
least eight months year in each
district. Thus throwing the means
of education within the reach of all
classes, both poor and rich without
distinction none too DOOr to be al