Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1867-04-11

wealthy, and that, TOO, WITHOUT
money and without price" Thus
falls to the ground the charge against
the State Of not providing the
means of instruction, as every i'm
partial reader cannot fail to see.
But good as our school laws are,
l think they might be improved in
one particular. There are some
here and there who do not avail
themselves Of the benefit Of these
schools, from mere indifference or
carelessness; and l would suggest
that law enacted with suitable pen
alties annexed, to compel parents
and guardians to send their chill
dren or those under their care to
school, wuold be profitable to the
class alluded to.
Secondly, the Penitentiary and
its management. The article I'M
der review characterizes the Peni-
tentiary system as relic Of barbar-
ism, with its "clanking chains and
dungeons dark and dreary," and
represents that the whole is man
aged by the ferocity of "De0tls
damned" Now let us see how this
matter stands. 1t has been found
that Notwithstanding the ample and
wise provision made by the Legis-
lature Of the State to instruct the
masses, and Notwithstanding the
preaching of the Gospel which
abounds everywhere among us, the
diffusion of the Rible, and the in
strumentalities of Sabbath Schools,
of the circulation ofreligious Tracts,
and reading circles, yet such is the
depravity Of human nature that
many are not benefited, but go on
from bad to worse, until they break
the wholesome laws of the land,
that were made as a tenor to evil
doers, but praise to them that do
well. And when found guilty by
the Courts, something must be done
with them, as they are not fitto have
their liberty, The old plan of long
ago, was to punish capitally fer a
great many offences, such as steal
ing, forgery, bigamy, incest and
others and for minor offences whip
ping was common, and that on the
bare back with "forty stripes save
one," branding, cropping or marking
the ears like swine or sheep, and
other modes of punishment was re-
sorted to, which cannot be denied
was barbalism indeed. Such was
the state of things in England, and
to some extent in this country, when
that Christian philanthropist Eliza
beth Fry, began her visits to New
gate and other prisons, which were
filled from the above causes to over
flowing, both male and female being
crowded together in q state Of filth
and wretchedness that 1ggars de-
scription. BY the dntiring and earn
est labors of that lady and her CO.
workers, prison discipline soon i'm
proved, and a mild treatment sub
stituted for that of tyranny and q
state of wretchedness, and twas
soon found that humane, treatment
would soften down and control in
some instances the most hardened
criminals. And as the public mind
become more enlightened, the Pen
itentiary system was inaugurated
generally, and in the great State of
Ohio, by the enlightened legislation
of her Statesmen, and at a vast ex-
penditure of money provided our
present Penitentiary. The convicts
having forfeited their liberty by the
commission Of crimes and depreda-
tions upon the community, are in
carcerated therein, as a reformatory
school, and at the same time are
paying a portion of the expense in
cured by useful labor, and are IN
charge of good Christian men who
treat them kindly and humanely,
and they also have the benefit OF the
Ministers of Religion, whose sole
aim and desire for them is, that atthey
may be reformed and christianized'
and labor assiduously to that end.
This, then, is the true state OF the
case. They are notmanaged by an
infuriated set of demons. And
this isRlrely the only kind of school
adapted to the wants and circu m
stances of convicts; and it is be-
lieved that it is the only kind of
school that would be good policy
of the State to institute and main
tain The writer recently visited
the Ohio Penitentiary. There were