Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-01-14


supported by voluntary tofatious rom soiu'ere
ia The army, and ether sources. vas mar 1
adopted bv the State and taken under TVS vhc4u-
sise authority. The priacirai s uepa, .s,h
taLiisbei near the cit, 81 "aNehtoi: Wa
branches at cedsr Falls and 6lsnwooo. ny 'uis
dis,rihution the Home Is rendered me- 49,
,.ilp - the children Of the Nte,e en''''co - =.
/ I.~.nts Fl ,f9rds me plea suTe - state iHsi
tt.,if,,, "a, i. II, excellent condition, a:.f 81.
.. :, ~. been managed WITH maca p 'acticei +
sil;,ty end economy schools have teen .s'ao
I,.h.j and conducted ~ competent corps oi
,s.chcrS tim. combining. educational aaTLn'a
49,. xi,b the support of the children committed
Under the act Of tie Eleventh General As
ssmbly. by which the state assumed the con
tfol OF the institution, levy OF thrse-eights 81
enc per ecEt. was required 70 De MADE iof l's
support allowing eight dollars and thirty Three |
cen per month for each child IN attendance
Since this change oecarre', July lsi. 1870, the
sum Of tiol sis IS has been drawn upon TIE |
prop,f vouchers from the State Treasury for IFS I
support The report Of the Trustees. which will
be submitted for your information. shows the |
total number ~ children nov maintained At the |
Home - be s3i. distributed as follows: Da- |
venport branch, 637, Cedar falle, go and Gien- |
wood. Il The Trustees recommend ihst the al |
loyance for supper, aud current expenditures
be incre ssed 10 the rate Of twelve dollars per
month for each child IN attendance, which
AMOUNT, IN their opinion. will furnish no more
than ad, quats support for the proper ana ell
4
| 90 recomm nd that the buildings be improved
| and extended, in order to provide suitable &C
commodations for the present and increasing
| number OF inmates. For this purpose. accord
! inn to tho estimate OF the lrus'sss aosu' 80
| OC0 will be required.
| This subject desery 20 and should receive your
! deliberate and considerste attention HE re
sponsibillty Of providing for these chiidren VAS
assumed under u sense Of duty to the men VINO
4 naliy 6llel the largest measure o. rcsponniOhi'
1 ,,'tl. bx -
! Il. defense and In doing this, we but discharge,
to q limited exteut, the highest obligation ina,
can be imposed upon patriotic end gfa'F'u'
people
Your attention is respectfully invited TO the
condition OF the peuitebtiary, lnd to the neces-
sity which exists for additional appropriations
to increase its capacity aud security. Inc re
port Q. the warden aud accompanying doc
umeuts ~ill fully explain to you the condition
and wants Of this institution. The ne
, c@esitv for an increase Of cel-room Is 50 mani
fest and urgent that trust II will receive your
{ prompt and favorable attention. The biennial
! period Just elapsed began with eighty seven
E einvicts aud li- cells. and closed with LOO con
: vic,s and l62 cells, leaving only two unoccupied.
Il will be obsers led that the number Of convicts
: has nearly doubled within the last two years
i and with the progress OF populstlsn II Is but
reasonable to anticipate q continual increase Of
e crime, requiring additional iacilities Tor tue
keeping aud accommodation st eonvicts.
II IL Ahould be borne IN mind that these addi
J. tionsl cells must be provided for immediately
&c unless the State 10 prepsredto adopt the vicious
il and discarded system, Of doubling the conviets
e in their cells, which IS preJudicial TO health not
p only, but destructive Of proper discipline.
With the large amount Of combustibie mate
i rial unavoidsbly kept IL the various ~orhshop pr
" about the prison inclSsure. the danger from DC
o structive hfes is constant and Imminent AMI III
% occurrence would produce immense less both u
70 the State and the iessees OF convict labor. II
II, provide against such catastrophe, inasniuch u
= no ,nsur auce cen be effected upon the building
D. or thcir contents, IL 10 necessary to construct
% reservoir OF sufficient dimensions. at some poin
e. on the prison walls, with suitable pipes Hnd 9th
~ or fixtures requisite for hooding the variou
10 buildings whea necessary, IN any alarm. ot nj
o. This reservoir must be supplied with water ct
% tanned from the river by means OF drauic pow
- err; all Of which, us am advised. can be accom-
hs plished at . moderate expense to the State.
as The accounts and vouchers ofthe warden hA,
", | been examined from time TO time, and found
al be correct. The busines aud aiiairs OF tins II
h stItuton appear TO have been managed IN all r.
spects with commeniabis prudence. Its san
lie tary condition is excellent. not death hav In
he occurred among the convicts during he last ~
"a years. and the good order and System which pr
II vail ure evidence that the discipline of the pri
10 on efficient and complete
w starr pgrouu School.
Z" The report OF the warden shows that out OF III
- one Kindred aud sixty conyicts now IN the pen
:. Tertiary there are fifty nine sndcr Il Years
", nge, and thirty four OF these vary IN age from
- Ia Il wears An exam nation OF our CRIMINAL r.
~ turns will reveal the rlancho, fact tn 1T yer
!, large aud increasing proportion oithoss artsigI
:. "a ia our Courts upon CFlmlua' accusations. a
20 rersons OF tender ave many OF whom lind thu
=, ~av into the pent.utiarv. there to serve toi
. term IF years in companionship with eli an
e confirmed offenders. large majority efthese NJ
fortunate youth either orl'han.. cast out upo
their own resources. or the neglected ou-pri n
of parents WHO are either too poor to support q
have with criminal indifference neglected I'll
e. education aud moral training of their children
c- thus neglect, d. or deprived ~ the re- trainln
o. Influences OF IA wel-ordcfed home, these unioi
us tunAte children often driven INTO nssociatio
N viii older companions. by whose corrGptin
~ manners and vicious propensities they afe COZ
a ducted. by sure degrees, INTO the perpetrsus
Ia Of crimes from which their better natnros.
re- the. had been properly directed, would ha'
NJ tsrned with horror.
OF Some ,ears of observ alton and peri nee bot
As q ia fetal and executive officer have deepl
Of Impressed me with the conviction that II
in | .onnde-t consider alton Of public economy, ~
" every sentiment Of an Enlightened aud Chrisiis
- philanthropy. imper stively demand the erecio
"a OF . Reform School, Tor the instruction aud re
ed orinaton Of juvenile offenders. Instead OF " ri
m ing the reformation Of such persons, term
lie | the STATE pen,entiary, by keeping them III Il
,er p.rnci lms atmosphere Of prison life. constant
40 | subJectcdto the d-moraliHine influences of col
he prepare them for entering upon a higher NJ
ne holder career OF CRIME.
nd Man, other States have deemed il expediel
err to adopt the policy here sns sesied. unt the g
es nal success which has marked the experiment
"a Of Reform acho Is aud their universal popula
OF ~ wherever they have been tried, serves To 81
IT, courage me IN urging the General Assembly
ne est.biIs one in tins State NJ the csrliest ia
sr pra sticable For this purpose would recon
H. mend That a tract of land. say from fifty 20 OF
H. hundred acres. be procured by donation or ct
res ersiss al some eligible and CONVENIENT pom
its ana that an appropriation be made Tor the or.
tion of suitable buildings to put the school IN
nj | imme,l late and successful operation.
p Reference should be Ii adj to the erection OF wo,
II. shops where these offenders may also acqui
he knowledge OF some mechanical art which. cor
sr | bined " .th well drectec intellectual aud NOR
nd instruction, will serve to quality them TO hgh
n. | and nobler aims after their terms of senten'
te | shall have expired. With the income derive
from these industrial operations. the Institute
MT may Also 10 great extent. il not altogether,
he | rendered self sustaining.
IN In nv opinion a subject more grave and IA
TO- | reaching in its character cannot engage the
In. l tention II an enlightened asd humane legisl
rs. tor.
10 SCHOOL YUxp.
on respectfully and earne silly renew the sugge
tiops contained in my bicnnial message to ii
in Eleventh General Assembly. in reference TO Il
IS urgent necessity ofareouiring the permaue
ul school fund, now on loan to the counties, TO
cd returned to the State Treasury, for the purpo
he of a more safe and sv valuable Investment
This suggestion did not originate with m
nor am l alone in entertaining the opinion tn
. it has becooe . subject Of grave concern.
~ predecessors, Governors 1rimes. Lowe AT
III kirkwood, wisely directed legislative st.entio
r. 60 this subject and in forcible terms urged Il
IS | necessity OF a more prudent Management, of til
M fuad. lu thcse vie&s they we're cordially su
y. tanned by the accounting and financial officers
the Sts,e whose duties and means Of observ attic
OF. entitled their opinion 10 additional consider
70 ton. But, for reasons which am unabe to u
pc, derstsnd. these wholesome recommendation
','i have been disrcasr1ed, and this sacred fun
ne which the Constitution commits TO our care,
H. permitted to float about the State under the pr
carious guardianship ofcounty authorities tt
immens, and continued losses already resultii
NO to the State, il deemed . sufficient argument
iii illustrate the impolicy Of thus creating y hu
iii dred local banking shops out Of this invalu b
.st fund, designed Tor the education of our youth
r. Tho principal Of this fund has already been
miui shed to the amount Of nearly tl25, 0oo; AL
hat while The state has obligated tselfto pay - Il
Do schools interest on the entire amount q, the ra
,os Of eight PER cent yet the aggr gate Of intere
AL actually realised. owing To these losses is on
of SIX per cent. on the entire principal, constutii
an. thereby an annual loss TO the Stat in this dire
ma ton OF t5"eve Under the Constitution d
-. L. 4.