The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1868-01-10

effort may be made to test the value
of really refermatory syatem upon
the younger men ana less hardened
class of criminals convicted of first
offenses by the courts.
This topic, among others, has been
carefully examined by the Board of
State Charities, and their report will
be found to contain a lucid and inter
Iesting discussion of is. lthink their
conclusions are sound, and that they
will make proper and safe basis for
Legislation. This Board has, besides,
made careful examination of IL con-
dition OF our county jails and infrm-
aries, snd the facts disclosed are
startling evidences how easily abuses
grow up in the most enlightened com
munities, where there is no regular
or efficient mode OF making the pub
l;o oeau>:s.k--a- ftfr-sA.~s ~s.-~Ss,s,ssssss
of institutions at their very doors. /
recommend the printing of an extra
number of copies of their report, be-
lieving that the full details contained
in it should be widely known, and
that the knowledge would arouse a
public sentiment which would most
efficiently second such legislation as
the subjects will undoubtedly receive
at your hands. ! would also recon-
mend that the Board be made more
efficient, by providing a permanent
secretary for them, whose whole time
might be devoted to continuing and
extending the investigations they
have so well begun. -sf...
The reforms needed in the organi-
zation and administration of the local
correctional institutions, naturally
lead to the consideration OF reforms
in the criminal la4. The Attorney
General, in his report, urges the i'm
iportance of oodihcation of the
crimes act, and of the simplification
of the rules and practice of criminal
procedure, so that they may be freed
from cumbrOus technicalities, which
are too often found to impedeinstead
of furthering the cause of substantial
justice. Much labor was bestowed
on the perfection of bills for the
above mentioned purpose at the last
session of the Legislature, but they
had not been finally acted upon at
the adjournment. An act was, how
ever. passed allowing accused per
sons to testify upon their own trials
for crimes. Although this measure
was supported by most respectable
authorities upon the bench as well as
in the Legislature, my observation of
its practical workings as they have
been revealed to ME in my examina-
ton of applications for pardon, com.
pels me to believe that the change is,
upon the whole, an unfortunate one
When prisoner has the right to tes-
tify in his own behalf, his failure to
do 30 is almost sure TO be taken as a
confession of guilt. When to the
knowledge Of this fact is added the
temptation to invent a plausible
theory to account for circumstances
proven in evidence, in the hope of
escaping punishment thereby, few
criminals will be found who will not
add perjury to the crime already
committed. The possibility that in
some rare exceptionable cases, inno-
cent persons may be the victims of
circumstances which only their own
testimony could explain, does not, as
1 think, overbaianoe the injury done
to the general administration of jus.
tice when perjury becomes a regular
and expected part Of judicial trial,
and the detestation of the crime is
generally lessened by its frequency.
My examination of the cases of pris-
oners sent to the Penitentiary during
the past year satisfies me that am
not exaggerating the real evils which
result. Another practical effect is
the abandonment of the old principle
of our law that no man shall be forced
to criminate himself. He does this
when his omission to testify is taken
for admission of guilt. If this prin-
ciple is abandoned, / should prefer
to adopt the French system of inter-
rogatiDg prisoners 'by the Court, as
avoiding at least the great tendency
to voluntary perjury. / am con-
strained, therefore, to recommend the
repeal of the law. Il
The increased number Of prison
ers in the Pentitentiary has made |
the duty of investigating applications
for pardon more burdensome during
the past year than is common. In a |
large class of cases occurring imme.
diately after the close of the war,
the sentences were more severe than
had been usual before, owing to the
necessity felt by the Judiciary to
check the apparent tendency to
crimes of violence. In a consldera
BILE number Of these cases the judges
have regarded it proper to recon-
mend the remission of q part of the
sentence, especially when the COM
munity seemed to have regained its
ordinary quiet'and law abiding char
acter. I have endeavored to use the
right to exercise clemency in strict
cooperation and good understand
ing with the judiciary, and the de-
tailed report of pardons issued will
show very few cases in which the
Judge who tried the cause has not
urged the pardon.
The Secretary of State, besides
presenting the usual reports from
this Office, has, in obedience to the
requirement of the last General As.
sembly, collected with great industry
such Information as could be obtain
ed in regard to authentic portraits of
the earlier Governors of the State,
which there had been some thought
Of preserving in the Capitol. What
ever information on the subject can
now be made available is thus laid
before you in authentic form for
such action as may seem appropri-
ate. f ...
The Supervisor of Printing reports
hat the cost of printing public doc
lments and binding the same, for
he year past, has been but little over
,ne third the amount expended in
he preceding year; and that this
,haHge is mainly owing to the differ
.nce in contract price for the unit of
Measurement, the quantity of work {
,eing about the same. He also re- L
,orts himself ready to assume entire t
harge Of the binding for the State t
Inder the statute for introducing g
'rinting and binding in the mechan- a
cal instruction of pupils in the Deaf 2
nd Dumb Asylum, if small addi- I