Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1870-01-13

by a majority OF all the voters Of
the locality to be affected by the
j., tax, at special election-the mum.
. Der Of voters to be ascertained by
2 reference to the votes cast at the
b State election next preceding such
. special election, Another mode is
to limit the rate of taxation which
may be levied, and the amount OF
debt which may be incurred. 1t has
> been said that with such restrictions
upon the powers Of local authori-
ties, the Legislature will be impor-
tuned, and its time wasted in hear
ing applications for special legisla.
ton The ready answer to all such
applications, by local authorities,
will be to refer them to their own
citizens for decision Of the ques-
ton. The facility with which af-
firmative votes can be obtained I'M
der the pressure Of temporary ex
citementupon propositions author
izing Indebtedness, may require
further restrictions upon the pow
er to borrow money. 1t is there
fore suggested, for your consider
alton, to limit the amount Of debt
for a single purpose, and the total
amount for all purposes, which any
local authority may contract, to a
certain percentage of the taxable
property Of such locality.
The evils here considered are not
new Fourteen yeaIs ago, Cover
nor MeliIl, in his annual ne ,sage,
used the following language, which
is as applicable to county and mu-
nicipal affairs now as when it was
written: The irresponsible and
eXtravagant system of administers
ton which prevails in some of our
counties and cities furnishes the
principal cause for, the exactions
which are 50 generally complained
of. There, public contracts are
given to favorites, which occasion
the most lavish expenditures. There
also, we find officers with incomes
which shock all correct ideas of
public compensation. These things
have their effect upon the general
tone of public morals. County re-
form is duty enjoined by every
consideration of public virtue" "
The whole Of this important sub.
ject is commended to your candid
consideration.
THE PENITENTIARY. 4
The management of the affairs of
the Penitentiary, during the past
year, has been good discipline has
been maintained; under kind and
iudicious treatment the prisoners
have been industrious and orderly,
and the pecuniary results are salts
factory. The number of prisoners
on the 31st Of October, 1869, was
974, and the number of convicts ad-
mitted during the year ending on
that day was 347. This is a de-
crease, compared with the preceding
wear Off in the number of convicts
admitted, and Of the number con-
fined in the Penitentiary,
The earnings during the year end
ing October 81 were .,....,.....,.S Sl75,6 ,6G3 OO
The expenses were ................ 1859 $
tures ..i..,..,. S82 OPT 90
Last year the earnings were .,.,,,.S Sl7l O37 45
The expenses Were,,,,...,...,,..., l4l IVA 10
expenses m inst We're .,..,"'..''..,, ~ '' Wv $2024a so
REFORMATION or CoNvICTs.
A large proportion of the con
victs, when admitted, are quite
young The age of about one-third
does not exceed twenty-on years.
More than two thirds Of the inmates
of the prison are now under thirty I
years of age. 1t will occur to any
one who considers these facts that,
under our system Of prison discip-
line, too little effort has heretofore !
been made to reform these young
men, A high authority has said,
''No human being is SO debased
and wicked that he can not be re
1t is believed that, un-
der a wise system, the young, at ,,
least, can be reformed and prepared L
for useful and worthy citizenship,
The present system has two capital
mingling in intimate :
association of the young with
the hardened criminals, and the
failure to educate the convicts in
habits Of thrift and selfcontrol'- :
The defects are in the system. The
convict, when he leaves the Peni- :
tentiary, is exposed to greater temp !
5ations than ever before,and the re-
suit of his prison life is that he has
less power to resist evil influences, :
and, too often, less disposition to
resist them. l do not enlarge upon
The objections to the present sys- .
tenn; it is not claimed to be a re- !;
rormatory. In recent report, the : :
Directors said: "The great mass
1f convicts still leave the Peniten !
5iary apparently as hardened and :
rs dangerous to the State as they :
we're when they were sentenced" "
The vital question is, how to re- =
1roach on our penal legislation
In considering it ] commend to =
you the remarks of the Board Of !
State Charities on the Irish con
,ict system. The distinguishing :,
merit of that system is that it en- !,
lists the co operation oftbe prison =
n in his own amendment, without u
Withholding from hin the punish
nent due to his crime" If the
.doption of that system, with such a
notifications as our condition re- h
Iuires, is deemed an experiment {
which it is inexpelient for the State v