Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1870-02-15

tuition was 357, while ON the lst Of January.
F1Sf6, the number had increased to COL. The ex-
penses for the fiscal year ending September 80,
| 1868, were 500, POI SO, while for the fiscal year
ending September 80, 1869, they had increased
to 9,038 IS. Most of the prisoners are able
bodied men, and ought to be employed at some
mechanical business, thus tightening the 9burs
then which this institution has always been to
| the State and beneGtting the, prisoners them
| selves by providing them regular and healthfui
exercise for both body and brain, and by teach
| ing them some useful occupation But the e1-
perience of other similar institutions as well as
our own, believe, has demonstrated that this
cannot be done with any profit by the State. -
| Hence, in most of the States the scontract sys-
tenn has been resorted to. and, SO far as am
informed, with good success The convicts are
| employed under contracts with persons not
otherwise connected with the prisons extending
| from three to live years, at certain stipulated
price per day, In the manufacture OF articles OF
merchandise, but principally boots and shoes
| la such cases the State furnishes only the neces
sary room for the accommodation of the prison.
| ers and the power lsteam or water necessary
| for the propulsion of the machinery required
and guards or keepers Ia sufficient numbers to
prevent the escape of the prisoners and to pre-
serve order and discipline among them. I am
strongly of the opinion that the State can be
relieved from very large portion of the ex-
penses Of the penitentiary by the proper intro
duction of this system. i have already. in my
possession, one or two propositions from entire
y responsible parties. proposing TO employ all
| the able-bOded male prisoners In this institu-
tionin the manufacture of boots and shoes. IL
| have delayed accepting aay propositions thus
| far, BECAUSE among other reasons, .the State
government had not been fully organized under
| the Constitution, and because itappeared to me
| that some additional legislation might be- re-.
| quired. The present buildings are old, much
out Of repair, unsafe, and not well adapted for
| a prison with the necessary workshops : 1t
must be repaired, and ought to be renodeled
and enlarged, or anew penltentiary built. Z,n9i
| The lands occupied by the Institution at, this
time are too valuable for such a purpose A
| new location can undoubtedly be obtained easy
| OF access and possessing equal Or greater adj
vantages than the present, and new, more suit
able and complete buildings erected thereon at
4 an expense not very much in excess of the value
of the present penltentiary property. 1t your
1 Honorable bodies should agree with me in this
view of the subject, / would recommend that
! immediate action be taken for the sale Of the
| present, and the purchase of new site. Re
pairs OF temporary and inexpensive nature
can be made upon the present property, so as
to render it comfortable for occupation until the
new buildings are completed, and cheap
|
area enclosed by the present buildings, for the
| temporary accommodation ofthe contractors for
| the prison labor The contractors themselves
would doubtless make these repairs and erect
such temporary buildings as they might deem
necessary, at their own expense, receiving their
compensation therefor from the labor of the
| prisoners. But if you shall deem it inexpedient
to change the location Of the prison, then the
repairs upon the present property should be of
IL, LII
ings of a more durable and commodious char
acter, and differently located. It is quite i'm
portant that prompt decision should be arriv-
ed at, as to which course shall be pursued, In
| order that contracts may be made for the profit
able employment of the very large number of
now idle and expensive prisoners. M
| STATE GUARD.
It is proper in this connection to speak OF the
| State Guard. The necessity for some organiza-
| ton like the former State Guard, or State
| Police, is too apparent to require comment or
argument from me- Men must be employed to
guard the penitentiary, and to care for and
protect the public property. In my opinion, a
military organization is preferable to any other.
It is quite probable that the State Guard might
| be reorganized under the present laws, but
have preferred to defer all action in that behalf
until the opinion of the General Assembly could
| be had
/ | respectfully recommend that this subject be
! considered and acted upon at the earliest prac-
ticable moment.
| CITY, TOWN AND COUNTY OFFICERS
| Among the important subjects demanding
your immediate attention. one of the first will
be that of providing for filing the various city,
town and county officers, until regular elections
can be held. The Constitution provides for
holding regular elections in cities and towns on
| the fourth Thursday in May, and in COUNTIES
on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in
| November. Before any elections, general or
| special, can be properly held, it will be neces-
sary for you to enact general registration law
and provide the mode and manner In which
are inconsistent with the provisions of the con-
| stitution upon this important subject The 22d
section of the fifth article Of the constitution
undoubtedly clothes the General Assembly with
ample power to fill all these offices In such a
manner as to it shall seem best, until regular
elections can be held. | doubt the propriety of
ordering special elections In these cases at this
time. Aside from the time which will neces-
sarily be consumed in perfecting the requisite
legislation for that purpose, the great expense
which such elections would entail upon the
Commonwealth, ought, if possible, to be avoid
ed. In the meantime it is of paramount I'M
portance that many of these Offices should be
promptly filled. 1t appears to me, therefore
advisable that the Legislature at very early
day enact law authorizing the filling Of these
offices by appointment until officers can be re-
gularly elected and qualified as provided for by
the constitution.
! 20 ~ THE JUDICIARY. lae- 81
| Five judges of the supreme court of appeals,
sixteen judges of the circuit courts and over one
hundred county and city judges are to be elect
ed by you, who will hold their Offices respective
| ~ in the order named for twelve, eight and
three years from the Ist of January next This
is g grave and responsible duty and surrounded
| by serious difficulties and embarrassments. A
learned and incorruptible judiciary has ever been
the pride and boast Of our people, Whatever
other changes our necessities may compel, trust
that the high standard of qualification for judi
cial position which has heretofore obtained in
our State may never be changed, altered or
amended. - Honesty and capability have been
and should continue to be the sovereign tests
of fitness The judicial ermine should ever be
far removed from the arena of politics. Ifthere
is anything more to be Stunned than political
| preacher it is political judge. 1t may be that
| you will be unable to fill all these judicial posi-
tons by men who are not disqualified from
holding office by the Constitution of the United
States. Without intending any disrespect to
the fundamental law of the land or to the con-
stituted authorities, it appears to me that you
not only ought to have the right to the widest
range selection for these exalted positions, but
that you ought to exercise that right. 1t is
solemn duty which you owe to yourselves and
to your constituents, to the country and to pos
terlty to elect our ablest, purest and best men,
f,,lE 70 IL L