Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-01-08

Il
MARY results are satisfactory. The number Ut
prisoners, on the Dist of October, was 914, and
the number of convicts admitted during the |
year ending on that day was 54!: Tins is
decrease compared with the preceding year, of
81 in the number of convicts admitted, and of |
81 in the number confined IN the Peniientiary. |
The earnings during the year end
ing October II were............. 81 l15.GG3 O6 /
The expenses were...................... l43S3O 50
Excess Of earnings over ex pendi-
lures 39,O27 %
Last year the earnings wrrc..........$l7i 037 45 |
The expenses were ................... t4l 7O4 05
-
And the excess of earnings over
expenses was ..........".....".,'s..." S20,242 OO
.. REFORMATION OF CoNvlCTs.
A large population of the convicts, when
admitted, are quite young, he age o. about
one-thrti does not exceed twpnty-Onc years.
More than two-thirds ct the inmates of the
prison are now under thirty years of age. IL
will occur To any one who considers these facts
that, under orr system of PRISON discipline,
too little effort has heretofore ben nHde 10
reform these young men. \ high authority
has said, No human being Is ~ dcbasrd and
wicked that he cannot be reclaimed" IL is
believed that under wise system, the Young
ut least can be reformed and prepared for use
tul and worthy citizenship. The present sys-
TEN has two capital defects, the minglmg in
intimate associations of the young with the
hardened criminals, and the failure to educate
the conyicts in habits of thrift and sclfcontrol.
The defects are in the SYSTEM The convict,
when he leaves the Penitentiary, is exposed to
greater temptations than ever b. fore, and the
result of his prison lie is thai he has less power
10 resist evil iniiCnccs, aliG, too often, less dis
position 10 resist them. l ito not enlarge ul on
| the ObjcCuOnS 10 the present system; IL is not
| claimed to be refOrmatory. IN Yrcrpt report
/ al
| vicis still leave the PcnitentaIy apparently as
hardened and as dangerous 10 the State as
they were when they were sentenced" the
vital question is, how to remove this reprOach
on our penal legislation. Ia considering il, |
commend 10 you the remarks Of the Board of
State Charities on the Irish convict system.
| The Distinguishing merit Of shat system is that
'it enlists the cooperation Of tlc prisoner in
his own amendment, without Withholding
from him the punishment. due to his crime"
Ii the adoption of that system, with such modi-
ications AS our system requires, is deemed AN
experiment which ii is ineXpedent for the
State to try until its advantages are better UNI
dcrstood submit that the least that ought
now to be attempted is to provide for classii-
cation OF cOnvicts, so as to separate beginners
in crime from hardened offenders. Whether
this can best be done by alterations and an ex
tensions of the present penitcntary or by the
erection of Il new one is for your wisdom tC
determine.
In several other States voluntary associa
tions have been formed to provide for, cncour
age and furnish employment to discharged
, cOnvicls and their efforts have been of incal
culable benefit to this unfortunate class. If {
similar association should be formed by the
benevolent citizens OF Ohio, they will reas0na
: bly, expect to receive proper assistance from
the General Assembly, and in that expectation
| trust they will not be disappointed.
COMMON SCHOOLS.
The total number Of persons of school az,
, in the State in 1869 was officially reported n
1923 $50; an increase of II ,l0S over the pre-
) vious year. The total number enrolled in tht
public schools in 1869 was 740,3s2 an incrras,
of 3Gl0 over the year 1868. The average daily
, attendance in the public schools in 1869 wa
434, ,S65, an increase over 1868 of "a, ,144.
The total taxes for schools, school buildings
: and all other purposes, the present fiscal yea
L is $G57S,l0G 80, AN increase over the taxation
Y of the previous fiscal year of $6lU,705 GS. q
:. this increase OF taxation, the sum OF $l7 S33 81
is in the State taxation for school purposes
and the sum of $50S, so is the increase o
: local school taxation.
] The State Commissioner of Common School
II in his report, will recommend the adoption .
!. county superntcndcncy, the substitution o
township boards of education for the presen
! system of township and sub district boards
o modification of school laws and other impor
@ tunt measures TO which your attention is re
specllully called.
I BOARD OF STATE CHARITIES.
q Prior to the organization of the Board q
, State Charities In 1867, there was no proviso
for systematic examination of the. benevolen
and correctional institution under the contro
! of the State and loca! authorities. The mem
@ bers of the Board serve without pGcuniar,
' compensation. 1t is simple justice TO them Il
: say that they have faithfully performed th
thnEkless task Of investigating and reporting
I the detects in the system and in the adminislra
( ton OF our charitable and penal laws, and hav
| furnished in their reports information and sug
. gcslions of great value. If 1t is true that al
abuse exposed is half corrected, II would b
: difficult to over estimate their work The
0 have their reports show discovered abuse
Y and crueltcs praciccd, under color OF law, il
u the midst of communities noted for orintelligenc
and virtue, which would disgrace any age
Let the Board he granted increased power
u and facilities for the discharge of their duie;
II and II will afford security, perhaps the best al
;, tainuble, to the people oi the State, that III
> muniticent provision which the laws make iO
the pouI and unfortunate, will not be waste
J. or mis.applled by the officials who are charge
y with its distribution.
II THE CHRONIC INSANE.
J. During the Inst year more than nine hundre
q pcrsoni, classed Us incurably insane, have bee
;. lodged in the county intrmaries, and almo
one nunuItu lllNt DcCi Ill luc COulil
= jas. Besides these II large number of III
u same class of uniortunates have been take
l. care OF by relatives or friends. The Sta
q should NO longer postpone making suitab
~ provision for these unfortunate people I'll
:, treatment they receive In the infrmarles an
jails is always Of necessity unsuted to the
u condition, and is often alrocious To provit
. for them, | would not recommend an increas
- of tho number of asylums for the insane.
o is believed by those best acquainted with Il
= subject, that both economy and the welfare
ls the patients require that the chronic insar
y should be provided for by additions TO Il
Ii asylums already built, or to those which al
II now building 1t is probable that in this Wa
~ such patients can be supported at less eXpen
Ia the people of the State, than in inhmar
Te and jails. However this may be, their prese
ID conditions impcratyoly demands, and, l trus
= will receive, the serious consideration of u
n General Assembly. Although common
10 classcd as incurablt, II Is quite certain that
- proper treatment, In suitable institution, Il
q condition of all of them will be vastly impro
y cd, and, II may we'll be hoped that many
b. them can be entirely cured
" INEBRIATE ASYLUM.
q The expcdenoy of establishing an asylu
nr for the cure OF inebrlales has not been mut