The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1870-01-07

than they were last year.
The increase of taxation for State
purposes is in part due to the amount
collected for the Asylum Building
fund, which exceeds the amount re-
quired last year fOE building purpose
by almost S3OO,O0 Making due al
lOwance for this, the important fact
remains that both State and local tax
es have largely increased.
4 remedy for this evil can only be
had through the General Assembly
The most important measures to pre-
vent this rapid increase of taxation,
which have heretofore been recon-
mended, are a revision of the tinan-
cial system of the State in accordance
with bills prepared by board of COM
missiOners appointed for that purpose,
in pursuance of an act passed March
Is, 1867; short sessions of the General
Assembly; adequate fixed salaries
for all State, county and municipal
officers, without perquisites; and def
mite and effectual limitations upon the
power of County Commissioners, City
Councils and other local authorities,
to levy taxes and contract debts.
The Constitution makes it the duty
Of the Legislature to restrict the pow
ers of taxation, borrowing money, and
the like, so as to prevent their abuse.
I respectfully suggest that the present
laws comforting these powers on local
authorities require extensive mOdifi-
cation, in order to comply with this
constitutional provision. Two MODES
of limiting these powers have the
sanction of experience. All large eX-
penditures should meet the approval
of those who are to bear their burden.
Let all extraordinary expenditures,
therefore, be submitted to a vote of the
people, and no tax be levied unless
approved by majority of all the vO-
tiers of the locality to be affected blythe
tax, at Especial electiOn-the number
of voters to be eascertained by reference
to the votes cast at the 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 incur
red. 1t has been said that with such
restrictions upon the powers of local
authorities, the Legislature will be
impOrtuned, and its time wasted in
hearing applications for special legis-
latiOn. The ready answer to all such
applications by local authorities will
be to refer them to their own citizens
for q decision of the question. The
facility with which affirmative votes
can be obtained under the pressure of
temporary excitement, upon PROPOSE
tiOIfs authorizing Indebtedness, may
require further restrictions upon the
power to borrow money. Ii is there
fore suggested, for your consideration,
to limit the amount of debt for a sin
Gle purpose, and the total amount for
all purposes, which any local authOri-
ty may contract, to a certain perceil-
tage of the taxable property of such
locality.
The evils here considered are not
new. Fourteen years ago, Governor
Medill, in his annual message, used
the following language, which Is as
applicable TO county and municipal
affairs now as it was when it was
written: "The irresponsible and eX-
travagant system of administration
which prevails in some of our counties
and cities furnishes the principal
cause for the eXactiOns which are 50
generally complained of. There, pub
lie contracts are given to favOrites
which occasion the most lavish eX-
penditures. There, also, we find Of1i
GERS with incomes which shock all cor
rect ideas of public compensation
These things have their effect upon
the general tone of public morals
County reform is a duty enjOined by
ever consideration of public virtue"
Tho xrbaIa Of fl1iS in1uorfanf SIIbipcf
is commended to your candid consid-
Grafton.
THE PENITENTIARY.
The managementO of the affairs ofthe
Penitentiary, during the past year;
has been good; discipline has been
maintained; under kind and judicions
treatment the prisoners have been
cuniary results are satisfactory. The
number of prisoners, on the 31st Of
October, 1859, was 974, and the
number of cOnvicts admitted
during the year ending on
that day was 347. This is a
decrease, compared with the previous
year, of % in the number confined in
the Penitentiary.
The earnings during:the.year ending
October ii SII9,oI "
The expenses weLe...........-..-...--- I15,65o y
Excess of earnings over expenses 5 a2,O7 .
Last year the earnings Were t--.-..-. Sl7l, ,06 8
The expenses were----.....-..--....-..l lil,I9i 70
And the excess of earnings over
expenses We're. -a,2i2 ~
REFORMATION OF cONvICTs.
A large portion of the cOnvicts,
admitted, are quite young. The age
Of about one third does not exceed
twenty-One years. More than two
thirds of the inmates Ofthe prison are
now under thirty years of age. 1t will
occur to any one who considers these
facts that, under our system of prison
discipline, too little effort has hereto
fore been made to reform these young
men. A high authority has said, ''NO
human being is sOdebased and wicked
that he can not be reclai med" 1t is
believed that, under wisesystem, the
young, at least, can be reformed and
prepared fOruseful and worthy citizen
ship. The present system has two
capital defects-the mingling in intl-
mate association of the young with
anu
ure To educate the cOnvicts in habits
of thrift and self-cOntrol. The defects
are in the system. The convict, when
he leaves the Penitentiary, is exposed
to greater temptations than ever be-
fore, and the result of his prison life Is
that he has less power to resist evil
influences, and, too often, less disposi-
ton To resist them. l do not enlarge
upon the objections to the presnt sys-
temi it is not claimed To be refOrmatO-
ry. In a recent report, the Directors
said: "The great mass of convicts
still leave the Penitentiary apparently
as hardened, and as dangerous to the
State, as they were when they were
sentenced" The vital question
Is, how To remove this re-
prOach on cur penal legislation.
in considering it, commend to you