Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1871-01-12

whicfs prohibits the Stste, save in few
excsp 10 ia1 cases, from creating an. debt
and which provides or the pay ment al
al early day of the debt already con-
traoted. am convinced that it would
bs wise to extend the same policy to
the creation of public debts by county.
city, aud other local authorities. The
rule. "pay as you go. LEADS to economy
IN public as well as private affairs, while
the pswer to contract debts opens the
door 10 wastefulsess. extrayagance and
CORFU. ton. o us 4.lf5i
tn the early history of the State. when
capital was scarce. and expensive public
| works were required for transporting the
| products Of the State to market, public
debts were probably unavoidable But
tie time, believe, has come when not
only'the State, but all of its subordinate
divisions, ought to he forbidden to in
cur debt. The same rule on tbs subject
ughs to be applied to |, cal authorities
which the Constitution applies to the
State Legislature. Experience has
proved that the power to contract debt
| 10 asiiable to abuse by local boards as 1t
is by the General Assembly. If it is i'm
pnrtant to the people that the State
should De free from debt, it is also im-
portant that its municipal divisions
should not have power to oppress them
with the burden Of local Indebtedness.
aya FIXED SALARIES. 'a -a
II would promote an economical ad-
ministration of the laws il all officers,
State, County and Municipal, including
the Members of the Legislature, were
paid fixed salaries.
Under the existing laws, a part of the
public officers are paid by fees. and
part by fixed annual salaries. or by a
per diem allow ance. The result is great
inequality and Injustice. Many of those
who are paid by fees receive compen-
satiOn out of all proportion to the SER
vices rendered. Others are paid salaries
wholly Inadequate. For example, many
county officers, and some, city officers,
receive greater compensation than the
Judges of the Supreme Court of the
State. The salaries paid t, the Judges
ought to be e:increasei; the amount paid
tD many other public officers .ou Int to
be reduced. To do justice, system of
fixed salaries, without fees or perquisites
should be doptsd. The people of Ohio
will, without question, sustain an in
crease of tue SALARIES of Judges and of
other officers who are now inadequau.ly
paid. But it can probably best be done
as part of system which would pre-
vent The payment to public officers of
enormous sums by means of fees and
perqaisi'es. To remove all ground of
complaint on occount of injustice to pre-
sent.incumbents, the new system should
apply only to those elec. ed after It's adop-
zion. a-i 9itI '-ssril.s- -aaf
RATES OF TAXATION.
In addition to considerations. already |
presented IN favor of revision of the |
rates of taxation which local officers and |
boards are authorized to levy, another |
reason is not to be omitted. |
BY the recent revaluation of real estate, /
ine total basis of taxation for the State |
1T large will probably be increased al
most forty per cent, aud in many, Of the
cities the increase will be nearly one
hundred per cent. Phis renders it i'm
peratively necessary to revise the pres
ent rates, so as to prevent the collection
and expenditure of sums much greater
than the public good demands.
ri THE P, NTTENTIARY.
Under the prudent and efficient man.
agement the heeatningsofth the Peniteatisry1
continue to exceed its expenses, aud, at
the same time, gratifying progress has
been made in Improving the condition
aud treatment of the prisoners. The
hateful and degrading uniform of past
years is disappearing; Increased means
IT education, sel ular and religious are
afforded, and the officers Of the institu-
ton exhibit an earnest desire to employ
every instrumentality authorized by ex-
isting laws to RESTORE its inmates to ,o-
ciety imp proved in habits, capacity ana
character
While much has been done in our State
during the last twenty-five years for the
improvement of prison discipline, it is
not to be denied that much more yet re-
mains unac emphasized.
Assuming that the time has not ar
rived to attempt radical change of our
prison discipline, the following practi-
cal suggestions, consistent with the pres
ent system are offered fot y1ur consid-
Grafton: A convict is now allowed IL de.
'uction from the period Jf his sentence
rs q reward for good behavior; the pow
er to extend the perioi of the sentence
as punishment for bad conduct would
also, under proper regulations, exercise
a wholesome influence in the Discipline
of the prison. ''' % Hte5Ir. t
'''s CLASSIFICATION. ~ F,-
The Importance ceofcIsssifcatinn of among
CO.. victs is now universally admitted, -
For economical or other reasons the
establishment of an Intermediate pris-
on will perhaps be deemed ofnexpedient,
1T this time It is believed, howev, r.
th 1t by employing convict labof the adj
buildings and Improvements
for satisfactory classification,
can be erected on the ground adjoining
the old pri on, recently purchased and
now enclosed, at = small expense com.
,a'ei with the cost of new PRISON.
This plan, it ~ hoped. SilI receive
your careful consideration.
DISCHARGED CONyICTS. /