The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1871-01-06

authorities should be empowered to
| lew no higher rate Of taxation than
is absolutely required for practical
{ efficiency under ordinary circumstan
ees. In extraordinary cases general
laws should provide for the submis,
| sion of the proposed tax or assess.
ment to the people to be affected by
it. under such regulations that it can
not be levied unless at least two
thirds of the.tax-payers approve the
measure.
i One of the most valuable articles
of the present State Constitution is
that which prohibits the State, save
in few excep ional case, from crea
ting any debt,and which provides fol
the payment, at an early day, of the
debt already contracted. / am con
vineed that it would be wise to ex
tend the same policy to the creation
of public debts by county, city, and
other local authorities. The rule
@pay as you CO." leads to economy
in public as well as in private affairs
while the power to contract debts
opens the door to wastefulness, ex
travsgance and corruption.
In the early history of the State
when capital was scarce and expen
sive, public works we're required fol
transporting the products of the
State to market, public debts were
probably unavoidable. But the timt
believe has come, when not only the
State, but all its subordinate diyis
ions, ought to be forbidden to i1cul
debt. The same rule on this subject
ought to be applied to local authori
ties which the Constitution applies
to the State Legislature. Experience
has proved that the power to con
tract debt is as liable to abuse by To-
cal boardsas it is by the General As.
sembly. If it is important to the
people that the State should be free
from debt, it is also important that
its municipal divisions should not
have power to oppress them with the
burden of local indebtedness.
1t would promote an economical
administration of the laws if all off,
GERS, State, county and municipal, in
eluding the members of the Legisla-
ture, were paid fixed salaries.
Under existing laws, a part Of the
public officers are paid by fees, and
q part by fixed annual salaries, or by
per diem allowance. The result is
great inequality and injustice. Ma
ny of those who are paid by fees re-
ceiYe q compensation out of all pro-
portion to the services rendered.
Others are paid salaries wholly mad
equate. For example, miny county
officers and some city officers receive
| greater compensation than the Jud
ges Of the Supreme Court of the
State. Che salaries paid to the Jud
ges ought to be increased; the amt
paid to many other public officers
ought to be reduced. To do justice,
a system Of fixed salaries, without
fees or perquisites ought to lie adopt
ed. The people of Ohio win, without
question, sustain an increase of the
salaries Of Judges, and of other off,
GERS who are now inadequately paid.
But it can probably best be done as
a part of a system which would pre-
vent the payment to public officers
of enormous sums by means of fees
and perqnisites. To remove all
ground of complaint, on account of
injustice to present incumbents, the
new system should apply only to
those elected after its adoption.
In addition to considerations al
ready presented in favor of a revi
sion of the rates of taxation which
local officers and boards are autho-
rized to levy, another controlling
reason is not be omitted. BY the
recent revaluation of real estate the
total taxation for the State at large
viii probably be increased almost
forty per cent, and in many of the
cities the increase will be nearly one
hundred per cent. This renders it
imparatiYely necessary to revise the
present rates, so as to prevent the
collection and expenditures of sums
much greater than the public good
demands.
Under prudent and efficient man
agement the earnings ofthe Peniten-
tiary continue to exceed its expen-
ses, and, at the same time, crafty
ing progress has been made in i'm
proving the condition and treatment
of the prisoners. The hateful and
degrading uniform of past years is
disappearing; increased means of ed
ucation, secular and religious, are
afforded, and the officers Of the in
stitution exhibit an earnest desire
to employ every instrumentality
authorized by existing laws to re-
store its inmates to society improv-
ed in habits, capacity and 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 remains unaccom-
plished.
Assuming that the time has not
arrived to attempt a radical change
of our prison discipline, the follow
ing practical suggestions, consistent
with the present system, are offered
for your consideration: A convict
is now allowed deduction from the
period Of his sentence as a reward
for good behavior; the power to ex-
tend the period of the sentence as a
punishment for bad conduct would
also, under proper regulations, exer-
else a wholesome influence in the
discipline of the prison.
The importance Of classification
among convicts is now universally
admitted. For economical or other
reasons the establishment of an in
termediate prison will perhaps be
deemed inexpedient at this time. 1t
is believed, however, that by en-
ploying convict labor the additional
buildings and improvements re-
quired for a satisfactory classiica-
ton, can be erected on the ground
adjoining the old prison, recently
purchased and now inclosed, at
small expense compared with the
cost of a new prison. This plan
it is hoped, will receive your careful
consideration.
1t is also recommended that the