Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1871-01-11

1t would promote an economical ad- Z
OF the laws il ali officers, I
State, County, and Municipal, ,includ- /
ing the members of the Legislature l
were paid fixed salaries.
Under existing laws, a part of the |
public officers are paid by fees, and a /
part by fixed annual salaries or by a /
per diem allowance. The result is
great inequality and injustice. Many
OF those who are paid by fees receive
a con1Densation out of all proportion 4
to the services rendered. Others are
paid salaries wholly inadequate. For
example. many County officers, and
some CITY officers, receive greater
than the Judges Of the
Supreme Court of the State. The sala-
ries paid to the judges ought to be in
creased; the amount paid to many 9TH
er public officers ought to be reduced.
To do Justice, a system Of fixed sala-
ries. without fees or perquisites, should
be adopted. The peopleo OF Ohio will,
without question, sustain an increase
in the salaries of Judges and of other
officers who are now inRdequately
paid. But it can probably best be
done as a part Of a system which
would prevent the payment to public
officers of enormous sums by means
Of fees and perquisites. 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.
RATES OF TAXATION.
In addition to considerations already
presented in favor Of q revision of the
rates Of taxation which local officers
and boards are authorized to levy, an
other controlling reason is not to be
omitted. By the recent revluation
of real estate the total basis of taxa
ton for the State at large will prOba-
bly, be increased almost forty per cent.
and in many Of the cities the increase
will be nearly one hundred per cent.
This renders il imperatively necessary
TO receive the present rates, so rs to
prevent the collection and expendi-
ture of sums much greater than the
public good demands.
THE PENITENTIARY.
Under prudent and efficient man
arement the earnings of the Peniten-
tiary continue to exceed its expenses,
and at the same time, gratifying pro-
gress has been made inimprOving the
condition and treatment OF the pris-
oners. The hateful and degrading
uniform of past years is disappearing;
increased means Of education, secular
and religious, are afforded, aud the
officers Of the institution exhibit an
earnest desire 10 employ every instru-
mentality authorized by existing laws,
to restore its inmates to society, i'm
proved in habits, capacity and char
acter.
While much has been done in our
State during the last twenty years
for the Improvement Of prison disci-
pline. it is not to be denied that much
more vet remains unaccOmplished.
Assuming that the time has not
arrived to attempt a radical change Of
our prison discipline, the following
practical suggestions, consistent with
the present system, are offered for
your consideration A convict is now
allowed a deduction from the period
Of his sentence as a reward for good
behavior; the power to extend the
period Of the sentence as a punish
ment for bad conduct ~panld also.
under proper regulations, eSereisetas
wholesome influence in the discipline
Of the prison.
CLASSIFICATION.
The importance of classification
among cOnvicts is now universally
admitted. For economical OF other
reasons the establishment OF an inter-
mediate prison will perhaps be DEEM
ed inexpedient at this time. 1t is
believed, however, that by employ
ing convict labor the additional build
ings and improvements required for
satisfactory classification, can be erect
ed on the ground adjoining the old
prison, recently purchased and now
inelOsed, at a small expense compared
with the cost Of a new prison. This
plan, It is hoped, will receive your
careful consideration.
DISCHARGED CONvICTs.
1t is also recommended that the
Board of State Charities be empOw-
cred to aid discharged eonvicts to
obtain honest employment. An an
nual appropriation of a small sum for
this purpose, in the course of a few
years, would probably save q large
numGer, who, without such help,
would again return TO a criminal
course Of life.
COUNTY JAILs.
The most defective part OF our pres
ent prison system is probably our
county jails. 1t is supposed about
5000 persons pass through our county
iails each year. They are generally
persons charged with crimes and
awaiting trial, But lunaties and petty
offenders, in considerable numbers,
are also confined in these places. The
young and the old, the innocent and
the guilty., hardened offenders and
beginners in crime, are commonly
mingled together in the jails, under
few restraints. without useful Oecupa-
ton. and with abundant leisure, and
temptation to learn wiekedness. The
jails have been ftly termed nurseries
of crime. Plans Of jails, not too ex-
pensive, have been furnished by the
Board Of State Charities, which pro-
vide for the absolute separation of the
prisoners. It is recommended that
the law shall require all jails TO be so
As to entirely prevent this
promiseuous and dangerous inter-
course.
Your attention Is particularly called |
to the recommendation of the Board |
Of State Charities, that the proper !
authorities of all the cities of the
State should be required to make full !
reports annually, to the Legislature,
through the Governor, Of thestatistics
of vice and crime, and Of the work Of
the Police Department in such cities. |
And also to the suggestion that Prose /
cutting Attorneys should not be al
lowed to enter a nolle prosequi in any !
case Of an indictment for a crime I
by imprisonment in the I
Penitentiary or by death, without the /
written approval of the Attorney Gen |
eral first given, upon q written report /
to him Of the facts.
The importance Of this is sufficient /
" shown by the fact that in 1869 the |
of cases in which a nOlle /
prosequi was entered exceeded fifteen /
hundred.
REFORM SCHOOLS FOR GIRLS.
The Girls Reformatory at White
SULPHUR Springs contains fOrty-nine 1
inmates, and it is now demonstrated
that the number is likely to increase
as rapidly as the welfare of the insi-
tuition will allow. Whatever doubts
NAV have been ress inably entertain
ed. as to the necessity of such an insti-
tuition, prior to its establishment, the
report Of the Directors and Superin-
tendent, and a thorough investiga-
ton Of the facts will, It is believed,
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