Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1873-01-08

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1t Is believed this end could be as vel
secured were the law modified in some
important particulars. That provi.
: sion which requires, or hiss been un.
derstood to require, the contracts fol
different kinds of work to be awarded
| to separate bidders, whenever the sun
= total is less than the amount of any
single bid for the whole work, is OF
doubtful utility. a large number OF
contractors, acting Independently,
! with no community of interest, are
often in each others way RESPONSE
bility, whenever there is unnecessary
delay, is shifted from one to another
il any one contractor is unable, or for
any reason ncglects to fulfill his agree
ment, the whole work Is retarded,
more especially, as thesfrustees IN
charge of the work have no power
under the construction which they
have given to the law, to substitute
other employees for those who fail in
their duty, without readvertising, and
proceeding as with an original con-
tract. Think it would be better, when
the discrepancy is not very great, to
allow the trustees a discretion, either
to subdivide the work, or to let the
contract as an entirety. And when
any contractor fails, the work should
be prosecuted by the trustees, under
the proper restrictions, without delay,
and without re-advertising, the orig
fnal contractor being made liable up
on his bond for the difference in cost,
if there should be an excess. If the
contract to erect one of our public in
situations could be awarded to a single
responsible business man, who should
be required to give a good and suff1-
eient bono for the faithful perform
ance of his duty, much time and mon
ey could be saved. The interest upon
yearly expenditures which bring u
return, on account of the great length
OF time consumed in erecting one Of
our public buildings, would amount
70 an enormous sum. So far from
saying money by the present system,
the loss is great and inevitable. We
have recently seen q magnificent CITY.
with immense blocks of buildings six
and seven stories, attractive and dur
able, spring out of the ashes in six
months time; vet we consume five
or six years in constructing an edihce
which ought to be finished in twelve
months, or n two years at the utmost
limit. l do not believe this to be. to
any considerable extent, perhaps it is
not at all, the fault of the trustees ;
they are hamdered by the law, and it
ought 10 be SO changed or modified as
to obviate the difficulties which eX-
perience has developed.
OHIo PENITENTIARY.
A radical change in the construction
of the cells of the Ohio Peuitentiarv
is earnestly recommended. AS at
present constructed, they are in five
tiers, each cell being 3@X7 feet, and Z
feet high. 1t is proposed to build
them in four tiers, the cells TO be SIX
81 feet, and s feet high. There is now
a grated breathing hole, eighteen
inches wide, for each cell, and no arti-
fetal means of ventilation whatever.
The air, especially in summer, is sick
ening and poisonous. II is a grateful
relief for sick prisoners, to get out of
their cells, to engage in the hardest
kinds of labor. TheLprison physician
declares that it is impossible to pre-
vent frequent attacks of pulmonary
diseases, so long as convicts are kept
in such q initiated atmosphere. To
use the expressive language of the
~ a - NA6s Il " llEl lldDldl Vi I
the prison /: The men never come
out of their cells looking or feeling as
on Monday morning as they do
on other days of of the week" Dur
ing the Sabbath, which ought to be a
day oG rest, ouT prison convicts are
laboring for breath. 1 am not over
sentimal about this matter, and do not
that criminals should sleep on
a he'd of roses, Or be surrounded with
luxuries- But they ought to be hui
namely treated, and their lives should
he spared, unless forfeited under the
sentence of the law. To be sure, eve
rything which kind hearted overseers
can devise is done for their well-being.
The law of kindness has been substi-
tuted for that of cruelty and brute
force. An effort has been made to
create a feeling of self-respeet in place
of the sense of utter degTadation The
prisoners are more trusted than for
meriy, and are invited to the privi-
leges of m' raj and religious instruc-
ton. The result has been what might
have been expected. The prisoners
treated, ha re only in rare instances
betrayed the confidence reposed in
them. They destroy less material
than formerly they do their work
better, and more of it and the pris.
on, instead of being a great expense
the State, as it was for so many
years, is a source of considerable in
come. Great credit is due to the
Board of Directors and the officers IN
the immediate charge of the prison.
Or course the changes proposed in
the construction of cells would neces-
state the erection of a new building,
which there is ample and eonven-
lent room. n new system of sewer
age Is also very much needed, and a
roof to the old building is indis
pensable.
If il should be thought advisable
TO make the improvements suggested.
nearly all the work could be done by
convict labor, though considerable
time would be required. Estimates .
Of cost, and plaus, have already been !
prepared under the direction of the !
Warden of the penitentiary, and are
ready for your inspection. !
CRIMINAL LAW. {
1t is a matter worthy of your con-
whether or not the present j
criminal law could not with advan- /
tage be so changed as to provide that ,
Iuries should fix the grade of crime :
making more grades than we now
have-and that less or no discretion
snould be left with the courts as to I
sentence. For instance, there is IN {
der our law but one grade of man !
slaughter, though the court is allowed {
: discretion in infiicting punishment,
from n to ten years in the peniten- ]
tiary. 1t Is presumed that each indi- {
vidual Judge would be consistent in :
nXlng the term of imprisonment in :
all similar cases, but different judges :
1lIIer widely in this regard. One {
'ourt VIII sentence for n year, and 1
ahother for ten, in cases in every es- i
sential particular alike. 1t depends 1
upon the temperament, education, $
and habits of mind of the Judge. 1t
has occurred TO me that there might
greater uniformity in punishment !
If the grade of crime could be passed
upon by q jury of twelve men, while s
term of imprisonment, or other 1
punishment, should be definite and 5
certain. There may be objections to :
change suggested, but It is worthy
Of thought. j
For a full discussion of this subject, I
md for many valuable and interesting !
ycu are referred to the annual d
of the Board of Directors now T
before you. =
PARDoNs. 6
By reference to the report of par q
Ions, herewith transmitted, it will be
observed thai only twenty in all were