Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-01-10

property, they answer that they do
not own it and have nothing to do
with it. 1t has been impossible to
reach these interior organizations.
One fast freight line has heretofore
owned and used four thousand cars
and all this property escaped taxa
ton in Ohio, although operated in
this State. 1t is worthy of consider
alton whether or not this evil can be
reached and remedied by the State
or National Legislation.
am informed tits the custom for
many of the railroad companies in
corporated by the laws of Ohio to
keep their transfer books on Wall
Street, in the city of New York; the
practical result of which is that
money is borrowed, on railroad
stock pledged as collateral security,
transfer is made on the books to
the banker or broker who has only
a remote interest in the ultimate
value of the stock. Spectators and
\ schemers then borrow OF hire the
proxies on stock so held in pledge,
and by voting the same, sometimes
enter into transactions to the extent
of millions of dollars, involving the
validity of railroad securities, and
affecting the financial interets of
many innocent persons. A control
ing influence is thus often exercised
by men having no pecuniary inter
est atzstake, to the dlseredit of the
whole railroad system, and to the
prejudice of the public welfare.
It would be well for the Gener-
al Assembly to compel Ohio corpor-
rations, under heavy penalties for
refusing to obey the law, to keep
their transfer books, or duplicates
thereof, at some Office or place with
in the limits of the State, and
the books should be closed for
transfers at least ten days before
he annual meeting of stockhold-
ers.
In this connection it may not be
improper to say that the subject
of cheap transportation is one which |
is engrossing attention of the whole |
country. A Committee of Con-
gress now has the matter in consider
alton, and it is hoped a Just and sat-
isfactory solution of this trouble
some question will be reached. If |
Congress fails to afford relief, it may |
become the duty of the State Legis- |
latures to consider what can and |
what ought to be done.
CONVICT LABOR.
Under existing laws, the labor of |
convicts of the Ohio Penitentisry is
not, for the most part, employed |
directly by the State, but is let out |
to the highest bidders therefor
The contractors pay for such labor, |
on an average, about ninety cents |
per day per capita, and the prisoners
are clothed and fed at the expenses
of the State. 1t necessarily happens |
that manufacturers who obtain Ia
Dor at so low a rate, go into market |
with great advantage over all COM
petitors less fortunate in this re-
gard. They are enabled, it is be-
lieved at a profit, to underseH the |
market price. The result must in
evitably be, that all kinds of busi-
ness similar to those carried on in |
the Penitentiary are embarrassed,
while the prison contractors make |
inordinate gains. 1t may be urged
that the hiring of this convict labor
is open to competition. Nominally |
it is so; practically, it remains for
many years in the same hands, and |
it is not fully paid. am of Opin-
ion, that after investigation, that it |
would be more profitable for the |
State to utilize aud control the Ia
Dor of all the prisoners than to ad-
here to the contract system. At all
events, the prison could be so con-
Quoted as to interfere less with the |
legitimate pursuits of business
men who pay the ordinary wages for
work. .-- fl..tt-fts
The State, looking to the inter
ests of all the citizens, could have |
no inducement to sell its manufae-
lures below the market price, for
its plain duty is to encourage bust
ness everywhere, and to embarass it |
as little as possible.
I hope the General Assembly will |
investigate this subject, and do what |
is deemed best for the good of the !
whole State.
l renew the recommendations l
made last year with regard to en-
larging and improving the cells of
convicts in the Penitentiary. As at
present constructed they are not fit
to be occupied, and are not in keep
ing with the humane spirit of the
age. The cost of making the neees-
sary changes would not be great, as
most of the work could be done by
the prisoners themselves. A decent
regard for the health and reasona-
BILE comfort of these unfortunate
criminals requires early attention
and action on the part of the Legis-
lature.
CRIMINAL LAW.
Another years experience in the
matter of hearing and deciding ap-
plications for pardon has confirmed
me in the opinion that the law
should be so modified as to leave
less discretion with the courts in
passing sentence for criminal off
ences. 1t often happens that two
prisoners work side by side in the
the Penitentiary, both sent there for
precisely the same crime, one for
one year and the other for ten. In
such case it is impossible to con-
vince the convict incarcerated for
the longer time that he has been
fairly dealt with. And so long as
he is stung with the sense of this
injustice, he is not likely to reform.
There is nothing approaching uni
formity in the length of sentences
pronounced by different judges for
similar offences.
l earnestly recommend that the
criminal law be so changed as to Sc
cure more exact justice; so amended
as to leave results affecting the lives
and liberties of men less dependent