Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-10-11


not alone as means Of education for lhn younr
! hni also a. means of continuing the work Of Ill.
uc0uon and culture among those who arc engaged
ln iho active pursuit. oi liic and a. "a source Of
soIaee To declining years.
STATE LnnAuN
/ Iii- library which !. very comulcte In tio do.
1nrimcnt oi American law besides boipr ,,cu
furnished with miscellaneous worLa has ontirclv
| npigfown the room set afau f1r il iu fhe sfafs
House u is evident that some further nroyision
ioi rs accommodation must soon be made. II
seems 10 me that an enlargement of .be rre.ont
foom is almost impmctcabo. and tbat sonner or
later there must be erected Tor its accommodation
separate hre-prooi building which shouid be
helf open throughout ihe year Tie library j.
nov OF such dimensions and importance thst ID
NJ should be readily accessible for research and In
Vesileatlon at all times
hoAhD or AGWorfrtRE MANrFAcrrRfs
ANp MINING
Ihe secretary report, with the accompanying
lNiI'fr viii inform Won NJ the work ACCOMPLISHED
dHfN the rast two years its work TINS far hns
9niined iq fostering the interests of aaricnl-
lhis doubtless has resulted from tho fact
friclture is The more prominent and gen
terost. The Board is concerned With the
slts. great industrial pursuits Of the state Each
n y these Industries s essential to, and more or less
dependent upon. the others for its best develop
nont and should be iudiciously encouraged and
istercd by the state think that these Interests
.re sufficiently important TO warrant the continued
EMPLOYMENT Of iudcious and properly qualified
Secretary that in collecting and arranging facts
ad statistics making experiments holding pub
j meetings. suggesting the best methods and
bneing them to the attention Of the people he
ca find ample work which eau be done prohtably
IN he interest Of the state.
D. would recommend large appropriation than
u fs sFked for bv the Board, whose expenditure
K,ud be guarded 10y suitable legislation; and
;r1so that the rate peoogist, whose Official duties
lead him to consideration of the mines and
minetsls In the state, be made On ox-oificio mem
Der OF, the Board.
THE INSANE
This unfortunate class are peculiarly the wnrls
/ Of the site Bereft Of reason and frequently Of
I friends he state will be derelict in duty II is
| guardiarthp be not generous active and vigilaut
| have read the report Of the commissioner
with intdest Il b. apparently thoughtful and
carefully prepared document / commend Il 10
| your caDiul perusal and study The facts and
deductiqs therein stated are startling / have
not sufficiently examined and am not sufficiently
iamiiarTith the facts and circumstances either
to adoptpr deny the conclusions OF the commits
sioner II his conclusions are well founded. there
il lmperfive need of immediate legislative action.
That tle number Of insane under treatment and
needing flief should have steadily wear hy wear
increased from the foundation ot the asylum
while tho population Of the state has remained
comparatively stationary. Is n matter that chal-
lenges attnti0n and enquiry into the causes Of the
increase May you carefully consider this i'm
nortant s1iiect ascertaung as nearly a. possible
the exact facts as TO the relative increase de-
crease OF Insanity in our own state and other parts
Of the cointry, and may your action in the pre-
misses be fise and Just 10 the asylum to the state,
and abovdall to these unfortunate wards of the
state icommend to your consideration the sug
gestionl Of the commissioner with reference 20
the enactment Of safeguards against improper
commitments, both TO the asylum and 70 the
county iails
STATE PRISON AND COUNTY JAMS
thhl, it may be safely asserted, after the ex-
perione Of nearly century, that the operation
of our ~ stem Of prison discipline both as pacticed
in the state prison and in the common iails in It's
effect tpnn the prisoner hy way "of encourage
ment virtue and prevention Of vice aud immor-
nlity, las been failure that the prisoner from
the effect nf his imprisonment instead of having
become n reformed and better man aud citizen
wi ! inclinations towards virtue, has become dis
co1aged, hardened, and too often hopelessly
fixed in q criminal course Of life. Too often has
il happened that the day Of his discharge has wit
messed a repetition Of his former criminal act or
some more heinous crime
This to my mind indicates that our system Of
prison discipline is radically wrong in principle.
Tho state has and can have no feelings Of revenge
toNards an erring citizen Her conduct towards
him should not be such rs 20 lead him to feel that
he IS outcast from her care and protection
Neither should IL be such As would indicate dis
regard for his criminal act Her treatment should
be such as evinces the utmost adherence aud de-
testatiOn Of his crime. but at the same time the
greatest regard and tenderest solititude for him
as man and as n citizen.
fear that while the state has been most ac-
tive in showing adherence Of crime, it has been
lacking in earnest efforts to save the criminal from
his crime 10 manhood and good citizenship When
any person, old or young, l. fully convinced that
he Is an Outcast from society and that there Is no
hope Of his ever regaining the good opinion and
esteem Of his ellowcitzens, he is rrevocably lost
to virtnons; ;, liie Hope 4 the great stimulating
When this il crushed ont the man once bad il
bad beyond recovery. The tendency Of our sys-
tenn of prison discipline, 10 my mind is 10 hauish
from the convicts mind all hopes Of a return 10 a
virtuous life Consider the treatment Of the state
towards this class ofpersons
young man is accused Of the commission Of a
crime. lie is at once arrested and thrust into the
county jail No person on behalf Of the state yis-
its him, save the jaior Ia pass in his meals three
times day and to lock him safely in his cell, or
the States Attorney to inquire whether he wishes
10 plead guilty or " not guilty" Not book.
nor newspaper docs the state furnish him with
which TO while away the tedious hours. II the
iailor ont of kindness provides reading matter for
hs prisoners, II Is OF favor and not Of right His
associates may be of any degree of criminality
It is the common receptacle for all accused Of the
commission of crime within the county and await
ing their trial. as well the place for punish
meut of those convicted Of minor offences. In a
din-ghted, ill-ventilated room with nothing Ia
do, not even when transferred TO the State Prison
for safe keeping on the order Of the Governor,
allowed 10 work. though requesting il, he passes
his days and nights as best be can, brooding over
his hard lot planning ways 10 escape, or listening
10 the recital Of obscene stories or the criminal life
and criminal exploits of his associates And vet
he is not convict. He is only an accused And
this Is the attempt Of the state To prevent the com
mission Of crime, most frequently the offspring Of
deness hv compulsory idlenoss At length he
is tried. II acquitted. he goes out soured and
hardened il convicted Of a minor offence, he is
returned TO n life Of idleness in Jail and II Of q
higher crime, put To hard labor IN the State Prison
The ri ght Of the state 10 ncarcerate him springs
frOm ~ iWl of lf-ura nr arf
act he has manifested the possession Of chamc-
acter which endangers the rights of others He j.
incarcerated to deprive him Of the power to invade
the rights of others not alone during the term Of
his confinement, but permanently, by removing
the criminal inclination and disposition, and to
deter others from the commission Of crime It
would seem that of right he should remain incar-
cerated so long as he is possessed of the criminal
inclination and disposition, and that the state
should be active in its Gndeavors to dispossess him
of these characteristics. The court is left to de-
termine the time of his Incarceration best it
may, with little knowledge of his former life
less OF his criminal tendencies, and Of the length
Of time which will he required 10 eradicate them
In the state Prison he is confined in his solitary
cell, or driven under keepers to his tasks is al
lowed no communication with his fellow prisoners
scarcely any with his keepers; he may have n
few books, II able TO read, but receives instruc
tion except on the Sabbatha little from the chap
lain From his arrest 10 the close Of his sentence,
the state against whom he has offended and
which has laid her heavy hand upon him, has not
extended 20 him helping hand, and has scarcely
spoken cheering word, Is it matter of wonder
then that he broods over his hard lot, as he views
II, feels that the hand Of the state is not only
against the crime which he has committed. but
against him, that all she for him is 10 make
him grind In her prison house, and that he comes
from his Incarceration worse instead Of a better
man?
The experience Of the pnst century, Both in our
state and in other states-for our state has done
rs well and perhaps, better than many others
teaches, ! think very plainly and forcbly, that
onr system Of prison discipline demands radical
revision that the Jail should not he place of i'm
pnsonment for debt or minor offences; that that
class Of offenders should De sent To a worS-house
to be established In connection with the Reform
School, in which the school and reform element
should have a prominent place that the jail
should be owned and controlled by the state aud
should not he used for the detention Of persons
charged with all classes Of crimes but 10 one
should be assigned those charged with one class
OF crimes, and 10 another those charged with
another class Of crimes, each having for inmates
persons of the same degree Of criminaliiy, as
nearly as practicable; that each should be fur
rent literature and in each should be kept a
school, not Of idleness and vice, but Of learning
and virtue Perhaps there should be provision by
which those awaiting trial, who should request IT,
could labor Ia the wOrk-house and receive por-
tion Of their earnings.
The prisoners should be divided into classes. ao-
cording 10 the character which they manifest
while under a course of discipline A part Of each
day should be devoted by the keepers TO Instruct
ing the prisoners IN learning and in virtue, and
the rest 10 labor not for contractors but for the