The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-02-11
WHERE THE FAnIT Is

WHERE THE FAULT IS.
We have taken occasion, recently, sew
eral times to call attention to the criminal
expenses Of the state and particularly of
| Rutland county. Our intention has been,
not to find fault with the oflicers-for it is
to be presumed that they have only exact
ed legal fees, and they would be something
more than human if they did not take all
that the law allows-but to suggest some
of the radical defects of our system of laws.
There never has been any complaint, so far
as we are aware, that the laws were too i'm
partially or too stringently enforced, but
we have heard few mutteringa of dssat-
isflction that the laws should be such that
grand jurors, police officers and justices of
the peace could, not once, but very often,
receive fifty dollars each for legal fees for
an hour or twe's work. According to the
report of the state treasurer for the year
1875, he paid on 'court orders"-that is for
criminal expenses, expenses of jail, ETC.
SEC, 1871 90, and received from county clerks
S2S, 7SI03, leaving the balance paid by the
state S37, 040.17.
How much of this balance actually rep
resents the criminal expenses paid by the
state, it is impossible to tell, as there is an
other item which goes to make up the
criminal expenses, and another item which
enters into the amount of money received
from county clerks. If we turn to the
auditors report for the year 1874, we find
that the state treasurer paid "court orders"
to the amount of $GG, 900 60, and the audi
tor drew orders for "court expenses" for
S4S, 11122, amounting in all to S114, 21G-
80 and that he received from county
clerks 500 ,472 81, leaving balance paid
by the state, over and above the amount
received, of $S7, 744.31.
This sum of SS7, IA 81, however, is not
all chargeable to criminal expenses, as will
be seen by a reference to the abstract of
expenses for Rutland county for the same
year The receipts of the county clerk
were 81, 1872 60, made US as follows: Cash
on auditors order for "court expenses,
1000 fees for actions entered and tried,
nonsuits and defaults, jury fees, for de-
crees in chancery and judgments in
supreme court, and for peddlers' licenses,
1864 60 and for fines and costs, So, 1858. 90.
He paid out for grand jury debentnres
$464 16; for petit jury, in civil as well as
criminal cases, S2,319.O4; for witness
fees in criminal cases, $G3l.S0 debenture
of county judges and constables for return
ing votes, $545 20; "complainants, one
fourth fine in liquor cases." $S7l.25 and
paid to the state treasurer to balance
amount received, $2,90l.15. 1t will be
seen by this that the "fines and costs" re-
ceived by the county clerk, paid the whole
expenses of the county which he is required
to take care of and nearly two thousand
dollars ($l ,0O1. 15) more.
This, however, does not represent the
real financial situation, as the "court
" orders" are not included in the statement.
These embrace the sheriff's and county
clerks accounts for fees, the expenses of the
| jail and the fees Of officers and witnesses
IN cases OF inquest, courts OF inquiry, and
| liquor cases-all of which, In 1874, amount
| ed to $l2, 502. "a. And to these expenses is
still further to be added the expenses of
the several towns for costs, ETC., in minor
criminal cases, embracing all cases within
the jurisdiction of justice TO try save only
| liquor cases, aud, also, the salary of the
states attorney. 1t is proper to add that
Rutland comfy shows very much larger
proportion of fines and costs collected than
any other county in the state, except Addi-
son and Washington, where the proportion
is about the same, and Windsor, where the
proportion is somewhat larger.
Now let us contrast this statement with
the following, which We clip from the
Springfield Republican of Saturday:
"HenIy Cordier, a Jail superintendent
near Pttsburg, Pa, has cleared SIS, 1891,
| this year, for the institution under his
charge, notwithstanding most of the SEN
fences were for 30 days. He employed
the inmates in the manufacture of barrels
aud bricks and in laundry work, and al
| lowed each man so much for all he did per
| DAY ABOVE certain limit. NO contracts
we're let. This is rather remarkable as a
successful exhibit in year when nearly all
penal and reformatory institutions have
been run at a dead loss"
With such showing, the tax payers of
Vermont and of Rutland county have good
cause to complain. Not of the builders of
the present Jail, for, at the time of its erec-
ton, II was large enough and suitable for
jail purposes; not with the officers of the
law for taking the fees prescribed by law !
but with our whole criminal system. In
stead of the courts, and criminals before
they reach state prison, costing the state
over ninety-four thousand dollars annually,
besides what 1t costs to the several towns,
it ought not to cost dollar--and the Pitts
burg Jail superintendent's experience shows
the way to bring this about. We care not
now to inquire whether the fees in crimi-
nal cases are too large, or too small-the
defect is back of these fees, is older than