The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-06-01
HOUSE or CORRECTION.
prospect orsecuring = sadly Needed
Inssilation. -


Insttlation. q;
At the last meeting of the Board OF
Commissioners of Ohio county, the ques-
ton of estabhshing . house OF correction
on the county farm, for the use OF the
county and city was preached, and alter
.some discussion, Mr.Ewing offered inc
following. which was adopted:
Rssolved, That the Finance COMMITTEE
INQUIRE a. TO the expediency OF estao-
lishing house Of correction on tne
county farm, with plan, probable cost,
and all other necessary Information. ana
report TO the board so soon as said lnior-
nation is obtained.
Thus far the action taken BY the Board
ia commendable, and it now remains ior
the Finance Committee to thoroughly
investigate the matter and report to the
Board, which report will certainly DO
favorable in case they look into the great
moral good to be accomplished by estaD-
lishine such an institution. Especially
is this 30 ss regards youthful criminals,
and this class is legion throughout the
city. As it now Is, boys of tender years
daily make the rounds OF the city
and engage in, petty pilferlng
expeditions, obscene behavior and ctner
acts calculated to SO harden
their very natures as they advance IN
wears as to school them Tor all classes Of
crimes, and the result will be, unless
something be done, that they IN time
| will become inmates OF the State prison
Another class to be greatly benefited by
the establishment of house OF correc.
ton is the large number Of youthful
female outcasts, for whom there is nc
sympathy from any source when once
thew start on the downward road, and
unless their downward fight be arrested
through the medium of such an instltu'
ton, a short life IN q den of prostitution
and the inevitable suicide is their
sure and certain fate. In addition
to the above, IN case the Board o.
Commissioners see fit and proper to nc,
as surrounding circu instances would
seem 10 justify, it will do away with in
prisonment in the county Jail of con-
victed parties, and persoLs found guilty
of crimes not punishable by imprison'
ment in the penitentiary. can be SEN
fenced TO the house OF correction fol
such term as the court may see lit and
proper, while on the contrary, if commit
ted to Jail, such persons are kept in idle
ness by the county, and tho cost to the
county is a dead loss. 1t is not pro
posed that the house Of correction bt
made place merely for the punishment
of criminals by confinement, but place
where such persons may by then
labor, while undergoing penalties, add V
the revenues of the county, and carr
their own susten ance,-city prisoners u
be admitted to the institution at 81
much per diem, as is now charged 10
city prisoners confined in the county
jail. Under the present system there i
| no manner by which youthful criminal
can be punished except by close contne
ment IN the county Jail, or admittsnce u
the horrors of the workhouse, either o
VIII ich modes of punishment would b.
unnatural and dlsgraceful to
civilized and Christian community
This being tho case, by all means lie
the Board OF Commissioners build th'
house of correction, and by 80 doing con
fer q blessing on the city and perhsp;
save hundreds of youthful outcasts from
crime by placing them dnder the guar
dianship of q strict disciplinariaI anc
installing into their minds the use of such
tools as are generally found in the work
shops connected with such institutions