The Morning herald., 1877-02-12
THE PROPOSED WORK HOUSE.

THE FNVEOSED WOhA AOOoGs
This question is being agitated by fr ac
ton of our citizens it deserves therefore
passing notice, as no matter how small
portion ola community have adopted an
idea and endeavor to reduce it to practical
operation, consideration is demanded for it.
The need ola penitentiary or work house
in this State is not apparent. The neces-
sary experience and acquired knowledge
to map out legislative plan for such an
institution is entirely and absolutely want
ing in our present Legislature. We venture
to assert that not one member of the Senale
or House Of Representatives, haye. given
three consecutive hours study to the science
of Penology, Or could name three writers
upon the subject, and without such know
ledge, to attempt to legislate upon the
subject is cropping in the dark and certain
to result in the willful and wicked waste Of
the peoples money.
Representative Bird, who is very re-
spectacle gentleman, but whom no body
suspects of possessing, either the e1pes
rience or the acquired knowledge
to give us penitentiary system, is we be-
lieve the father Of the proposed measure
There are other gentlemen, fussy advocates
of the measure who hope to be
managers of the proposed work
house, and to enjoy the snug salaries
and pleasant emoluments Of such position,
who are pushing the question into public
notice; such persons deserve no considera-
tion and we dismiss them.
The question to be answered, do we want
a penitentiary? The population of our
State is not much greater than the old
Southwark district Of Philadelphia, or the
Eleventh and Fourth ward. of New York. If
one were to advote separate penitentiary
for one of these districts, h would be laugh
ed at; and either Of them have large crime
class" Ifhalf the money which would be
wasted in penitentiary was devoted to an
industrial school, to teach mechanical
trades to our idle boys, real benefit
would be conferred on the State. The
work house scheme, is like the empirical
treatment by Doctor of consequences
refusing to act upon the cause Of disea.e;
,cta Il {o Il
penitentiary for vagrants, and
neglect the young, who need moral and in.
dustrial training.
Employ five county constables armed
with power to warn back unto pennsyl-
vania, vagrants without any calling or en-
poyment, at q salary Of few hundred dol
lars year, would do more to abate the
tramp nuisance, than a COST y work khouse,
certain to plunge the State into hundreds
Of thou.andssof dollars Of debt.
Our objections are, that the promoters of
the scheme, are unqualified by experience
or acquired knowledge to give US proper
ppUdl lIlSLlIultOl .~CNSn IL We WuilL UllG
hence committee to inquire and report
upon plan, is all the Legislature ought
to do at present if it does anything.
A work house or penitentiary would en-.
tail burden on our people, in the way of
taxation, at present undesirable.
1t would not, nor could not pay, as the
average convict inmates of our three iails,
does not exceed seventy persons untricd
prisoners of course are presunedE innocent
and they could not be subjected to penal
labor. In such case the officers would al
most equal the prisoners in number and
tax payers would have to contribute, to the
support of number Of professional poll
ticians, of all others save vagrants--the
most useless men in the community.
The money spent on work-house would |
utilize the water power Of the Brandywine;