The Morning herald., 1877-02-15
, REFoRxAroRx IxsrITUrION.

What Mr.. springer 1Ns"N0 <A0O'ss s'0
Cost of tho Thing-The Werh House B"'
Snwbbed.
In response to a call of Mayor Whiteley,
for a meeting to consider the subject Of legs
islation relating to a State Work House,
quite a large number of persons gathered |
in the City Hall, last evening. Mayor |
Whiteley and Washington Hastings, ESQ,
we're appointed Secretaries, no other officers |
being elected. Several prominent citizens
occupied seats upon the platform.
NAV or Whiteley stated the object OF the |
meeting, to be to obtain such an expression
of opinion as would impress the Legislature
with the Importance of the establishment OF
a reformatory institution, as would seperate
from the more truly criminals, that class OF
persons which is neither wholly bad nor
really criminal, of whom there are hopes OF
reform, especially of the youths, who may
he benefited by reform institution.
He read from the report of similar lnstl-
tution in New York, which made highly
gratifying exhibit of the success OF reform
among the class to which he referred.
Let us get, said the speaker, for once
above our pockets. Do we not owe some-
thing to ourselves and to society? We have
a surplus of 500, ,000. Why not use porr
tion, all if necessary, of this, in SO good
cause We don't want to pay our State
bonds, nor do the holders want them paid.
saw we should do something for society.
Something to protect ourselves and to re-
deem these unfort tunate people. feel that
it is not necessary for me to say more.
You know of the necessity and there Is no
better time for action than now
DR.. Bush then advanced from among the
audienc, and taking stand upon the plat
form. made brief address. He said that
he could but add his hearty aye to what the
Mayor had spoken. While listening to the
remarks of the previous speaker he had
written hurriedly resolution, which SEEM
ed to him, would express the feelings of the
meeting.
The resolution was to the effect that 1t
was the sense of the meeting that the present
coalition of portion of society demanded
Reformatory Institution, where youths can
he committed for the benefit of society and
the reformation of such persons be pro,
moted.
DR.. Bush then referred at some length to
the increase of certain class of society,
with which until of late years we have
known little of the professional tramps.
From these our homes, he said, are not
safe, cur families are not safe. We are liza
BILE to insult, upon refusal oftheir demands
at our yery doors. We cannot allow our
selves to be imposed upon in this way, but
we have now no adequate remedy. The
thing gets worse. We need work-house
and reformatory institution for these. Az
to the reformation of youths, you, many OF
you remember charter granted some years
400 for the establishment of a reformatory
institution for their benefit, in which
The late Jesse Sharpe took deei
interest as also did DR.. Askcw. The form
er ATTEMPTED to collect contributions for the
sunport of the institution, but he utterly
failed. The need for that now is much
greater than it then was.
If is rirht that we should protect our
selves from the danger OF making hardened
criminals of such as | refer to, and we ow'
it to them to protect them agains them
selves.
Mr.. inc. c. Springer wanted to know /
the object of the meeting was to lndOrS
the work house bill now before the Legis
lature.
Mayor Whitley replied that he knev
nothing of the bill, the meeting was calle,
to impress upon the Legislature the neces
sity of the establishment of an institution
where youths and such persons as wer
now plscul in Jail with the criminals of tht
State. who are not themselves of that class
provided for and reformed if possible.
Mr.. Springer said that he was in favor Q
such an institution, but to the work hous
bill he was opposed, (applause).
Upon being invited to the stand, MI
Springer in q brief speech opposing tn
work house bill now before the Legisla
ture. made statement of official figure
from the warden Of the county Jail.
There are now in the county Jail eightee
nersons for six month, our for one veal
seventeen for two, one Tor three, none TO
four or five, one for seven (Big Frank, VIII
would get out soon), and three for lit
The last were not kept in prison but ran
large about the town, and also, he believe
belped to run the sheriil's domestic and ia
affairs. In two years you may make
indifferent worknen, in three very ia
one, There are then, he continued, tWent
five prisoners who might help pay expens
Of the wOrk-house. How lar Woul
they cover the expenses OF the propose
affairs. which would cost $4,000 year.
A prisoner in six nenths costs S53, mu
tiply this by twenty-five and you see wh
the State would have to pay to keep the
alone. The vagarents average at N ew Ca
tie, he said was seventy y-tiys during t.
year.
Mr.. Springer wanted to show that t
work house would not be self-supportin
but an expensive affair. The thing wol
work he said, aud considerable applau
followed.
The resolution offered by DR.. Bush W
again read by request.
Mayor Whiteley did not know what
work house bill was, ne wanted to impre
the Importance of 8 reformatory institute
upon the Legislature.
The resolution was adopted with but
very slight evidence Of opposition.
1t was moved that the officers of