Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1878-01-23
A cENrRAL PEAIrENriARy.


Ouc of the qnrriion- the Ptnnsylva,
nlu Legislature ought to got time u
consider AZ the pfe-cnt svsslon, L. that
oi IUi'iVl,liarA Recommendations liolt,
lhu E,-lrrn aud Western P,nneiliurie-
have nptrh,u>ly hceii uvcrcIowtlcd loi
"a long Tine, II dangerous tiiug Ia nluru
rerlectr Than one. Some rrlici was
Afforded n The ra-u ui lhc lnslitutiun
~ ,UtH gWN bV the ltcai.lative -uu,n,.
',reS1aEaRUaea4. .6nrsesSyykaasu,
b.nliung e rddiliouul cells, but II i q
temporary rclld uI best rho Gov.
vrnor. "a his late message. called alt,n
tiun to thv lact that the pcnilcniiarl
at Alieghrny now holds. after man
nrr, twicu ns many convicls as lts
facilities justify, which calls loudly lor
sone rellci, and makes prompt Lcgis.
latlVu consideration ui the matter ub
soiatvly neressary. The great incrcusc
IN the population OF the Stale, as well
u, The Increase tf criIno within few
years, brings up the importance oi
The central counties, and lvr some time
past there have been suggestions OF u
central penitentiary, ~ located as u
give relcl TO both the existing institu
tons.
Senator Fisher, Of Huntington
county, has made the first actual move
munt IN thus direction by the intrvduc-
tlUn of n bill 10 create central peni.
tentiary district, composed Of the
conntivs ol Fulton, Bedford, Somerset,
Blair, Cambria, Huntingdon, Univn,
Snyder, Dauphin, Perry, Juniala,
Mifll y, Clcarlicld, Clihlon and Centre.
The location OF the lnslltution is 10 be
determined by u commission after the
pussagv of the act. Tho bill also calls
Tor an appropriation OF hundred
thousand dollars with which 70 begin
work. 50 lar as this goes it is well
enough, but Senator Fishers bill does
npt appear, alter litile examination.
Ia bc comprehensive enongh TO me,
the requirements Ui the STATE, either
ior tne present or the future.
According TO the census oi 1870, the
filleen eonnli,s named cunialn luss
than onr seventh ui the population ri
the state, and eleven of The fillrei,
counties contribute Ia the Wrslcrn
Penitvntlary. taking only Danphin,
aud the Smaii countles uf Perry. Say
der and Union from the East. It
Nouli be obviously mistake to bnili
"a penitcntiafy intended To accummo
date the great central counties - II
such Is the intention --airi rclicvc The
pressure upon the vXiSling institutions
ind c''ntine its jurisdiction 10 only
abnt 40 900 ol tue people Jf Siatc.
whlrn had at the last ceii,ns. n pppn
lallon 0i 3,52l $50 Ii would still /, az,
'v,r hrr nillluns lo furnish criminals
4" the "lhvr two pvnitrniarivs Ii II
l. worth while to build new penitcn
tnry. and nn uiie doubts that II i, il l.
worth while making Il what II shoull
bc, In ai'iitinn tO the counties named
ia Mr.. Fishers bill, there shuuli a.
least he added those oi Adams, Cum
nurland, Franklin and York ON the
Sonlh. aud McKran, Elk, Nurihnmhrr.
land. Ltcuulng, rioga. Cameron, Pot
lei, Bradford, Sullivan, Montunr aud
Columbia on the north aud east. rhl,
would bring the population OF the DIS
trcl ~ u stOud at the last census ~,
10 about ninp hunlred thousand. still
less than one-ihird OF that OF the State.
rhese counties cover large space on
the map, bui they are not generally
prominent Tor the number OF their
criminals II amy change is made in
the division we have Indicated, il ought
10 be TO drop some of the western
counties and bring the line further
east, where are the populuus counties
m Luzerne, Sehuylkill, Lancaster and
BerkS, but these will probably have 10
remain IN the eastern district.
IL Is to be admitted that proper
division of thc State does not leave
Huntington anywhere near the centre
OF the new peuitcnliary district, but
that odght not 10 be particularly
against what it is presumed is Senator
Fishers design of getting the new in
situation located ia his county. 1t does
not greatly matter where it is lorated
80 1t is somewhere, and reasonably con
venient to reach. The Importance OF
having n peniteniiaIy that shall meet
the future demands Of the central sec
liun ui the State, is the first thing. and
tho present Legislature should not ad-
jnnrn until It has taken sonic steps m
the direction of securing it, Phiiddei.
phid Times.