The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-03-02

nently the right man in the right place" I"
is evinced by the bitter and vindic.ive
denuncistlons heaped upon him, and the
determined opposition TO the reelection
displayed by certain class of persons
here at the last Municipal election. By
his coolness and bravery under all
circumstances, he has demonstrated
10 those who are inclined 10 set
the laws of the town ut defiance.
that they cannot do so with
impunity, and that intimidation, once SO
potent here, is, TO use q slang phrase,
played OUT" That he has been as
lenient in the collection OF taxes and the
discharge of ali the duties appertsining
to his office as the circumstances would
admit OF all must confess.
FEDERAL coSvIcTs,
During his late visit to Washington
City Captain Bridges had interviews
with several members of Congress In
reference to the government furnishing
discharged Federal prisoners with trans
portstion to the points from which they
are sent. Every one of the members
with whom he conversed upon the sub.
ject admitted at once the justness of the
matter, and expressed themselves as
heartily in favor OF the passage of law
to that effect, and, indeed, were surprised
10 learn that such was not the law at
present.
Every State in the Union, l believe,
does this much for its State prisoners,
and there is certainly much better and
stronger reasons why the Federal Gov
ernment should seHd their prisoners TO
the States from which they are convicted
than that the States should retlrn theirs
to the points from which they are sent,
as by failing to do so it imposes upon the
communities where penitentiaries. desIg-
mated by the government for the keep
ing of their prisoners, are located large
number OF this very undesirable class of
persons, gathered from sll parts of the
country, and more especially is it an i'm
position and an outrage upon the people
when such prisons are located in places
like this, where labor IS scarce
and hard to get. The only alternative
left the prisoner upon being discharged
is to either beg, steal or starye, and as the
country is so oyerrun with trsmps and
thieves at the present time. The second
horn OF the rather unpleasant dllems is
the one he will most likely avail himself
of. A large majority OF the Federal
prisoners now here are from Texas, In
dian Territory, Arkansas and Louisians,
twelve or fourteen hundred miles from
their homes, and almost all of them are
entirely without means OF reaching there.
II is but offering premium upon crime
to turn those men out here among strsn-
gers, and people too, who, rs general
thing entertain anything but friendly
feelings towards discharged Griscners,
without the means of getting away.
The term of sentence OF six oreight
United States prisoners from Arkansas,
expires in few days, at time when
8 large number Of our own citi- !
zens are unable 10 get employ
ment Of any description, some Of them
tor the actual wants and neces-
sites OF lite, and i. is an outrage upon
this Community TO sci those men loose
to proy upon them. In these times of
lswleSsness. want and crime every COM
muniLy has rs large numbe OF this |
class of citizens as is nj all desirable, and |
our people ask and demand that some |
provisions be made By which those sent |
here for crimes committed in other States |
be returned 10 their own State. And |
then, too, justice to the ditchsrged pris-
oner demands this much Ut the hands of !
Lis country. II be has violated her laws |
he has paid the penalty. The "pound of |
flesh has been exscted, and now let him |
be returned TO the place from which he |
was sent, that he may there, aided by |
family aud friends, regain the name and
character be had lost II one OF the ob. |
jects in sending reformers 10 prissn
is that he may be reformed, then
when he has served his time OF sentence,
or until the President is Of the opinion
that he has fully expisted his crime. then
continue the retormstory process by re-
turning him to his family and friends,
and do not turn him out penuiless, and |
branded as be is 10 wander, Ishmsel like, |
among strangers, from whom be can get |
neither aid, sympathy nor encourage
ment.