Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-01-16

current expenses, say for clothing, pro- |
lisions, tobacco, etc., was $51 ,360 66; for |
he remaining seven months the current
Expense for the same articles was $685.
j07 40-the first five months averaging
s1O, ,2T3 l3 per month, and under present
the seven months, per
month, So ,658 20. From the foregoing
statement it is easy to infer the successful
financial management of the institution.
The sanitary condition of the prison is
excellent, and the conduct of the prison.
ers asshown by the record of discipline, T
much improved, there being subjected to
punishment during the month of Novem-s
Der, 1873, 100, as against 335 during the
same month in 1877. The entire number |
now incarcerated is ,633.
A new State Prison, eligfbly located, |
with a view to its accessibility from diff |
ferent sections of the State, and the en-
ployment of its industries, constructed in
conformity to more modern ideas of prison
buildings and organized with refeEe nee
to the introduction of a thoroughly re-
formatory discipline, Is an urgent demand
in connection with our penal and reform
atory system.
such a prison would relieve our present
over-crowded Penitentiary, which is q
matter of grave impOrtance7 would afford /
better care, avoid unnecessary degrade
ton, secure employment and provide for
the protection of society, by seeking the
perfence of youth, ignorance, want of oc-
cupation, sudden passion, or overpoWer-
ing temptation, have become criminal,
aud have been convicted of first Of
fense'' against the laws of the State. Such
a. prison Is indispensable to reform in
the administration of criminal law, and
wOuld contribute greatly toward securing
an Improved discipline in the other penal
and reformatory institutions of the State.
District Work-houses, under the control
Of the State, for the punishment of per-
sons convicted of minor 0ffenses, and SO
| located as to be accessible TO and meet the
demands of the several towns and vii
lagos, as well as the large cities of the
state, present subject worthy of the
| most careful consideration.
That property is exposed, life endan-
gered, homes made unsafe, and very
general sense of insecurity experienced
| throughout the State, owing to the pres
/ enee of Inarauding bands of Idle Yagrants,
vicious, and often malicious persons, is a
/ fact from which nearly every community
i in the State hass Uttered more or less, and
from which every community seeks re-
| lief. Against these classes of persons no
adequate system of relief has been de-
| vised, except in our largest cities. A
| work-hOuse sysLem for the State would
Involve, 1t Is true, considerable expense; !;
| hut in view of the constantly increasing
burden imposed upon the people for ttjail
fees" for boarding these classes In en-
forced idleness In the county Jail, and com
>idering the aggregate sum Of innumer-
i Iblo petty theftS, and the property taken
~ violence or maliciOusly destroyed by
Irson or otherwise, there can be no doubt
| hat such system of Work-houses would
| prove an actual economy TO thesStRte, even
if no other public interest were sub
served.
Among the most important subjects of
legislation are the benevolent, penal and
reformatory institutions of the State, and
in view of this fact the Board of State
Charities has been created, to investigate
al matters pertaining to these institu-
tions, and are required to orepsrtannually
10 the Legislature I'm writing, q full ac-
i count of their proceedings, which will
appear ndue time. To the facts and rec
concentrations thus obtained the Legisla-
rure is largely indebted for the necessary
Information in regard to these institu-
tions bur, in addition, iC would seem very
desirable that an opportunity should be
afforded for oral conference with the
| Board of State Charities in order that a
more complete presentation of these sub
jects could be obtained than is possible by
a printed report. l would, therefore,
recommend that the Board of State Char
tiles be requested, on some occasion early
in your session, to meet the members OF
rhe Legislature in joint convention for
views and suggestions upon the benevo-
lent and correctional institutions.
The thirty-second annual report of the
State Board of Agriculture is ready for
distribution, and presents matters OF
great Importance to that large producing
class of our community, upon whom the
wealth of the State depends more than
upon all others, andto whose intelligence
and skill we are indebted for our large
annual increase in valuable productions o.
: all kinds. The eagerness with. which
this report is sought, is the best evidence
of the high appreciation in Which it i!
) he Id. Is, 900 copies in English and 2 ,O0(
| in German are printed annually, and the
demand is scarcely met. 1t is with pair
3 Ihave to record the death of the honoreC
+ Secretary of this department., John II
Klippart, to whose intelligence, genera
2 information, and untiring assistance dur
! ing a period of twenty-one years, th'
r State largely owes richest development il
: | agriculture and kindred matters.
j The subject of education is old, yet al
+ ways new often discussed, but never de
| void of interest. 1t / intimately con
2 nected with material as we'll as moral de
= velopment, and upon it free institutions
t must rest, if they continue TO stand. II
i primary law is change; and if there is NJ
g advance there Is certain retrogressiOn
t Hence, in framing the Constitution of ou
s State, a plan providing for a system o
: popular education, in order to train tn
q youChof our State for the successful per
g fOrmance of the duties ofcitizenship, the
wisely laid a foundation whereon genera
. tions have built, and are to build Th
y plan as qcas intended has been improved
and is doubtless susceptible of still furthe
% improvements.
70 At a number of conventions of the pee
- pie, called to consider the present condi
50 lion of the schools, and their relation t.
N the vital cause of popular education
changes In our school law have been aJ
rOcated which shall give unity to tn
s8 schools of the townships by placing theI
an under control of Boards of Education
- with the same powers as the Board of Ell
ucation of village district, and sha
% constitute the Presidents of the Town
- ship Boards into County Board of E lu
cation, whose duty it shall be TO employ
d County Superintendent of Schools.
o7 1t is doubtless true that anything whic
4s tends to the improvement of the school
of those districts where other edUcationS
"a agencies are so few, that shall furnish a
- fractions there, and aid in stopping th
So drift of enterprising men from countr
- totown, is worth our most careful con
10 >ideration. Invite your attention TO
II Iii cus>ion of the general topic in the IT
I'd port, soon to be laid before you, of tn
10 State Commissioner of Common School:
Al Ny attention has been called by tn
ut Trustees of the Ohio University to tn
,e tact that the Legislature has at differeu
is times authorized the payment of the net
essary and reasonable expenses of til
g. Board while in the discharge of their o
= ficial duties, but that no appropriation
le have been made for this purpose.
n would also appear from an estimate of e1
III penses for the ensuing year, which til
t. Board is required by law to furnish, tn;
of the sum of $28, $50 is required for add
E. tional buildings, improvements an
Of equipments of the mechanical and phys
Sc biological laboratory.
d, Allusion is made thereto because, undt
to the law of Congress making the Ian
re grants, no portion of the funds derive
Lherefrom can be used for such purpose