The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-01-17
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
Satisfactory Condition Of Ohio's Fl.
nances.
Suggestions as to Prisons and the Contract
Labor ysteD1 Rail- Dads, Tenn perancc,
Tariff and other Topics.
To the General Assemb,u:

been paid in the past four years, and by a
funded debt the annual charge for interest
has been reduced by the sum of about one
hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
Four years ago the General Assembly was
compelled to provide for large deficiencies for
maintaining the State administration, amount
ing to something like S25O,0Oo, and was con-
fronted with the fear that an increase of tax
alton would be necessary to maintain the OBJ
legation of the State Government. Now this
fear has been happily averted, the deficiencies
that you will be called upon to provide for
will not exceed S12, 900, and the financial con-
dition of the State Is such that you can re-
poses by two-tenths of a mill, unless some ex-
traordinary demand upon the Treasury is
] agement IF the Penifentiary @ Of further u pro.
population of the State, both Of which
are worthy objects of your attention.
PENITENTIARY.
The continued superior management of
this institution manifests itself in the largest
and best pecuniary results ever achieved.
the yeaS eaSh apnSng prS9 oyaber ' @ reacbes
nearly S53. 900, much the largest profit in its
history. The profits for December and Janu-
last year by $4,000, and the Indications now
point to profit of $4,000 to 100000 for the
current year, if the present excellent man.
| results so gratifying, the discipline, care
ana 6reatnent mt OF Gonxiets are al tnat can
| system OF prison management.
| ADJUrANT GENERAL.
| The report of the Adjutant General shows
that the present force of the Ohio National
Guard consists of eighty-two companies Of in
| fautry and seven batteries of light artillery,
and total number of 5,457 men, including Of
fieers, being reduction during the year of
| dierly bearing of the officers and men contin-
| ues to be gratifying feature OF the condi-
| ton of the National Guard.
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.
| The public institutions are in all respects in
| most excellent condition. Their management
has been, in the main, free from mere partisan
| influence. The several Boards, with two excep-
three Republicans, ali gentlemen of high
| character, who have discharged their several
tEns6s o WITH great intTlgenGe and fhdeiity TO
selected without regard to their political afilia-
tions and tits believed thai, t,outside of the Peni-
are about equally divided between the two
parties. The greatly improved condition OF
these institutions, in all respects, fully attests
the wisdom of the policy that has been ap-
piled to them. During the past four years
large expenditures have been made for bet
terments to the buildings and grounds. for
| improved steam heating and for extraordin-
ary purposes. until now but small appropria-
dons are asked for such purposes, and the
100000 ''-' - 'OS' '''' - -'- '''~- = -
INSANE ASYLUM.
About $500 insane people are cared for with
the present accommodations furnished by the
infrmaries, and there are probably 500 to 1,O0(
persons in private institutions and with their
ing Of Which S was % Authorized I By % the las last Gen
eral Assembly, will be located at Toledo, and
is designed to accommodate 1,oO0 inmates
instead of the $50 required by the law author
izing its construction. Great care has beer
taken by the commission having this matter
Completed the best Institution fe OF It's XII kind II
the country. and at per capita cost OF les:
than one-third of that in existing institutions
tl,fS ic tha
ate insane population now confined in our in
firmaries will be cared for in it. The remain
der of this population can then be provided
for at small expense by enlarging existing in
| StitutionS.
REFoRMAToRIEs.
Too little attention is paid to finding homes
This work, by law, devolves upon the Trus
tees and Superintendent. With his other du
time time to- to devote to it. and the @ Trustees, whi
give their services gratuttously, can not b.
expected to give the matter much attention
purpose In this connection it is source o
pleasure to mention the exceptional success
Of @ the Trustees and superlntendent Of tn tn
the girls of that institution, and it is espec
tally gratifying to learn that more than three
fourths of those are leading useful and hon
orable lives.
An experience of four years in dealin,
with applications for pardons leads me t.
the conclusion that more than One-haf o
the cOnvicts do not naturally belong to tn
. criminal classes. The crimes for which the.
: surroundings accompanied by intoxication a
the time of commission. In the punishmen
, and treatment of criminals, but little or NJ
| difference is made between this class of con
victs and those who naturally and by thei
training belong to the criminal classes.
IF the convicts of the Ohio Penitentiary, W
cause to be thrown upon society more thai
| one hundred of them annually, who there
after Lead criminal III xes F Th0 0ngns d 70 en De an
? ness by q proper and judicious reform o
prison management.
CONTRACT FOR LABOR SYSTEM.
The public mind has been brought to tn
. tract labor and both of the political parties O
the State have declared against it
The General Assembly authorized the al
r pointment by the Governor of a commission
/, to examine and report to the present Geners
Assembly, not only upon the subject or tn
contract system, but also upon the subject c
: prison infringement generally. The report G
!. ills commission, is exceedingly interestin.
and will be found valuable in the considers
4 ton of this important subject.
, From the Investigation l have given upo
the subject, ! am inclined to the opinion tina
a and to substitute for it the State account sy
tenn will end in disaster and failure to accon
plish the end sought.
d be of an indeterminate character, life Sci
;, tences excepted, the term of confinement I
- | determined
Y would provide that eight hours constitute
i days work; that two hours each day be d
: voted to the education of the convict; tn,
. the Judge, when he sentences convict, cert
q | fy to the Board of Managers the facts th
c. secured the conviction, with statement
. . the general character of the convict.
q The Board of Managers should adopt Sy
a | tenn of rules providing for promotion for goo
conduct, and reduction of standing for bf
/ conduct. At certain degree of promote
+ the convict should be entitled to wear citizen
9 clothes and q certain further degree of pr
. motion should entitle him to his freedom,
't go out of the prison with the right to his ear
o | ings he to be a convict still, bearing the &c
n tificate of the prison managers to that efet
~ Good conduct outside the prison for stat
a period, the convict reporting once mont
X his report certified by his employer, shou
entitle him to full discharge and restoratit
e to all the rights and priylieges OF citizzenshi
officers of the State should be required
q law to assist in all proper ways conyi
l. who has earned his freedom, thus making t
~ police his friend instead of his enemy, as
h The reason why prison labor is injurious
o honest labor is because it fixes the pri
Q of honest labor. The amount of convict lab
does not equal one per cent. of the labor
eonoe abo
Y, equal more than ten per cent. of the tot
e, product ye: this ten per Ger Gent. naes the pr pr
III of honest labor engaged in the same Inanuf;
tire. To employ the labor of the convicts
in State account would not help this feature
- the trouble. The State will sell the produ
at of prison labor, and 1t does not matter wh
safeguard you may undertake to establi:
u the fact remains that prison labor must
u sold at less price than honest labor, or
j, will be found that it can not be sold at all.
To carry out any scheme looking to
abolishment OF contract laborgreat care MI
er be taken not to do injustice to the contract
as The State, and not the contractor, is respoT
10 | BILE for the present system large inve
10 ment of money must necessarily be made
of the State in furnishing the machinery
. materials to conduct the business of empl
ing the convict.
y COUNTY dAILS.
% IGan not report favorably of the condit
s. o. our county Jails. Experience has sho,
is beyond doubt, that persons detained in
Awaiting trial for crime should, in all cases
confined separately in separate rooms or &C
IN | aud that there should be no herding togetl
- of such prisoners in the halls or corridors G
~ Jail. , 4,
Of 1t is this herdiug together of prisoners Il
is inhuman, and not, as is often thoughtles
asserted, their separation. / would rece
! mend therefore;