The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-08
LEADING ISSUES IN OHIO.
Points from Governor Fosters Last Mes
sage to the State Legislature.
Views of the Retiring Executive on Con-
Wet Labor Operation Of the Scott Law,
the Tariff and Civil Rights,

COLUMBUS, Jan. THE Ohio Legislature con
vened to-day, organized in both branches and
listened to the reading of the Governors mes
sage.
The Governor begins by stating that about
two millions of the State debt have been paid in
the past four years, and the interest charge has
been reduced, by successful refunding $780, 900.
The total of the public funded debt on the 9th of
January, 1884, was 81, AGO, 715. The funded debt
is now so much reduced as to enable the State,
by wise financial action to pay with ease and
without any increased burden to the tax payers,
the entire amount by the year 1891 The total
of the local debts is $43, 1888, O95. So decrease
from last year of $3,618, 29O55. The Governor
urges the Importance of putting every possible
restraint upon the alarming tendency toward an
increase of local indebtedness.
The penitenitiary for the year ending Nov. l,
1883, shows profit of $53, 900.
The report of the Acknowledgement shows that
the present force of the Ohio National Guard
consists of eighty two companies of infantry and
seven batteries of light artillery, and a total
number of 5, 457 men, including officers being
reduction during the year Of 4l8.
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 ex-
ceptions, are composed of two Democrats and
three Republicans, all gentlemen of high charac-
ter, who have discharged their several trusts
with great intelligence and fidelity to the public
interests. The employees have been selected
without regard to their political affiliations, and
it is believed that, outside of the penitentiary,
the voters in the public institutions are about
equally divided between the two parties. About
3, 800 insane people are cared for with the pres
ent accommodations furnished by the State,
about I, 900 are cared for in the county infirm-
aries, and there are probably 500 to 900 persons
in private institutions and with their families
and friends. The asylum, the building of which
was authorized by the last General Assembly,
will be located at Toledo, and Is designed to ac-
commodate 1000 inmates, instead of the 600 re-
quired by the law authorizing its construction
The work of the reformatories and the childrens
homes is briefly referred to and highly com
mended In speaking of the prisons and the
reformation of oonvicts. the Governor says
''An experience of four years i'll dealing with
applications for pardons leads me to the conclu-
sion that more than one-half of the cOnvicts do
not naturally belong to the criminal classes. The
crimes for which they are punished were the re-
suit of unfortunate surroundings. accompanied by
intoXication at the time of commission In the
punishment and treatment of criminals, but lit
tie or no difference is made between this class of
convicts and those who naturally and by their
training belong to the criminal classes. In TACT,
but little attention is paid to the matter of ref
ormatiOn of the convicts. He serves out his
sentence, is subjected to the discipline of the
penitentiary and turned out upon society with q
badge of disgrace upon him. He finds himself
an outcast upon society laboring under great
disadvantage in securing employment, and, IN
fact his condition in society is such as to make
him feel his degradation, and naturally and
logically he thereafter becomes permanently at
tGched to the criminal classes. feel confident
that by the present treatment of the convicts Of
the Ohio penitentiary we cause to be thrown
upon society more than one hundred of them
annually, who thereafter lead criminal lives, who
ought to be and can be saved to life or honor
and usefulness by proper and judicious reform
OF prison management"
THE CONTRACT LABOR SYSTEM.
The Governor then proceeds to a consideration
of the contract labor system in the penitentiary,
and says:
at is possible to suggest comprehensive sys-
tenn of prison management, including the abol
ishment of the contract system, which is practi-
cable and can with wise management, be made
not only successful but at the same time, by
such a system there can be secured most valu-
able reform There is no doubt but that the con
tract system does, in some departments. serious
ly iniure honest labor, and the honest labor of
the State has a right to ask that this injury be
reduced to a minimum; and it Is the duty OF the
General Assembly to secure such a result
THAT the convict must be compelled to work
is Il proposition so self evident that no one will
dispute it. That his work shall do as little harm
to honest labor as possible is the end to be
sought, and prison management should have for
its main object the reform of the convict
'"To accomplish these desirable purposes, l
would suggest-frst, that all sentences be of an
indeterminate character life sentences excepted,
the term of confinement to be determined by the
prison managers; l would provide that eight
hours constitute a days work; that two hours
each day be devoted to the education of the con
Wet; that the judge, when he sentences con
Wet, certify to the board of managers the facts
that secured the conviction, with statement of
the general character of the convict
''The board of managers should adopt & sys
tenn of rules providing for promotion for good
conduct, and reduction Of standing for bad con
duct. AT a certain degree of promotion the con
Wet should be entitled to wear citizens clothes,
and certain further degree of promotion should
entitle him to his freedom, to go out of the
prison with the right to his earnings, he to be
convict still, bearing the certificate of the prison
managers to that effect. Good conduct outside
the prison for stated period, the convict re-
porting once a month, his report certified by his
employer, should entitle him to a full discharge
and restoration to all the rights and privileges of
citizenship. In this connection, the police and
peace officers of the State should be required by
law to assist in all proper ways a convict who
has earned his freedom, thus making the police
his friend instead of his enemy, as is the case
now.
The reason why prison labor is injurious to
noneSb ldoor is pecduSe IL nAeS INC prize VI
honest labor The amount of convict labor does
not equal per cent. Of the labor of the State,
and probably, in any one article manufactured
by convict labor, does not equal more than 10 per
cent of the total product, yet this 10 per cent.
fixes the price in times of depression of the 90
pei cent. of honest labor engaged in the same
manufacture To employ the labor of the con
victs on State account would not help this
feature of the trouble The State will sell the
product of prison labor and it does not matter
what safeguards you may undertake to establish,
the fact remains that prison labor must be sold
at less price than honest labor, or it will be
found that it cannot be sold at all
The Governor recommends that steps be taken
for making the Institution for Feeble minded
Youth self-supporting. The Board of State
Charities is commended for its excellent work,
and generous appropriations asked for their
The herding together in county jais of prisoners
guilty of different grades of crime is denounced,
and the recommendation is made that all plans