Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1885-01-15
NORTHERN TRIBUNE.
THURSDAY, JANUARY Is, 1885.
Continued from second paqc.

Continued from second page.
the former be carefully tried and that
the office be not abolished until such tri-
al is fairly made.
While our state is open to the world.
no special efforts should be made to i'm
port labor. purely as such. while so many
men are unemployed as at present.
THE IONA HOUSE OF CORRECTION.
This institution needs. in my opinion,
a thorough Overhauling, and commend
to your careful consideration many sug-
gestiOns and recommendations made by
the warden in his official report. Under
the present law this prison is filled far
beyond its capacity with cOnvicts, near
ly ORe-half Of whom are sentenced by
justices of the peace from different parts
of the state, mostly for druEkeaness;
and many instances of its abuse are
known. man found intoxicated by
constable or other officer is frequently
taken before justice of the peace and
sentenced to the prison for that Offense.
He Is thus disoraced for life, and is also
his family, for the offense of getting
drunk, or perhaps because he had no
friend to intercede for him. The abuses
that are liable to occur can best be de-
scribed by the following which took
place during Gov. JerOme's term of office.
The facts were given me by the Hon. +.
c. Watkins, then its warden:
A man arrived in Saginaw and applied
at the Office Of lumber firm for work.
lie was told to come in in the afternoon
and he would be hired Upon going out
he met man upoa the street who asked
him il he was stranger, and answered
that he was and from Canada and seek
ing employment. The man accosting
him, who il seems was an officer, inform
ed the stranger that it was necessary to
register" upon coming there, and to ask
him to an Office where another man, who
it appears was justice of the peace,
was sitting at desk. After remaining
there a short time he was taken out and
conducted to the depot by the officer and
taken directly to I0nia under arrest. Ar
irving at the house of correction the
warden examined his papers and found
he had been committed for a year as a
yagrant. He protested his innocence
and the warden Immediately wrote the
facts as given by the man to Gov. Jer-
ONE who pardoned him, and, under
stand. took some action against the Of
| ficer and justice of tho peace who had
thus cOnspired'tO send this man 10 pris.
ON for the purpose of getting the fees.
How far this abuse can extend can
only DO imagined; therefOIe recommend
that a law be passed prohibiting any
person from being sentenced to this in
stitutiOn by Justice of the peace, and
! that no prisoner be sent there for term
less than six months. This institution
should not be used as a "SObering-0ff"
place for men who occasionally get in
tOXicated. Such men should be kept in
the county jails where the Offense is
committed. am informed that officers
frequently make long Journeys with a
single prisoner where there are several
to be taken. simply to increase their
travelling fees. According to the state
treasur9r's report there was paid for
transportation of convicts to that insti-
tuition during the past year the sum of
$26682 I3. while the cost Of carrying
cOnvicts fer the state prison at Jackson
for the same period was $4,SOo 93, Con-
viets received at this Institution are
clothed in prisoners garb, and when dis
charged are furnished new clothiAg il
that worn by them when taken in is not
2 suitable for them to appear as comfort
ably dressed men. This item makes up
| a.
which should not be sent to that prison
First. those who are picked up when in
tOxicated, before mentioned, and, second
worthless tramps who have no pride or
homo and are willing to 90 there for the
winter. The prison is now filled to over.
flowing, with little work for its inmates
there being more than 200 confined with.
in its walls In excess of its accOmmOda
tiOns. and at the rate 1t Is being filled
if that class of people are to he impris-
Oned as cOnvicts, the state Of Michigan
cannot build prisons fast enough to hold
those who are convicted, especially il the
present stringent times should continue
to exist. | sincerely hope the matter
will be thoroughly Investigated during
the session of this legislature, and the
earlier it IL done the better for the pub
lie good.
THE CONTRACT LABOR SYSTEM, ETC.
recommend the abolition of the con.
tract labor system, and that law be
passed prohibiting the importation of
criminals from other states or territories
to be incarcerated within the walls OF
any prison in the state. 1t concentrates
criminals In Michigan and completes
with the honest labor Of the state. Mich.
igan is not SO poor as to need aid OF that
kind.
1 haye asked the different boards con.
nected with the several state institutions
to make their wants simply what is alb.
solutely necessary for carrying them
through the next two years, and while
under the present financial pressure not
dollar should be expended not absO'
lutely necessary. am sure that you
| xx,ilI hot Of ofofn tno OF I'm.
lions suffer for lack of means to carry
them along.
/ recommend that as great reduction
| sr, fox aa Ia M ada a nnsaihlo That Nc