The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1885-08-26
Bourbon Management Of the
Various State Institutions
as Compared with
Republican.
Official Reports Show the Ex-
penses Have Radically
Increased Under the
HoadIy Admin
iStratiOn.
Facts That Taxpayers Should Ponder
Well Over at the Coming General
Election.

Special Correspondence Of THE Inter ocean
COLUMBUS, ONO, Aug. 15.-The adverse
criticism that has been directed against the
management of the penal and benevolent
institutions of tho State during the past
year in which the Board Of Managers of
the Penitontinry have come in for good
share, has been such as to awaken the
greatest interest of all political parties, and
the ontire people Of the State. Witha view
of arriving Mt just conclusion TIE Inter
OcsHH correspondent recently visited the
Ohio Penitentiary, and was kindly fur
nishod with such information as was
deemed necessary for "a clear and compro-
henRivo statement by the clerk Mr.. Lang.
The Democratic party has now been in
full control of all the State institutions
nearly two years, and it will be admitted
that under the present management the
reforms aimed at by the Legislature are not
strikingly apparent, save in larger delcien-
cios and increased appropriations. And
this fact will be made clear further along.
When the present Democratic odministra-
ton came into power, the first move of the
Legislature was to
REoRGANIzE THE OHIO PENITENTIAEY.
The party was pledged to abolish tho
contract system, which was carried ont in
one sense Of the word and at the same time
repudiated. The State could not violate
contracts already in force, but as contracts
expired the Convicts wero placed to work
under various systems. One of which
gained much favor was what is known as
the "piece-price plan " the only real differ
ence from the old contract system being
| that the State does the manufacturing anC
sells the articles to tho contractors. The
State, however, under this plan is com
PEELED to stand all the losses that may be
sustained by accident or otherwise. Many
who have studied tho subject in its various
phases express the opinion that the piece
price plan is far more advantageous to con
tractors than the old system of hiring the
convicts.
A careful analysis of the reports of the
various institutions of the State disclosol
! the fact that the current expenses of every
institution, penal and benevolent, have
radically increased under the present ad
ministration.
THE OVERTHROW OF THE SCOTT LAW,
placing a tax upon the liquor traffic, causoj
a loss to the various counties Of $4,000
per annum, and the taxpayers are in N,
happy mood when the expenses to maintain
State institutions are increased beyond al
precedent and that too, when provision
and supplies of all kinds can be purchase,
in open market at from ID to 35 per cen
lower than at any previous time during tn
past twenty years.
The very marked difference in the cur
rent expenses Of the Ohio Penitentiary
such ns to attract general attention. Th
contrast between tho cost of maintaining
the convicts in 1888 and 1884 is remarkable
ITheGbolition of the contract system coult
have no bearing on the cost of maintaining
convicts, and no valid explanation has thu
far been given. In 1883, under Republi
can administration, the current expense
we're $1O7, ,29O.O1, while in 1884, under tn
present administration they reached tn
very large sum of $13G, O32.75, and in tn
one item of guards there wHs an increase q
? SO, 938. 28, showing in the matter Of curron
expenses and guards alone the increase wa
1874, G81. 02 over 1888, the last year the RC
pubicans were in power. The