The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1885-01-15

eiety and the reform of the prisoner have
botf been accomplished, and which 90 not
But these cases must necessarily occur very
seldom. They are like the cases in which a
udfs 81 fb s o the Gases
be scrutinized with the most jealous care so
as to avoid error.
Thirdlu, when innocence Is claimed as
ground for pardon, it should appear beyond
Q reasonable doubt An exception may exist
in capital cases, where awell-grounded aoupt
is perhaps proper basis for communication TO
Imprisonment for life, because of the final
character of the sentence.
FOurthly where unreasonable length or
term is relied on, an undeniably guilty pfis-
oner should not be pardoned until after the
expiration of the minimum term 1t OFTEN
on the Judge to give them the benefit of the
mintm1tm term, and then come TO the Govern
or to shorten that: as rule LAP l am osoas con.
would encourage crime.
Filthy, if continued confinement threatens
to shorten prisoners life, and he is likely
to fecovet and become a good citizen If par
doned, this is reason which may fairly re-
inforcs other arguments tsSer @ q fbat nts Irs
oners should be pardoned, merely that they
may die out of the penitentiary, has no basis
1t involves the danger of fraud, as such pris-
0ners sometimes recover.
.Sirthly, experience proves that men ofte9
without much conscience, and upon ntIie OF
no information. Therefore this class OF tes-
SeUenthly pardons should not be granted t9
second term prisoners upon any ground
other than proved innocence, except in very
extraordinary cases, where the Judge may
have abused his power, and this can be
shown beyond doubt Where prisoner is
ent rule if possible, should be observed.
If the General Assembly desire to continue
the practice OF private executions, ana 10
effect of public hangings, further legislation
will be necessary. Many jails are not 50
buiit that eXecuhons can pc conaucIeo matn 70
resist the attack of determined mop. In
many counties, SO rife and active is the spirit
of vulgar and morbid curiosity, that an in
protect the privacy of an execution, without
the support of a strong military force: TWO
murderers were hung at Ashland on May 10,
1854 II was warned in advance by the She etif, the
Prosecuting Attorney, and some OF the Dest
citizens of Ashland County, that the execu-
ton would be made public by mob violence
| if military force was not provided, the nee
| essRry number of which was estimated at nve
hundred. I sent three hundred and fifty
Conger, Eighth o. N. G. They were sur
| rounded by a mob of many thousands OF men
| the neighborin counties, determined to see
| the hanging" The mob repeatedly attacked
the military wounded ed mafy with ssH stones, mes
down a large portion of the courtyard FENCE.
The discretion of Colonel Conger in withhold
and men behaved with conspicuous courage,
| GOODNESS and forbearance; and at the cost OF
heavy expense pei to the state and mnea saf
and public execution avoided;
The law Or. s. Sec. 3D. forbids the pres
sons, in a addition to the Sheriff and his assis-
| tants. Tais has been systematically evaded
| in Hamilton County at repeated executions
sae who
witness the dying struggles of murderer
under the pretehse OF being Sherlfs snns ass1st,
| are estimated to have been thus enabled to
violate the law by an officer charged with the
| duty of enforcing it. My own protests, ora
and written, though respectfully treated
have not been availing to correct this evil.
I Irecommend, First, that the building OF
pens or Enclosures for executions be discon-
| tinued that in the counties where the jams
are not so constructed as to admit of private
hangings, the Judge be required to designate
for the purpose the nearest secure and con
| venient Jail, the execution to be there con,
Quoted by the Sheriff of the county where
the prisoner was convicted, and at the ex
| Secondly, That all expenses incurred foi
military to protect the privacy of executions
be charged upon the county where the exc
| cution took place,
Thirdly, That no Jail be hereafter permit
ted to be built without some adequate pro
Pleas sitting in the county, SO as to enable
EXECUTIONS to be held privately within 1ts
walls.
Fourthly, That the number of Sheriff
assistants at executions shall be limited by
law to minimum, to be enlarged only by the
Court of Common Pleas, upon the apphca
ton of the Sheriff, on proof of necessity.
The Worlds Industrial and Cotton Centen
nial Exposition was opened at New Orlean'
The General Assembly appropriated in al
$45, 500 to secure a proper exhibit and repre-
Sentennial sea - Exposition held at Philadelphia
in 1876. do not believe there is citizen O
Ohio who does not consider that money wei
spent. The present is an occasion of equa
1 nj interest Dflns
together the laborers of sections once AMEN
ated and in arms against each other in a II
| valry of generous brotherhood, in which
they only shall succeed who can contribute
| most to the common cause and to reciprocal
benefit. 1t will aid to obliterate geograpnl
| weld together North and South, the Lake
, and the Gulf, Mexico and the United States
in loving union, to extend commerce, and 7
shield the North American Nations from fu
ture strife by the protective agency OF ex
tended commerce.
| augural address, that the divorce laws o
1 Ohio be revised, with the view OF restrlctln
the the Igght right to marry again. If marriage wer
!. a union of hearts only, there might be som
|, foundation for the claim of either party t
t withdraw at pleasure. But marriage is a
. | objective reality the foundation of tn
j | family relation, which, however lightly
4 may be entered into, can rarely, if ever, b
: | severed without serious injury to the pal
d | ties, to their offspring ana to the commumt!
Religion, morality and the welfare of Sc
i ciety, as well as their own permanent inte
s | ests, demand of men and women in this n
e lation, that they bear largely with eac
= | others defects and infirmities, rather tha
seek relief in separation alto system IN OF Of a% law
S shocking to the moral sense, and h1ghly III
l. | polite. As divorces have for many yea
O increased in numbers in a ratio beyond ths
d ! population, am constrained to believe tn,
= our system is lax, and tends to the dissol'
r ton of families.
The condition of the public works of Obi
t | and their disposal constitute one OF III
+ most important matters for your conside
alton Bills disposngr grS Of the sfe,s subject a a
V canals in fee simple; they may be sold, lea
V ed or abandoned, without compensation
l. State will not content itself with the perforr
v ance of bare legal obligation 1t ow
u moral as well as legal duties TO its citizen
and the destruction or impairment of 1nte
L. | ests which have grown up along its canal
IS in the faith of their perpetual duratto
s. would neither be wise nor honest II Il
$, | canals are to be sold or leased. ample pr
Is vision should be made for maintaining Il
,s water powers and other private interes
now dependent upon them, or for compens
ton. And no sale or lease should be ma
"a of any part of the canals without t
n, amplest public notice and equal opportuni
is to all to bid, and such other restrictions
,,s will secure the best results to the State, a
" justice to competing bidders;
3. Complaint has reached me that i'll anticir
ef | tion of the abandonment of the Pauld!
~ Reservoir. parties are already seeking to pr
8. cure title to the lands covered by it's waite
from the UnlteQ StdUeS dU Tue
-, 70 minimum price. 1t has long been an obje
,e ,e in Cincinnati to secure the abandonment
n7 ie the Miami Canal eastward from the elbo
of where the Brighton House formerly stoC
" " In my Judgment this part of the Mia
n. Canal is a nuisance to the people of Cine
r. natl, and unnecessary to the commerce
IF any part of the State But if the
" o. be any money profit to be 4
O. rived from the abandonment
Fl the Paulding Reservoir, or the Miami Car
ct at Cincinnati such profit belongs to
~ State The State acquired the land by pl
n chase or gift, owns il. built and has maintain
a. the canals, is not called on to give it aw
ad a or lose its investment. and ought not p
~ with it for private uses, except for full &C
he | pensation. If these lands can be convert
me- to other and better public uses, well a
| good, provided they are free to all, or
Ie payment for their use is to the State, as ne
by put II priNa.e pelSons 4r tpLPhSatt36is Ph3i ar
IN Pc alrecty or 1 ane @