The Democratic advocate., 1886-01-09


interest of the people centres with growing
hope and faith around the modern public sys-
tenn. Much of the prejudice Of earlier days;
attributable in part to the peculiar relations OF
ante-bellum times, has passed away. ana gen
era awakening to the realization OF the right
Of the people to free and fui Pubic, 9e eaGSa 1e
ashes of that prejudice. Isolated cases OF out
spoken individual opposition sometimes occur;
system, 1 M arc divided in opinion only as to the
limit or extent to which the State should az
ford public instruction. some contend
taaght tau " in the log schooi-house, while
Others are loud in demanding a hlgner ana
more liberal course of studies. The state may
well place herself in the van of those who are
seeking to raise our standard OF education and
extend its blessings, for education stands Sec
ond to liberty itself.
sources, including receipts from State school
tax. free-school and academic funds, State ap-
preparation to colored schools, COLLEGE dona,
tions, county tax and fines, $1.669, ,010 60. and
enrolled upon her school registr1es during me
year 150sSeS pupils, | trust not u one @ 1o1 or
lature at the present session, and that all IN
stitutions of learning, purely public in their
character, will receive proper support and
Under our present rule of distribute
ing the State school tax, separate fnnds
are appropriated to the white ana
colored schools. The colored schools first re-
ceive 100000 per annum- and the white
schools the balance collected from sald taX.
appropriation for in proportion TO popula1on
they receive more than their full share be-
lieve the uniformity OF the system requires no
division OF appropriations upon the color
line. Separate schools must be maintained
and impartially operated, but they should be
under one system, and paid from one and the
same fund. They should be opened and kept
open for the same period as the white schools
in the counties aud city, and coiored teachers
should be placed in charge when desired II
competent. .-,
No changes have been made in the school
law since 1874, not because improvements
Of stabffitg e an9 eS11snence was Worth more
than any trifing chaugca, and no radical
changes appear desirable
unite with the State board Of education in
recommending that necessary TEXTBOOKS foE
use in the school-room should be suppled
without charge" By so doing, in addition 10
facilitating school work, we will remove the
last invidious distinction which separates, IN
our public schools, the children n o. me poor
Baltimore has already adopted the recon-
mendation in reference to textbooks and the
counties should follow its example. e;
REVISION OF OUR CODE.
1t is believed that a revision OF the Mary
land Code is desirable at this period. The sub
ject is commended to your early attention.
CRIMINAL LAW.
For several sessions past the question OF re-
vision and recodication or our criminal laws
has been prominently discussed, but no def
mite results have been reached or practical
improvements consummated
No thorough or satisfactory revision OF our
criminal laws and practice can be expected
during the session, and l suggest the appoint
ment of paid commission to exam inc into the
question and prepare criminal code to be SUD
mitted, with such reasons or suggestions as
NAV occur to such commission, at the next seS-
sion of the General Assembly
In a large number Of the counties OF the
State criminal jurisdiction has been given
to magistrates and extended from time TO
time until many otfenses involving the penalty
of confinement in the penitentiary have be-
come cognizabie before them such large ex-
tension OF criminal jurisdiction Is or doubtful
| propriety. if not unwise. suggest the fitness
| of restoring to the courts exclusive jurisdic-
| tfon of all offenses for which confinement in
| the Denitentiary may be or is the penalty:
| Our present vagrant laws in their solicitude
| the mischief oecasioned by tramps who con-
| tinue to infest and frequent our highways ana
! to annoy and alarm our people; The1r I'M
! DrisOnment in Jail or reonfinementin the House
| OF Correction adds much to our expenses ana
| proves insufficient as a remedy against the
| evil. While the State should not bring CON
| victs in competition with honest labor,
! our laws should be so amended as 70
| authorize the proper authorities TO work
| public roads and streets. A rigid exer-
| else of such power is worth fair trial and
may obviate the difficulties attendant upon our
The attorney general calls my attention to
the want of criminal statistics; for winch ap-
| plieations to him are constantly made; a re-
! quirement of the State attorneys OF the sew
/ erql counties and Baltimore city TO furnish
report OF such matters to the attorney gen
| the executive department may furnish valua-
| BILE information as to the increase or diminu-
ton of crime and point out defeetS and sus-
! gest remedies in our criminal code.
PENAL INSTITUTIONS
The Maryland penitentiary, now in the 74th
wear of its operat. .ons, may be termed model
| institution not in all Of its appointments some
nfyshieh the lapse of time and peculiar architec-
ture preclude from being modeTnlZed, Dut IN
| its general management, as SHOWN py repGortIs r.
filed in this department and BY personal ln1
| snection of the various branches and general
! discipline of the prison.
The past three years have peen tne mos.
successful financially in its history, based
upon the number of men in confinement and
The amount formerly received from the
! limited States government deducted. The
average number of prisoners for the past
| three years has been 500 while the average OF
any preceding three years in which any con- %
| siderable surplus was declared was Z lS7- Inc
Institution is not only out of debt and seif-sus-
| tanning, but after eXpending S3.242 IL Tor the
| erecfi0n of more comfortable and substan-
tioi bI,iIdfnn for a certain class of prison
| employecs and donating $500 10 the PRISON
| ersf Aid Association in recognition OF their
tSe present Year sbs6 46 into the treasury.
| Last year it paid SOB 10 to the state: A
better and more general lighting OF the prison
is deemed necessary for the comtort'oI the
inmates and TO relieve the tedfllm and mono
tony OF the long winter nights, when they
confined within tnelr cess So,r ror bo,,rs yg
Several of the present inmates are
insane and should be placedin an asylum; Ine M
penitent1ary SnOulu uOb " = t'
eynense as now provided by law for the Keep
ing or maintaining of prisoners thus un1or-
tlInately afflicted and sometimes insane at the
| fine of their incarceration. The nscal year
| of the institution should be changed TO cor
respond with that of the State to enable the
officers to present their reports and sugges-
| tions to the governor at an earlier date.
The House of Correction, originally
intended for the Imprisonment OF those
| guilty of pretty crimes and TO relieve
the crowded condition OF the penitentiary, has
for the past year been filled beyond its proper
| capacIty Two prisoners are often connnen
| in one small, narrow cell. condition pruduct-
i've of ill-health and conducive 70 immorahty;
the penftenttary, on the other hand, has va
\ can't cells Owing to the large number of
I prisoners and the expiration OF contracts,
| which have not been renewed by contractors,
upon the ground of alleged unproftableness,
the expenses of the institution have been quite
| For the fiscal year 1SS4-total - :,
| expenditures. S@Stt>o1 %
nS$3ss @ @S#siss sSs {. Ss35"1srs ssa go
Cost Cost Der capita. Sill 10 3-5
fi5Gas tsras year isso..o.al ehpen1 ssoess ae
| Number of prisoners received .rs
during the year. ......-....!-....s 30
r9sF saiiy per eTecapH capita. numoer,. s126 81
Average daily cost of feeding -,
each prisoner iS...... =. VoA
The official reports OF those whose duty II
is to look after the health and welfare OF tho
prisoners AMI general manaeementof OF this IN
! stltution speak of its general condition IN very
eonmendatory terms, which believe In tne
main are fully merited. An act Was passed
two years ago providing for the class oL OF
Either from defects in the act itself or from
different interpretations by the courts
the act is really ipoperatiyc: Al Of oi-