Daily Republican., 1890-03-04

Prison Board and other Refor,ns.

sEtoO4 AO@Au uhU VtuoE HAtl0Tlnu.
The reduction Of the price paid tor
prisoners teedfrom thirty cents down 10
swenty cents per day will save to the
county Is, 40. This will still leave
SIC. $40 for the sheriff for feeding an
hyerage OF 140 prisoners per day, out
Of which there Il profit of at least
0ns-haif, - West Chester. Pa, leeds
her prisoners on Il cents per day, and
u 10 said gives them more and better
food than 10 given TO the prisoners at
New Castle. The Every Evening
now thoroughly embarked upon
economical reform - relates N 70.
duction Of the rates Of prison fare, has
been hunting up statistics upon the
question and publishes tho following
data from six county towns to the
north Of Wilmington: Pottsvills,
Schuylkill county, h., has 1870
prisoners that cost IA cents per day
each, or "a. 934 so per annum. Media,
Delaware county, Pa, has So prise.
ners that cost 20 cents per day each,
or "a .016 per annum. West Chester,
Chester county, Pa. has "A prisoners
that cost 81 cents per day each, or
u, 4O4, % per Annum. Reading,
Berks county, Pa, has % prisoners
that cost 10 cents per day each, or
90, 2i46 90 per annum.
Lancaster, Lancaster county, Pa,
has 1873 prisoners that cost 10 cents
day each, or q, COG 40.
Then comes New Castle county
With the tremendous sweep OF 140
prisoner that cost 80 cents q day each,
or . total cost Of SIS, $50 per annum.
No wonder the county 10 founder
Ing along under bonded deot of
1855. 600 and floating debt Of 1873, 600 |
more ON top OF 1t. Yes, We are most
and always have been, in
favor Of cutting down this political
fund paid to the sherifis of |
New Castle county, whether Republl-
can or Democrat. Out OF this i'm |
nense amount of money paid to the
sheriff under the excuse Of cost for
feeding prisoners, from $4,000 10
$4,000 OF 1t Is spent by the sheriff |
beforehand In securing his nomination
tor the office, often by the most corrupt
and debasing methods.
Such q system would never have
been tolerated for single year except
by . levy court that like huge lcech,
'ucks from the county 90 high as
E11 900 at times. Ia salaries for them.
'elves and permits the county to be
cheated out OF $4,000 a year more of
poll taxes that ought to be collected to
keep themselves in power.
Dur evening contemporary has done
well as far as it has gone In circulating
petitions TO the levy court for Q reduc-
lion Of the price paid for prison fare,
but II should step out OF its political
Ihambles and attack the enormous
,alaries Of the levy court, and the
OF the county out of $40. 900
In poll taxes.
The county of New Castle, bleeding
It every pore under excessive taxation,
needs this reduction proposed In prison
,oard. The Levy Court may grant 1t,
but like the unjust judge, we fear,
more from the fear of waning popu.
arity than from sense Of duty. The
wi has been going on for many years,
md the Levy Court knew It well, but
Dever lifted finger TO remove the
Jul 'heh uhln Jooi ubo IL Qlu cut |
down the price Of prison board from IS
10 80 cents per day. They could have
avoided this arrsgnment before the
people that will Dust them from power
had they needed the voice OF complaint
that came from the oppressed taxpay-
crs In the years gone by, but they
chose TO cling on TO the corruption
fund for the sheriffs instead OF needing
tho voice OF the people.
Now they are face to face, rs Presi-
dent Cleveland would say, mot with |
. theory, but with condition." with
which they must grapple, however
unwilling they may be TO do SO. Gu.
OF all this agitation evolves the steady
demand of the people tor a Constitu.
iional Convention. no Levy Court al
ali. but county commissioners instead,
and all county officers elected by the
people. This will only come through
tho Republican party OF Delaware.
y his is not saying too much in the face
oi the fact that every attempt at con.
reform has been steadily
defeated by the Democratic party.
Who will say this is not so2