The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-08-20
CoNyICTs IN PENITESTIAR

The increase of 202 convicts In ten years
makes the percentage greater than the In
crease in population during the same period
Upon that by pothesis there has been no les
SEEMING whatever In the amount OF crime, but
an increase. Very many Of the thieves, burg
lars, yiolators OF the postal law, perjurers
sellers OF mortgaged property. bigamists,
grave robbers. murderers, and others in ali
lines of crime. are not necessarily such be
cause of drink. And furthermore many
criminals are not drinkers Reports show
that a liberal percentage OF Gonvicts wer.
temperate aud had received religious educa-
ton.
The report of the secretary Of state for the
years 1857 show convictions In the district
courts OF Iowa to the number of 3,l65, OF
which l,027 were saloon keepers aud ss1 were
farmers. Reports OF the wardens for the
years from July |, lSs5, to June 30, 1857, show
that the total number Of convicts sent to the
penitentiaries during the two years, there
were but three on-keepers and one bar
tender, while there were 10 farmers. This
was during the two years when the most
united effort and best showing was made
toward the enforcement of the prohibitory
law. The list of cOnvicts includes
GREAT VARIETY OF People,
large number OF different lines of business,
trades aud professions being represented,
even clergymen, editors. doctors, attorneys,
capitalists, and all others, except perhaps
politicians.
The warden's report of the Fort Madison
penitentiary from Sept. ~, 1888, to June %,
1887, shows 4,56 convicts received. One
thousand three hundred and thirty nine
were temperate, l,O43 were moderate and
the others incorporate. OF the convicts In
the Fort Madison penitentiary during the
forty eight year period referred to above,
1863 were native Americans and only SAT
we're foreigners; S92 were farmers aud only
Z we're saloon keepers. give these figures
to show that the saloon keepers do not get
irfn fh0 fhkA sr3g xsyhi Oh
they commit, while the farmers do. To say
that the farmers get there because of drink
ing, would be a Islander and a libel upon
them. They do nothing OF the kind, and to
intimate such q thing would be for the pro-
hibitionists to give their case entirely away.
The facts are, that, considering the number
OF farmers as compared with all other class
es OF people in the state in numbers as
few, Ii not less Of them, get into the
penitentiary than any other class, while
sent to the penitentiary for disobedience of
some law the farmers were paying increas-
ed taxes for the farcical prosecution OF 50.
loonkeepers, which resulted In some myster-
out of the penitentiary, and paying . very
small proportion of their fines.
The official reports for the years from 1878
up to aud including 1890 show that the
COST OF CRIMINAL PROSECUTIONS
In Iowa, including the amount paid county
attorneys, Is over S5,OOO, 900, and while the
amount OF fines imposed during that time
amounted to more than 1900 QUO, the
amount OF fines collected was only little
over one third of that amount. The total
amount OF fines collected during that period
was about one third OF the total cost OF the
criminal prosecution. The total cost of the
after deducting the fines col
iected leaves a balance OF the net cost
against the taxpayers for the above period
of over n. 100000.
For the benefit of those laboring under the
delusion that prohibition prohibits present
herewith some important information that
may perhaps set their thought machiney In
motion. 1t consists OF the number Of