The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-02-28
OPEN LETTER 10 TAXPAYERS
Continued from First Page.


our poor laws, and the law for suppressne
tramps. and the system persued by the
County 10 relation thereto, we have a
crowded state both of the poorhouse and
prison, by the presence of class of lazy
persons, and without any proper system
BY which to require them to labor and
earn their support while there
Ii must be clear to all intelligent and
thoughtful minds, that such a state Of
things ought not to be-, or continue to
exist. From the nature OF the case ii is
evident that the only practicable remedy,
IS the enforcement OF hard labor and strict
discipline, and that suggests the necessity
Of suitable prison with work.h house COM
bined. To this remedy some may object
Saying it is impractieable to enfoTceit with
profit to the Codnty; that years agoit was
tried prisoners were set to work making
baskets. axe, and pick handles. which ac-
cumulated on hand, and finally had TO
be sold for less than the cost of material;
then they were put to breaking stones in
yard In the rear Of the Court House
The noise was found to embarras proceed
ings in the Court Room, and then this
work was removed to yard farther away
in the rear of the work-house; but soon
complaint came from families in tho.
neighborhood, that the noise was a nuis-
ance, and finally work was abolished
And further it may be objected, that If
the work-house system is to be restored.
the County will be obliged to buy land
whereon to erect suitable building. and
then as breaking stones appears to be the
only kind OF work available, the stones
will have to be bought, and their cartiug
paid for; so that it will again be considered
undesirable, because annoying and unpro-
fitable. Doubtless such objections are
honestly entertained by some. but they
are moi of such weight as to forbid further
effort We see in other places, In the
County of Essex Tor one, at the peniten-
tiary at Caldwell, gangs of prisoners are
employed probably in clearing and i'm
proving the grounds, grading, ditching.
fencing So, and reports show that it costs
less per capita for the maintenance Of the
prisoners there, than IN Morris County.
In many other places. bard labor has been
enforced in prison warehouses, under
rigid discipline with success and decided
advantage. and hence there appears to be
no good reason why it could not be used
probably in Morris County.
The present condition Of the prison in
Morris County plainly show there Is urgent
necessity for a new prison with larger
capacity and suitable arrangements for
subtitutng hard labor in place Of enforced
idleness. The advantage resulting from
such change would be kind of punishment
tending to reform, instead of hardening
criminals; to diminish the number Of com
mitments. and save to the County much
Of the cost OF feeding crowd OF lazy
Migrants and criminals. The cost OF feed
ing alone. averages about five to six thou
sand dollars year, this is added to taxes
and the people pay it.
II specially deserving of public note,
that this sum for feeding and caring for
inmates Of the prison, is fully equal TO one
quarter of the whole taxes for all County
purposes fifty years ago.
The people generally are not aware of
the Improper condition OF the County
prison at the present time ana how long
II has existed; but as the people govern
they have right to know. why it is so
dan who is responsible. For forty-eight
years Offenders committed hayein Dea-
sure been deprived of personal liberty. |
but have been kept in enforced lideness;
for twenty years past enforced idleness
has been continued. but prisoners have
been permitted to entertain themselves
with music. dancing, card-playing &c.,
and in one large hall grades Of tramps,
criminals, and disorderly culprits. are
allowed TO meet and mingle in large
crowd. aud with unrestricted intercourse,
Thus the prison has become to them a
pleasant place. and in mary cases petty
offences have been committed by lazy
tramps 80 gain admission there. Such is
the depiorable condition OF the prison; il
is a burning shame to a civilized com
munity. Who is responsible for it2 The
County Board of Chosen Freeholders. \
chosen BY the direct vote of the people.
are charged with the over sight and com
dltion Of the prison, and the care and pro.
per management OK the financial and other
County Interests asrequired by law, They
ere no doubt selected from an intelligent
and respectable class OF citizens, but they
are like most citizens called TO act 10
public official positions. subject to out
side influence at times. The members
OF the Board for years. have been
nearly equally divided as to political
parties; outside partisan bosses.
whisper to each side be cautious move
slowly. and the consequence has been, one
side declines to move first. and the other
is afraid and the result feverish hest
fancy and delay, running into procrasti-
nation. and ending in q chronic state Of
neglecting official duty.
w The last published quarterly report Of
the County Collector, as to receipts and
expenditures, shows condition of the
County financially, deserving of special
consideration BY all citizens. The Ooun
ty in the months of August, September
and October. 1901. borrowed seventy six
expenses. in advance of taxes assessed and
to be collected, and to be paid in on Goth
December as the law provides. The Counr
ty records show that such method OF Dor
rowing money to meet current expenses
has been followed for many years, and the
result has been the addition of many
thousands Of dollars to the public taxes 70
pay discounts and interest," which would
be entirely unuecessaly under mere 9.,a
discreet and frugal management. The