The Tramp Question

A dcciMon wss rcndered by the rapreM oourt on (lie llih nst., whieh practically f'orbids jusiioes of thc pcace from senteneing trampa or othcr disordcrly persons to iheloniahouse of correction. According to our present law mk-Ii enn not be given a senlence of imprisonnient, bot can be made to furnish bail fur a certain period, and in default of said bail sontenoed to iuipri-oiniient until i( 'u furni.-licil. The supremo court myt tli;it Beiu}ing the oflFendera to the house of correetion places them outside ÜH inii-diction of the juatices who sent (hem (here, and precludes the possibility of thcir obtaining bail. In law, that may be so, and all rijslit, in tice H II all wronif. I he prisoncr wlm have been sent to Ionia have been tliose only who could not obtain bail, generally transients, who are as mucli at home at Ionia as at Ann Arbor, Detroit, or the upper península, and naught but gum] lias ever resulted from sending (hem there. The effect of deiioo will c to lili op our county jails with this class of offendcrs upon _" uta 90 day teatmoM, and the peoplc will have to support thrni in idleness. The plan whicli has been in operation since the founding of the Tonia house of correotion ha- worked well, and been a terror to the tram ping traternity, for tbey disliko work very iumcIi. Tho recent decisión will be hailed with delight by this gentry all over the country. Asen tence to tliu county jail, where they will have nothing to do and bc fornished with meals aml lodginga, ia th hoigbl "f iheir a in bition. Something ought tu be done to change this law by the legislatura, and JUMOM of the peace be givon power to sentence tram ps and di.sorderly pwpk to tho Innia liouse of correction. It is claimcd, wo undentend, thaj the above inttitation hu Idtt money because of so many prisoners having heen sent therc for sixty and niucty days. 'I'licy are not profitatilt.' to the contractors on such short NBtMMM il wd. Muit of the jicople of the state of Michigan supposcd that tuis home of eorrection was established for the very purpofc of taking cart of the minor class of offenders, who could not be sentenced for a long period to the ¦teta prison, but who should hav iort of labor imposod upon thcui as a punishment, aüd to make tliern earn tlieir living during incarceration. If this is a mistake, tlien the name of this instituí ion -liould be changeil, aml it should be called a state prison. If it is n fact that this house of eorrection has lost iuoney beSMM of these short term prisoners, how is it that the Detroit house of correction makes money, ycar in and yoar out, wiih this very class ra much inlemned? Anotlier thing, this class of offenders must be dealt with in soine manncr. They can not bc given long scotences, and to confine thetn in pur county jails for 30, 60 or 90 days, wliere thcre is no labor for them to perform, and ure meals and lodgings, is just what they desire. It ia a " soft thing" through tho cold winter months, and as to costs, i.s ujuch more expensive than putting them at hard Iftboi in -ome reformatory. It tlie Detroit house of correction can make mocey with this same clas.s of prisoners, we sec no just reason wby the Ionia reformatory can not do the same. If the stumbliogblock lays in the paying of transportation expenses, tlicn lot the countics from which the priaonen ooote, pny the'm, as thcy should do, by riglit. We were foolish euough to belicvc that the Ionia house of correction was cstablishcd purposcly lo lielii out our miserable -ysteui ol' county jaits wherc prisoners are áupported in iillriK'ws at the ppople's expense. The peoplc, ii will be Been, have lo beu the burden any way. 11' tbis house of correction wa. inaugur.itcd U a financial investment by ÜM st ;tt ¦ tf Michigan, then of course it should be nin as raob, but it' it was establishcd by the state i a reformatory, to Kfhteo thc '"eral burden oí taxation and to furnish eniploytucnt to a okai of minor ciítnin;ils, nut rapposed to be hardened in criuio, hcretolore supported in irilnnnw. then it should bt ma.li' to wbíierve these purposes. Oor expert hu figurad mui iUm I tren l.'iir '.utiill OOoM appoint uno MlbiMt ofliecr tu a pOWtion evciy iiiinut1', it would luke liiiu at loat two years, working ten hours per day, lo svo each man ¦ position whosc name has been sufigested. It ilonishing what lew (icople warjt offiv in filis uountry, isn't it?