The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1871-01-14
yoaily Argus.
,fflClAl CITY g. COUNTY PAPER
C0RaESPONDxNCE.
SPRINGFIELD, Jan. II, 1871.

SPRINGFIELD, Jan. II, 1871.
EDITOR OF ARGUS 1t is said that Sum
ner oace remarked that he desired the wor,
OF reconstruction to rapidly progress yer,
SLOWLY. 1t Is the same complaint that i.
troubling the Illinois Legislature. They &c
forward with the rapidity Of blind snail.
Up to the hour of writing, the standing
committees of the House have not been an
nounced, and except the introduction of two
or three bills, no business has been done in
that body. The Senate has made q little
better progress, but the difference, like a
radical office holders honesty, is SO thin that
you'd scarcely speak of 1t on an empty
stomach. But there has been one good
honest, righteous move taken by the Senate,
and | hasten TO chronicle the fact. 1t was
introduced In the Senate by Mr.. Snapp, one
of the OLD senators, and is as follows
WHEREAS, The governor of the state, in
that portion Of mis- message relating to the
penitentisry in July, 1869, and there found
. that its ad administration was deficient in
that degree of unity and energy that was
essential to success and
WHEREAS, The governor also states in
said message, that the said disagree ment
produced an I'M urious effect upon the disci
plIne of the penisentiary, and that such disa-
greemsnt diminished the sense of sponsi
oiiitY in the employees and effected the pro-
duotiyenes5 of the labor of the convicts, and
VIII account to great extent for the failure
ut the present management to achieve sue
cess, and that instead of having been self:
sustaining during the last two years, Rs the
commissioners In their report of 1868 con
sidered that it might be, an idebtedness of
1892 ,932.ls has been incurred against the
Institution besides expending the $500 900
which the legislature appropriated a. the
session OF 1868, if the governor is correct in
his mssssge-which statement there is no
reason to doubt-and, whereas, also, the
governor has stated in said message that "he
di4 not investigate the grounds OF the differ
ence between the commissioners being pith-
ont authority 10 adjust Hem," and IS he has
advised the general assembly that the
uatura! q lestion will present itself to the
general assembly tohat IS the present condi,
ton OF the penite ntiary, and what policy
snail De adopted to secure its future useful>
mesa ?' And from the fact, also, that that
portion of the message relating TO the peni
teRtlary has, By the senate, been referred to
the committee on penal institutions, there
fore be it
Rcsolred, That for the purpose OF
making a iull investigation of the etfairs in
relation to the penitentisry, the said COM
mistee be, and are hereby authorized TO
compel the attendance of witnesses to re-
qulre their testimony under oath, and to
compel the production Of ell books, papers,
and documents relating to the same, and
report thereon to the general assembly, at
ITS earliest convenience.
TINS means business-is means a stoppage
OF the leak by which the people have been
ro0bed-it means that the democracy were
right when they charged the proof legacy of
the peni;entiary upon the radical party.
But the main item is the Senatorial con-
test. It's getting hot t-red-hot, as the boys
say. The caucus is to be held tomorrow
night, and there is no possible doubt but
Logan will be the man. A severe war has
been made against him, but he is here backed
b Gil the government officers in the state,
or all those who ever supposed to have any
intlaonce. Ia addition to this Mrs John A.
Logan has a room at the Leland, as also has
Miss Kate Logan, niece of the General.
Mrs. i. is said to be shrewd, shRrp, intelli-
gent woman, with enough bravery to walk
10 70 o crowd of men and eectIoneer for
her husband. Miss b., though partially
deaf, is said to possess enough of the suare-
ter IN nodo to clinch all the nails that Mrs.
H. o. John drives home. When rural
preventative or Senator has run the
gauntlet of Johns swarthy look and Mrs.
LIS persis:ency, hs falls victim to the
gracious smile of Kates, but if these three
should fail, then up comes Johns brother
and the revenue officers with the drinks
Let the war go on its none of our funeral.