The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1875-01-14

educational, charitable and penal institu-
tons, deserVedly command your careful
perusal and earnest attention. During the
past year, the Institution for the Educa-
tioh of the Blind, at GAINESVILLE, was IN
fortunately destroyed by fire, and l recon-
mend an early appropl iation for its recon.
sructlon upon such plans and such man
ner as will most practically serve the
wants and necessities of the institution.
Under the operation of time and law, the
Home provided at Madison for the or
phans of soldiers, has bee 1me vacant, and
L suggest your careful attention to the
propriety of devoting the building here.
after either to the support of a reformatory
school for girls, similar to that now main
tanned at Waukesha for boys, or to the
care of the incurable insane, now occupy
ing valuable room in our State hospitals
or enduring lives of lingering and IN
pitied suffering our county jails and poor
houses. The progress already made in
the construction of the Northern Hospi
tai for the Insane, deserves the highest
commentator. The work has been eco
nomically and substantially performed
upon the most approved and meritoriouS
plan of the times, and | recommend your
special attention to the importance Of its
Immediate completion.
LOCAL INSTITUTIONS OF CHARITY.
Among the appropriations the past
year was the sum of $4,000 contributed
by the state towards the support o.
benevolent institutions in or near the city
OF Milwaukee. Too much cannot be said
IN praise Of the many noble charities lib
orally bestowed, through the active in
strumentality of these and kindred or
CARNATIONS elsewhere. Located in por
tlOns of the state which contribute very
largely, and always punctually, to the
support OF the state government, and
which have never been awarded any Of
the benefits incident to the location o.
any state institution of education OIL
benevolence, they minister generously to
the relief of the sick, the iriendlesS anC
the poor, and thus serve in an importan
degree to Tighten the burdens of the pub
lie. l know of no reason WHY any or
ganized effort of this kind, so manifestly
consistent with the better instincts of the
human heart, should be denied on merely
technical grounds, the bare pittance
hitherto granted by way of encourage
ment and support. With due care tt
avoid religious or local partiality, I sin
cerely trust that policy so clearly dicta
ted by the two-fold considerations of prof
it and humanity will not be hastily r'
jected
THE STATE PRISON.
The first annual report of the directors
of tho ctafn nrIcnn docorvnc ond will ~
doubleday command more than ordinary
attention. 1t appears from this repor
that the internal affairs of the prison thu
past year have been administered will
intelligence and fidelity, and that import
ant Improvements have been made for thu
purpose of economising labor and de
creasing expenditure. The recon
mendations of the directors with ref
erence to further reduction of the an
nual cost of the prison commend them
selves to your approval. [ suggest tht
propriety of further inquiry, in coniunc
ton with the board of directors and tn
warden, as to the possibility of more eff
fectivelY utilizing the labor of the prison
by partial or total change in the charac
ter of the work to which the prisoner
are assigned. Evidently the great amour
of raw material required in the class o
work now engaged in at the prison, mate
rally diminishes the revenue which ough
to be derived from the convict labor 0
the State. Under the circumstances,
seems to me apparent that the most profit
able product of prison labor would b
that the value of which mostly consists Q
the labor performed in its Production
rather than in the cost of transportatio
and the material used.
RELIGIOUS PRIVILEGES.
Complaints are made that portion c
the inmates of the industrial school a
Waukesha are denied the religious free
dom accorded in other institutions in thi
and other States. IF such be the fact, tn
present statute should be promptly amend
ed in such a manner as to enforce in al
our public institutions full and undoubtet
compliance with the letter and spirit O
those wise provisions in our constitution
which assert that the right to worshi
God according to the dictates of cor
science shall never be infringed. Thi
privilege is as dear to the inmates of on
penal institutions as to any other class 0
people, and is entitled to special guard
anship in the case of children of tende
age, deprived of the wholesome influence
ofintelligent home intercourse and paren
al protection.
AGRICULTURAL AND OTHER SOCIETIES.
The State of Wisconsin has never faile
to recognize agriculture as the foundatio
of all our industries, and the prime sourc
of our material prosperity. Without
reasonable doubt, all the interests of labo
have been wisely promoted through tn
agency of the State and County Agricul
tural Societies, partially organized an
sustained by means of legislative aid. Gu
mechanical and manufacturing interest
largely participate in the benefits so con
ferred, and wholesome spirit of competi
ton and enterprise is promoted at trif1
ing cost, in comparison with the advant
ages derived from the expenditure, TIL
State Agricultural Society furnishes abun
dant proof of the continued efficiency AM
utility of this benefcent organization, ant
| cordially recommend the usual appro
priation for the encouragement of thi
and the County Associations for the ensu
ing year
The State Historical Society is steadily
advancing in its work of collecting tn,
material of Northwestern history, ant
forming great historical and genera
library. 1t has published several volumes
OF history, and now numbers over sixty
thousand bound and unbound volumes il
its library; being thus early, the third il
importance among the Historical Societies
of the United States.
The Wisconsin Academy of Sciences
Arts, and Letters, also provided will
rooms in the Capitol, has, during the year
published a second volume of valuable
scientific papers, and embracing in it,
membership many of the most Learned
men of the State and country, it has already
gained an honorable rank among philo
sophical societies, and fairly entered upon
a career of great usefulness.
Both of these institutions deserve con
tinuance of the fostering care of the State