The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1879-01-18

dented ratios as to demand most serious
consideration at your hands during the
present session. / have most profound re-
spect and sympathy for the honest man who
In good faith travels from place to pisce in
search of employment, but modern tramps
are not of this character. They have been
thoroughly tried, and 1t is conclusiyely es-
tablished that the only thing they viii not
do, is to work.
| The assessments these criminal parasites
levy upon individuals and communities
nearly equal in value our whole state tax,
yet this is as nothing compared with the
| fear and mental suffering they incite among
defenseless women and children, and the
murders robberies and outrages, too brutal
to be here named, by them committed. Ii
in the larger cities they are somewhat re-
strained by a yigilant police, in the villages
and towns they have become the daily dread
and nightly horror of all well disposed per-
sons. The little girl on her way to or from
school, the farmers wife, busy with house.
hold cares, the aged and the infirm, are
alike the victims of their cowardly and
| licentious violence. Whatever may be
urged in extenuation of other crimes and
vices, the responsibility for this crime of
| vagabondage, which may now be Justly said
| to include every crime known to the law, is
upon the individual, and not upon society.
| In July last, small army of these self
| made social outcasts turned their faces
| toward Wisconsin, and their advance guard,
| taking possession of railway trains, dictated
the terms upon which they might proceed.
| 1t is unimportant that the terms proposed
were only that the invaders should be fur
| nished free transportation, for if that much
| had been conceded them, more would have
| been demanded next time. Fortunately,
| the good, Judgment and firm determination
| of the superintendent OF the Madison divis-
| ion Of he nd II.
way, enabled the cities of Beloit and Madi-
son to meet the issue of lawlessness against
! law, fairly upon the merits, and with most
satisfactory results, for the time being. The
disease, however, is too yirulent and deep
seated to yield to the mild remedies pro-
vided for common vagrancy. 1t demands
more vigorous treatment, and | therefore
recommend the enactment of law clearly
defining the crime of vagabopdage, and
providing for its summary and severe pun
| ishment.
MILITIA.
The reports of the adiutant and quarter
master generals will put you in possession
of all the facts relative to the organization,
strength, equipment and expenses of the
state militia 1t presents but a meager
showing Of l, 402 officers and men, organized
into twenty-three Independent companies.
Some wise provisions, looking to the great
err stability of these companies, were incor-
porated into the revision of the statutes, but
| am persuaded that our state militia will
not become what it ought to be, and what
we need to have it, until provision is made
for battalion and regimental organizations,
and annual encampments. do not consider
myself an alarmist, but in the present con-
dition of society, it seems to me but the
commonest dictate of ordinary prudence
that there should be at least one organized
regiment OF militia in a state as large and
pepulous as Wisconsin.
| commend to your attention, and most
cordially approve, the recommendations OF
the adjutant general relative to perfecting
the military records of the state, and copy
ing such portions as are becoming worn by
use. Year by year these records are becom
ing more and more valuable, and the state
owes to its living soldiers and the surviving
relatives of its dead heroes, the duty OF
maintaining the official record of their SER
vices.
AGRICULTURE.
Under the provisions of chapter go
laws OF 1873, an attempt has been made tC
collect the statistics OF agriculture. The
returns appear to have been defective il
many cases, but a good beginning has beer
made, ard we may hope to arrive at reason
able accuracy, perhaps this year. The tab
! la H. - fIl