The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1879-02-11

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pursuance Of such movement, senate
committee was raised to view the presentllo-
cation. TO note what had been done, ana re-
port. The committee visited Chester, par
took of a bountiful dinner, and beautifully
partook Of liquid alimentation as well, re-
turned to Springfield the same afternoon,
and reported that Chester was not proper
location, and that pententary could only
be maintained there ut an enormous, and
Unnecessarily heavy expense
If the Chester Clarion is correctly
informed, majority of the COM
mittee were drunk, and that without visit
M the town of Chester, ana without sur
yeying the surroundings of the peniten-
tiary, the committee returned, after stay
of less than two hours, and presumed to
make a report on matter in which is in
voved not less than one hundred thousand,
and possibly not less than half million
dollars of the peoples money, Upon such
a superficial survey, without any eXamina-
! ton into the advantages and drawbacks of
the location, and without any attempt to
gather up the details that are essential to a
full understanding Of the matter, the COM
mittee had the audacity TO express an opin-
ion Tor the guidance of the Legislature Ii
the committee added anything to It's stock
of knowledge by visiting Chester, the ad-
dition consisted Of very accurate informa-
ton concerning the social qualities
of the warden, and the quality
Of his food and whisky. Surely no intel.
ligent unbiased member of either House
will attach any weight or importance to
anything such committee might say or
recommend. Had every member of the
committee deyoed every moment of his
stay at the peniJentiary to diligent inspec-
ton of the site and 10 inquiry into the
facilities foringress and egress, the health
fulness Of the location, etc, even then the
committee would not have been in
a condition to make report up
on which safe and cautious legis-
lators would be willing to act, But the
committee did nothing OF the kind Ac-
cording to the Clarion, they came, they
dined they sampled the contents Of the
wardens demijohns, and at the end of two
hours, left for Springfield again.
Aftera careful survey of the whole terri
tory Of Southern Illinois, and personal
inspection of the numerous points suggested
by name, the Penitentiary Commissioners
decided in favor of Chester. The location
presented the inducement Of entire freedom
from any local cause of disease; the ground
was high, water and rock were plcnti-
full. a great market was "oo" % h~-' = ''"'
accessible by both railroad and river, and
the required quantity of land could be pur-
chased in one body These considerations
controlled the commissioners, and
they located the prison at Chester. The
people of Southern Illinois, for whose ac-
commodation the prison was to be provided,
acquiesccd- many applauding the wisdom
Of the Commissioners choice. But now
comes the cry from Chicago and other
points that a great mistake has been made;
that economy demands another location,
and the abandonment of all that has been
done!
BY this movement the Representatives of
Southern Illinois are brought face to face
with duty from the performance of which
they must not, dare not shrink. They must,
as one man, oppose any and every move
mcnt looking to an abandonment of the
site already chosen. If any Egyptian mem
Der harbors the thought that if Chester
loses the penitentiary, DVQuoin or some
other point in Southern Illinois equally eli
gible, will obtain it, let that member
abandon that idea Immediately; for, once
agree to u removal from Chester and it will
be taken entirely beyond the limits of
Southern Illinois, and put down at Grafton,
or such other point as Northern and Cen
trail Illinois may settle upon. 1t will be-
come Central Illinois institution with a
Southern Illinois name, and operate as a
complete defeat Of the purpose to supply
Southern Illinois with a penal institution.
This is the game; and if Chester loses the
penitentiary, Southern Illinois will lose it
also.
WASHINGTON LETTER.
! THE RESULT or A pROTRACTED STnIioglF-