Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1883-01-24

sane and insane person of Massachu-
sets is double what it used TO be and
what it ought to be;
That the so-called charitable and
reformatory institutions of Massachu
sets are nests of extravaganza and
scandalous abuses;
That the school for Idiotic and Fee
ble-Minded youth ought to be wiped
out of existence, since a well-fed, well
cared-for idiot is a happy creature
while an idiot awakened to his condi
ton is a miserable one
That a State prison convict ought
to be allowed to work off portion OF
his sentence every month by diligence
and good behavior-say ten out Of
every thirty as the highest reward Of
merit; and that a certain per centage
of his earnings while in prison ought
to be invested for his benefit;
That the insane who have chance
of recovery should be kept in other in
stitutions than those which contain
the violent or the hoplessly mad;
That each of the institutions now
governed by Boards should be put
under the control of some one compe-
tent man, directly responsible to the
Governor;
That in place Of the present system
of executive government by irrespon-
sible commissions, the Governor and
Council should have power to sum-
mon witnesses and take testimony in
regard to abuses in the administration
of State affairs, as well as power to
apply the remedy;
That at least one-third Of the Office
holders of the State should be cut of
as superhuous, and that the salaries
of the remainder should be reduced
at least one-half. 81 will undertake"
says Gen. Butler, "to carry on the
needed business Of the State with the
reduced number of officers and if the
present officers resign their places
(which most of them will not do on
account of the reduction of their sal
aries, | will fill their places with
equally good and efficient incumbents
selected and appointed under the most
carefully prepared rules of competi.
tive examinations"
That the tax evaders and tax shun-
ners of Massachusetts, ought to be
pursued with vengeance, and that
taxation should be lessened by abol-
ishing unnecessary Offices and cutting
off useless expenditures;
That the Legislature might help to
reduce taxation by shortening its ses-
sions
That railroad accidents caused by
over-worked employees should be pre-
vented by law against working rail-
road employees more than ten hours a
day;
That the boosted educational sys-
tenn of Massachusetts, is far behind
that of many other States-in fact,
that she is the nineteenth State of the
thirty-eight in respect of illiteracy,
while there are only two States which
expend more money per capita for
education. Gen. Butler finds that of
So, 10000 which the State expends
for education, 81, ALE, 225 goes for sal
aries Of teachers. He finds that the
pay of the male teachers of the high
er grades and of the fancy branches
is disproportionally large. A special
class OF pupils is taught music, draw
ing, physiology, physics, botany, 70
ology, geology, astronomy, chemistry,
psychology, Greek, Latin, French and
German, while the spelling book is
banished. "Our school money" he
says, "is diverted extravagantly from
the many to whom it does belong to
the few to whom it does not belong"
OF these and other topics of less
Importance Gen. Butler treats with
great fulness and unhagging common
sense. Massachusetts in the year 1883
is blessed with Governor with brains
and q backbone.-New York Sun.