Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1890-01-16

those actually indispensable under careful and
economical management. and divide the re-
meining sum available among the other public
institutions and administrative departments SO
as to best serve the public interests, in no event
permitting deficiency to exceed the limit OF
$100 900 permissible by the constitution
Penal and Benevolent Institutions.
The reports OF the penitentiary at Sioux
Falls, the reform school at Plankinton and the
insane asylum at Yankton, are herewith SUBJ
mitted for your inspection as to the manage
ment of these institutions.
II is thought the labor of the prisonsrs at
Sioux Falls can be made more remunerative to
the state and that decisive steps should be at
once taken having In view this object. The
quarrfes at the prison doors are believed to Rf-
ford means for bringing about this result. Erom
observationTof Its practical operation the eaecu-
tive is strengthened in former conviction
that the fixing of the punishment of criminals
within the discretionary limits allowed by the
statute should be left to the jury rather than to
the court. The fr6eman's right to trial by his
peers is believed TO owe its value as much to
this principle as to the determination Of the
question of his guilt.
It would seem the peculiar and fitting prov
ince of the jury to fix the term of punishment
upon the sliding scale which must ever modify
judicial sentences. 1t is believed such verdict
Is more readily acquiesced in by the criminal,
that punishment Is thus rendered more uui-
form and more in accord with the popular liy-
SSA<SaA''
to the support of criminal statutes.
The reform school at Plankinton is In its Sec
ond year of ope ation 1t is believed that in some
instances its inmates have been committed
rather as to an orph IN or founding asylum
than 10 penal reformatory.
1t may be proper subject of inquiry whether
the management has not erred in this direction,
tending somewhat to divert the institution
from penal reformatory school, and whether
material reduction of expenses may not be
m de without serious detriment to it's origin ii
Il mi rnnAtTnnfpd
reckless expenditure and more than one-half
of it has been fitted and extravagantly fur
nished as home for the management. Upon
the advice of the superintendent 1t Ia recon-
mended that the building be remodeled SO as to
furnish shop room and necessary accommo-
dations for the inmates
The insane hosuital at Yankt0n is being adj
ministered in full acco,d with the purpose of
its creation The new wing of the building has
been completed during the past year, and the
entire structure is but little beyond the needs
of Its present occupancy. 1t ls sad duty to
inform you that the past year has witnessed q
large increase i'll its unfortunate inmates.
There is no subject fraught with more seri Gus
import than the proper management OF this in
stituuon to meet the object desired. The inhu-
man and murderons practices shown 10 have
existed in similar institutions of other states
haye called general attention to TINS subject,
which deserves your special consideration
he minds of ITS iDmateH are dafkened; and
there IS no eye to detect or ear to hear or
tongue to report the secrets of those somber
walls, and too much care cannot be given this
subject by you as The representatives of those
helpless people.
t is suggested q proper subject for inquiry
whether the expenses of the inmates Of the in
sane asy INN, efoim school, and deaf and dumb
ard blind pupils might net more justly be
charged either wholly or In part, to the county
where the reside.
1t is earnestly recommended that the pres
ent law be modified with reference to the trans
portation of prisoners and inmates to these in
stitutions. 1t is believed if an officer of such in
ftt q en- tnpu q a a
as required, should be sent to bring the in
mates, that at least one-half of the present
enormous expenditure in this behalf would be
curtailed.
The Soldiers Home.
The territorial legislature at It's last session
passed an act to establish at the famous Hot
Springs, IN Fall River county, home for the
defenders of the nation who may be compelled
in their declining years to accept the bounty of
the state SO richly merited. The sum of S4T ,000
was appropriated for building, and the terri
torial executive In accordance with the pro-
visions of the act, and after the donation OF
eighty acres Of land for its location, appointed
five gentlemen of distinction and high charac-
ter, who have served their country gallantly in
the field, as a board for the building and man-
agement OF the home. The board organized and
entered ut once upon its duties, inspired with d
full sense OF the high responsibilities in
volved, and it is pleasing to inform you
that the building is well advanced toward COM
pletion. 1t will be an ornament to the state as
well as monument t1 the integrity and fidel.
ity of the board OF managers. 1t will be ready
for occupancy during the present year and it
becom es your duty to provide suitably for its
mainte nance. The healing qualities of these
medicinal waters will be utilized in the restor-
alton to health of those diseased, and it Is
hoped that the institution so favorably located
will become o home in as true sense as a
home for the homeless is poss BILE to those in
their declining years WHO have SO richly earned
the gratitude of patriotic people. In view of
its proper location for ~ national home and
sanltarium and TO increase its share of useful
ness in a cause which should recognize no state
boundaries, it is suggested that 1t would be
fitting to invite The United Sta es government
to take up the work so grdndiy begun by the
young state, Ss it is believed the health-giving
years lives prematurely succumbing to the
special di-eases originating in the hardships
and prIvations of soldier life.
Educational Institutions.
The state university at vermillion met with
sad loss in the death of Its president, DR.. Ed
ward Olson.
DR.. Olson had strongly impressed himself
upon the state, and his rugged honesty, pure
morals and enthusiastic devotion to his pro-
fession have left an enduring monument to his
fair name In the educational annals of the
state. His successors in Office can safely emu
late his example for all time.
The financial report Of this institution, to-
gether with those OF the state normal schools
at Madison and Spearfsh, the agricultural col
lege at Brookings, and the school of mines at
Rapid City, are herewith submitted, all OF
1t is is suggested as q matter of serious in
quiry by the legislature whether those institu-
tions are not being maintained at cost beyond
what Ia warranted by the resources and needs
of the new state While 1t is impossible to es-
innate too highly the advantages to accrue
from the higher departments of education, it
must be remembered that the child must walk
before it can run, and that South Dakota, with
all her wondrous development, cannot
hope to accomplish in decade what
has been the work OF a century. to the
oJl fa<a Tr, Via ,ox ont tIa%,
years must elapse before the state can realize
to any great extent upon her lands set apart for
educational endowment purposes, and that she
common schools it is suggested that a decided
reduction of expenditures for the institutions
devoted to higher education might be safely
made for the relief OF our overburdened tax.
payers, and still preserve their substantial ben
efits to the state.
Board of Charities and Corrections.
The constitution, by article IA, sections / aud
2, places the penitentiary, the insane hospital
the school for the deaf and dumb and the reform
school under the control of sta 9 board OF
charities and corrections, to consist OF not less
than five members, and makes it your duty to
provide by law for their compensation, together
with rules and restrictions for their government
The wisdom of this single system OF manage.
ment for these institutions is apparent to all
who have had experience in such service, and
ought to result in the saving OF many thousands
of dollars annually to the state, besides marked
benefits to the public service.
1t is based upon the principle of definitely To-
eating the responsibility for failure and the
credit for success which Ia found to apply alike
to the successful management of private and
public affairs, disregarding methods and de.
manding results, facts and figures constituting
clerk and supervisor the board can keep thor,
oughly informed Of the inner management Of
each institution, and by rigid System of com
parison level them all up to the highest state
OF efficiency and economy possible.
The Regents of Education,
as provided by sections and OF the same ar
ticle, consist of board of nine members. who