Rock Island Argus., 1897-01-07
ILLINOIS SOLONS.
GOV. ALTGELD's LAST MESSAGE.

Extracts Covering Points Of Intofo0e -
Claim Of Over 100000 Saved In -Four
Years-Prison Labor Problem-Solution
That Il Onered-Question Of Abuss Of
the Pardoning Power Net - Unequal
Taxation-C Comments on Press License.
Springfield. Ills. Jan. THE opening
OF the fortieth session Of the Illinois
general assembly occurred yesterday.
1t was attended by no unusual incident.
Both houses assembled. went through
the usual form of organization and ad-
journed. E. c. Curtis (Rep.). of Kanka-
kee. was elected speaker Of the house.
in accordance with the Republican
caucus nomination. H. v. Fisher (Rep.),
Of Henry county, was elected president
pro tenn. of the senate. James H. Pad
dock was chosen secretary Of the SEN
ate. and John A. Reeves clerk Of the
house. Governor Altgeld's biennial mes
sage was presented to both houses and
adjournment was taken till today. 1t
is not probable that the standing COM
mittees will be named until after the
election Of Senator Palmer's successor.
1t understood that balloting for senator
will not begin before Jan. IA. There
is no change in the senatorial situation,
each candidate protesting confidence.
Points from the Governors Message.
Governor Altgeld's final message be-
gins with statement of his policy in
official appointments, which he says was
when other things were equal, to give
preference to men who were POLITICAL
ly in sympathy with this administra-
htrA t.,
of some special fitness or some peculiar
condition, it was believed that the state
could be best served by the appoint
ment Of Republican, such appoint
ment was promptly made" Business
methods adopted in the management of
the state institutions. he claims. have
saved in the charitable institutions
alone $l53.413.94 per year, or SSH, ,S95. 76
for the four years. OF the prisons he
says the state account system has di-
versified the industries and diminished
the total output. while it has about sup
ported the prisons.
Must Abolish Prison Labor.
He closes his remarks on the subject
as follows: But believe that the time
has come when this state. which is now
in many ways the leading state of
the Union, must take another step for
ward in the matter of prison labor
There is principle involved here which
rises above all consideration of small
economics. and that principle is that
the state ought not in any manner to
enter into competition with those who
have to make their living by the sweat
of their broWs. and therefore the prison.
ers should be taken out of all employ
ment in which they directly affect the
wages of free laborers. and recommend
legislation that will bring about this
result. Under this system the prisons
would not be self-sustai ming, but it is not
clear that in the long run it would
cost the state much more money than
it does now. Just what the prisoners
should work at under such a system
will perhaps be impossible to prescribe
by law, and will have to be left largely
to the judgment Of the warden and
commissioners from time to time"
His Record in Pardous.
The governor resents the charges
made by the newspapers that he is a
terror for pardons. He says: so mali
cious and persistent an effort has been
made to mispresent the facts and make
false impression upon the public mind
in regard to granting of pardons and
communications by this administration
that justice requires a statement of the
figures as shown by the records. Dur
ing the four years just closing the
average number OF pardons and COM
mutations per year has been "a; the
average number. per annum. of con-
victs in the two penitentiares during
that time has been 2.201; consequently
the pardons and communications
amounted to 3-5 per cent. of the con-
vfcts in prison: and for the twenty
years preceding the beginning of this
administration the average number of
pardons and communications per annum
was So %. and the average number Of
convicts in the penitentiaries per an
rum during that time was $685. so that
there were AZ per cent of the prisoners
pardoned or commuted, on the average