806 



WEST VIRGINIA. 



WISCONSIN. 



of patients admitted for the year ending Sept. 

 30, 1884, was 176; number discharged, 154. 



Deaf, Dumb, and the Blind. The principal of 

 the institute two years ago reported that the 

 buildings were crowded to their utmost capa- 

 city, and a large number entitled to admission 

 could not be received. The average number 

 of pupils in attendance for that year was 108. 

 Average number for 1883, 96. Average num- 

 ber for 1884, 96. Enrolled for attendance Oct. 

 1, 1884, for ensuing year, 111. 



Penitentiary. The prison is now nearly self- 

 sustaining, owing to an increased contract price 

 per day for the labor and a reduced per capita 

 cost for maintaining the prisoners. There are 

 only 229 cells, while the prisoners number 256. 



Education. The following table shows the 

 progress made by the free schools in the past 

 two years : 



Teachers, 1884 



Increase in two years 



Schools open in 1884 



Increase in two years . . 

 Value of school property, 18S4. 



Increase in two years . 



4,660 



800 



4,269 



241 



$1,872.949 



$48.962 



Youth from six to twenty-one years of age 227,953 



Increase in two years 11,355 



Enrolled in school, 18S4 166,^72 



Increase in two years 10,728 



Average daily attendance in 1884 101,082 



Increase in two years 4,480 



Eeceipts from all sources, teachers' fund, 1884... $781,326 77 

 Increase in two years $111,978 77 



The invested school fund, on Oct. 1, 1884, 

 amounted to $514,159.33. 



There are six well-attended normal schools. 

 The State University, at Morgantown, has re- 

 ceived a limited support from the treasury, 

 but not to the extent of its needs. Its buildings 

 are not completed, and many appliances are 

 wanting. For its support an appropriation of 

 $19,004.21 is asked for 1885, and of $21,262.79 

 for 1886. 



t Political. Two Democratic State Conven- 

 tions were held, one at Charleston on April 

 16, to appoint delegates to the National Con- 

 vention of the party, and the other at Wheel- 

 ing on the 23d of July, to nominate candidates 

 for State officers. At the April convention, 

 the following resolution was adopted: 



That every citizen of our State shall bear his just 

 proportion of the burdens of government, and no 

 more ; and this under appropriate legislation. To 

 this end, if the courts shall hold the tax exemption 

 act of 1881 to be unconstitutional, we favor the sub- 

 mission of a constitutional amendment to the people 

 to enable them in their sovereign capacity to decide 

 what property shall be exempted from taxation. In 

 the mean time, as there are honest differences of opin- 

 ion growing out of the tax clause of the Constitution 

 and the legislation pertaining thereto, such differences 

 should be deferred for such final decision by the courts 

 and the people and appropriate legislation 'thereon. 



The following were the candidates: For 

 Governor, E. Willis Wilson; Secretary of 

 State, Randolph Stalnaker, Jr.; Treasurer, 

 William T. Thompson; Auditor, Patrick F. 

 Duffy; Superintendent of Free Schools, Ben- 

 jamin S. Morgan; Attorney-General, Alfred 

 Caldwell. The Republicans and Greenbackers 



formed a fusion ticket. At the election on 

 October 14, the Democratic ticket was suc- 

 cessful, the majority for Governor being 4,- 

 978. The Legislature chosen at the same time 

 consists of 15 Democrats and 11 Republicans 

 in the Senate, and 37 Democrats and 28 Re- 

 publicans in the House. The constitutional 

 amendment changing the State election from 

 October to November was ratified by a vote 

 of 66,181 to 25,422. On the 4th of November 

 three Democratic Congressmen were elected 

 (Second, Third, and Fourth Districts, in the 

 last by a bare majority). In the First District, 

 Nathan Goff, Jr., Republican, was elected by 

 a small majority. The vote for Electors was 

 as follows: Democratic, 67,317; Republican, 

 63,096 ; Prohibition, 939 ; Greenback, 805. 



At the November election about 2,000 bal- 

 lots, bearing the Prohibition State ticket, were 

 cast, but were not regularly returned by the 

 election officers. On the strength of these 

 votes, Mr. McGregor, the candidate for Gov- 

 ernor, served a notice of contest on Mr. Wil- 

 son. The grounds of contest are these : The 

 amendment was carried on October 14, there- 

 fore the State officers voted for on that day 

 are not eligible; the day of election being 

 changed to November 4, and the Prohibition 

 ticket being the only one voted, it is therefore 

 elected. Additional interest is given to the 

 matter in the Fourth Congressional District 

 from the fact that the Democratic member- 

 elect has only 150 majority, while 500 Prohi- 

 bition tickets, with the name of the Republican 

 candidate on them, were thrown out. 



Capitol-Building. It is expected that the new 

 State-House at Charleston will be ready for 

 occupancy in May, 1885, and that the seat of 

 government will then be removed thither from 

 Wheeling. 



WISCONSIN. State Government. The following 

 were the State officers during the year : Gov- 

 ernor, Jeremiah M. Rusk, Republican ; Lieu- 

 tenant-Governor, Samuel S. Fifield ; Secretary 

 of State, Ernst G. Timme ; State Treasurer, 

 Edward 0. McFetridge ; Attorney General, Le- 

 ander F. Frisby ; State Superintendent of Pub- 

 lic Schools, Robert Graham ; Railroad Com- 

 missioner, Nils P. Haugen; Commissioner of 

 Insurance, Philip L. Spooner, Jr.; Commis- 

 sioner of Labor Statistics, Frank A. Flower. 

 Supreme Court : Chief-Justice, Orsamus Cole ; 

 Associates, William P. Lyon, David Taylor, 

 Harlow S. Orton, John B. Cassoday. 



Finances. Of the general fund there was 

 on hand Sept. 30, 1882, $364,220.68. The re- 

 ceipts of the fund for the biennial term were 

 $2,907,204.04, the disbursements therefrom 

 $2,332,857.57, leaving a balance Sept. 30, 1884, 

 of $938,567.15. 



For the year ending Sept. 30, 1884, the dis- 

 bursements from the general fund were $1,036,- 

 385.17, being $150,422.37 less than for 1882. 

 The greater part of this reduction arises from 

 the fact that, while in 1882 the legislative ex- 

 penses and cost of publishing the laws were 



