“Governor Blaine Takes Wrong View of the Resolution” from the September 30, 1926 Door County News
GOVERNOR BLAINE TAKES WRONG VIEW OF THE RESOLUTION
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Chamber of Commerce Gets Sarcastic Reply To Inmate Petition
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At a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce held last month a resolution presented by the board of directors objecting to the presence in the state park during the summer season of inmates of the Green Bay Reformatory was unanimously adopted.
The resolution was forwarded to Governor Blaine with an idea of securing assistance to eliminate the objectionable presence of these individuals during the summer resort season.
The governor evidently is not much in sympathy with the respectful and reasonable request, judging from the reply, which is as follows:
Sept. 18, 1926.
Mr. H. E. Stedman, President,
Chamber of Commerce,
Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
Dear Sir:—I have your favor of September 2 relating to the presence of inmates of Green Bay Reformatory at the Peninsula State Park.
I do not understand that they are there for recreational purposes. However, I am transmitting your resolution and your correspondence and petition to the State Board of Control, and asking them for advice respecting the purposes of the presence of the inmates of the reformatory, as the Board of Control has the exclusive jurisdiction in the premises.
Yours very truly,
John J. Blaine, Governor.
The board of directors nor the members of the association had any idea that the inmates were rusticating at the state park for their health at the expense of the state, and it is not likely that the governor believed they did.
The reason for making the request was that during the months of July and August the park is used as a summer camp for hundreds of young ladies and it was believed that the presence of the inmates of a penal institution in the park at this particular time of the year was not just the proper thing and might have the effect of causing these people concern.
It was also believed by the petitioners that any work that these inmates might perform could just as well be done before or after the summer resort season.
It is hoped that the State Board of Control, to whom the petition has been transmitted by the governor will take a more charitable and reasonable view of the resolution, and understand that it is not so much the presence of the inmates that is objected, to as the time of the year they were sent here.
Courtesy of the Door County Library Newspaper Archive
Articles about Peninsula Park
http://doorcounty.substack.com/t/peninsula-park