The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1860-01-19
TyAUCUHAr, ADDRESS.

S3te OF lCWt. " etiut Stay, January lltn, ISbU.
G. IL, .",, o, ,Ge .T""t" ",y
'i' No'.. OF T.; -.,Far .',Jt e.:
THE recp,c . ss,r r,v,, tlrcet in vow har,is o.
ne lime bein- de dwmak ing pow ci Of ihe S,ate, cd
therefore, thcS "ol 10 r"u, that, during IL zine YOU
hol, Ibis trust. such polio, hall he isre,l
and such laws enacted, viii tend TO promote the
honor and the welfare Of he state.
the office to which have been elected, and the re-
spon-ihiities which he just assumed, associate
With YOU to certain extent in this work, by Imposing
upon me, among ether duties, that Of communicating
TO you such Information, will aid you in the per-
forrnance Of your duties, and recommending to Won
such measures in my opinion Will, |" adopted by
you, advance the publc welfare.
Under government like ours, where the people are
he source of ali political power the laws are necessa
rily fair refux of the intelligence and morals of the
people and therefore it becomes of the first import
ruce that the standard of intelligence and morality
should he raised high as possible In this view it
has been the settled policy ofhe State to foster and
encourage in all suitable ways the education of the
youths of the State that when at more advanced
period of life. they take part in the direction and
troll Of public affairs they can do UNDERSTANDABLE
and with an intelligent regard to the public welfare
Under constitution the subject of education has
been almost wholly withdrawn from you and placed
in the hands ola board specially constituted for that
purpose, leaving with you, however, the power of
vising and amending their action. This board has
inst closed a session at which they have made such
changes in and amendment to the school law they
deemed eXpedient and proper, and in my opinion it
would be prudent for you interfere with their action
only in case that you shall find, upon examination
overpowerug necessity for so doing.
Not only Is highly import ant that the voice OF our
expressed through the ballot Shall be
enlightened and intelligent, but it is imperatively
necessary that the utterins Of that voice be correctly
and honestly reported. In a government like ours
without privileged classes, and where the laws affect
all alike, need fear that a majority OF PEG
pie will deliberately pursue policy intended to oper
ate iniuriously upon the public welfare, because by
so doing they would be acting contrary TO their own
best interests We the efore feel at all times safe in
submitting quietly and cheerfully to the will of the
majority fairly and constitutionay expressed conf
dent that If at time, from any cause, the people
led into error they have the sagacity speedily to
detect and the honesty promptly to correct the error
But If through fraud or violence, the ballot box shall
report to correctly and honestly the will
of the majority If corrupt and interested men
abled to substitute their will for that of :he people,
then the assurance of safety derived to us from the
honesty the intelligence, and the interest of the peo
pie, no longer eXiss,-our confidence in our govern
men is lost, and feel that at the mercy of
dishonest men, who seek the control of our AFFAIRS for
the purpose of promoting their private interests
rather than the public good. We cannot therefore,
guard with too much care the sancity and purity Of
the ballot box In nv opinion there is measure
well calculated to effect this object, carefully
prepared and well guard registry law; and re
specially recommend that measure to your consider
alton. tmay be objected by some. that the operation
Of such a law is burdepsome to the electors. / am
satisfied that the supposed difficulty in this respect, is
much overestimated, and even were it not, cannot
conceive that any eector who properly appreciates
the value Of the privilege he enjoys ms such viii deem
hurdensome any reasonable amount or and atten
ton that IL be necessary for him to bestow, in
der to prevent his honest vote from being destroyed
by fraudulent one.
The institutions for the of the insane and for
the education of the mute and the blind will, doubt
not. receive from you prompt and cheerful attention
and support. Established they have been. in an
to the requirements of those better feelings Of
nature, which prompt us to protect the weak and
sccor the unfortunate, you may rely with confidence
upon the approval by our people, of all reason able
and proper efforts on your partto make them useful
and efficient means for carrying ont the noble purposes
for which they were created. 7ffT'f'
would also recommend to your favorable consid-
Grafton, the State University e.fowa City tits based
upon grant made by the Congress OF the United
States to sState for The support OF such institn-
ten, and, having accepted the grant, we are bound
by proper OF State pride, by duty properly
TO the trust conded to and by the inter-
ests of education in which involved the best inter
of the State, to render the institution such
as will be useful and creditabe to the State
The condition and Affairs Of the pententiary, loca-
ted at Fort Madison, will necessarily engage your
careful and serious attention. The safety of society
requires that the building he such will afford proper
facilities for the safe confinement Of those vicious
persons whose liberty is dangerous to the lives and
property of peaceful and law abiding citizens.
An agricultural college was originated at the last
session of the General Assembly and has since been
located in Story county. Agriculture will be for many
We to come it has been in times past that inter
est which underes and support all other interests in
State; and aid that legtimately be givon
to it, should he given ously and not grugdingy
I have not sufficient info'mation touching this institu
ion to enable me to make any specific suggestions
in regard to it, and can only recommend the whole
matter to your careful and friendly consideration
! The present condition and future management OF
the permanent school fund of the State deserve your
serious investigation and deliberaon. Under former
and existing laws, this fund has been lent to indivdu
ais and many either through the carelessness
the securities taken therefor have proved be en-
tirely inadequate, so that large losses to the fund
must ensue. BY provision of our Constitution, ai
these losses fall upon the State and becomes funded
debt upon which the State must forever pay the inter
est Many of the loans thus made, are now or soon
will he falling due, and 1t becomes matter of grave
Importance to determine in what manner the moneys
when paid shall be again disposed of. l consider the
present system open to much objection. Not only
losses of the principal constantly occurring under
it, which the State is bound to make good but even
the interest is not promptly paid that the active
fund for the support of schools is Huctuang and un-
certain. am strongly inclined to the opinion that
better policy would be to direct the payment Of the
principal il falls due into the State Treasury to he
used other moneys for State purposes, binding the
State to pay the interest the for schsol pur
poses. In this way the money would, in the first in
stance, to the benefit of all the people of the State
alike by lessenng TO that extent the amount of money
to be raised by taxation, and the interest would, in
like manner, he paid by the people and be applied di
recty to their in the support of the public schools
If this shall be deemed Objectionable would recon-
mend that the money when paid in, he invested either
in stocks of the United States in the best stocks n
interest-paying states. In case You shan deem u
proper to adopt this similar policy, it will be adj
vfsable to vest in the officers to whom the money shall
be paid in the first place, discretionary power to
grant indulgence of time to those borrowers whose
loans amply secured. as not to cause unneces
sary hardship or Distress during our present financial
difficulties. ... ".'
would also suggest to you the propriety of
full examination Of revenue system, with view to
cient. Any system of revenue which permits large
amounts of taxes to become delinquent and to he ui
mateiy lost to the State must be defective, and mus
operate uniustly and unfairly upon people. The
deficiencies thus created in the revenue must be pro
vded for by additional taxation upon those who have
already discharged their duty citizens, by paying
the taxes assessed upon them, and they thus
PEELED to bear than their due proportion of the
public burden. The laws should provide for the most
rigid and exact accountability of all officers charged
with the collection, control disbursement of the
public money. Any vagueness of the laws which per
mits officer to retain in his hands, without detec
ton, any portion Of the public moneys or to use then
for his private benefit, not only deauds the revenue
but introduces among officials laxity of morals high
y dangerous to the public interest The Governor IL
authorized by law passed at the last session of the
General Assembly, to Institute careful examination
OF accounts of the State Ocars once in each
and have not any doubt the law will he found bene
fetal in its operations But the amount of money pait
by people into the State Treasury, is but sma,
proportion of the total amount paid by them in the
shape of taxes much larger amount paid fol
county and other purposes, and in my opinion the ex
listing laws defective in not requiring care
full scrutiny of the accounts of those to whom thi'
money is paid and by whom IL Is dsbursed there
fore recommend to consideration, in addition IL
| any other measures your wisdom may suggest, the
passage Of law requiring the Judge of each Judicia
District, to appoint once in each pear skifu ac
countant in each county of his District whose duty
shall be to examine carefully the books of each county
officer and to state and record account between
such officer and his county, and when necessary, be
tween officer and officer. Such examinations by dis
interested persons would in my opinion, have a de
cfdedly beneficial effect; the expense attending then
would be very small, and have doubt the people
of the counties would cheerully bear that expense
the satisfaction of knowing that the large amounts
money they pay as taxes, are applied to the proper
object
l apprehenG it is scarcely necessary for me to re
commend to you as close and rigid economy in thu
matter of appropriations is consistent with proper
administration of the affairs of the State The
city of money consequent upon the financial revul
sion of 1851 and the failure of our crops to great
tent since that time, has caused the payment of tn,
taxes necessary to the support of government Il