The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1868-01-17
The Governors Message.


THIS document, being matter of in
| terest to every tax payer, and to every
citizen ofour Commonwealth we give
it in full. The Message shows that the
State debt is about $3j, 100000. 1t gloss
es over the fact that last year the Radi-
cal State Treasurer and Auditor Gene
raj, got from the Legislature authority
to borrow twenty-three. millions at six
per cent interest, to redeem loan or
loans, of about twenty-five millions, on
which the interest was five per cent,
thus at once throwing into the pockets
of some body the snug sum of S230,000
annually. The new loan is exempt from
taxes, and the other was not.
There was a large balance in the hands
of the Treasurer before, and now accor-
ding to Gov. Gcary there is $1,000, ,000,-
90, and he proposes tolend it at four per
cent.--EIe says nothing about reducing
the taxes, and they certainly could be
reduced to the extent Of q millionannu-
ally, but seems to thinL that people
have become so thoroughly used to tax
rs under radical rule, that they will
continue to pay them for the
mere love of the thing. The idea
of borrowing at six per cent, and lend
at four is original with Geary, and he
is fairly entitled to the honor of discover
ing so novel theory in finance. He
never practiced IL however in his pri-
vate affairs, we daresay. The pressure OF
Democratic criticism has also compell-
ed him to advert to the fact that the
State Treasurer has between three and
four millions of dollars surplus, while his
bail is only $4,000. He advises an in
crease in the Treasurer's salary. We
can't see why? This vast amount OF
money the Treasurer loans out to differ
ent banks, and even at six per cent
would make between two and three
hundred thousand dollars besides his
salary. This amount is generally
used by the Radicals for o corruption
fund.
The Governors loyalty is much purer
than Gov. Fenton's, and his Christiani
ty is much brighter than Henry Ward
Beecher's, for he withholds the State
Apr priation of $1,000 from the Antie-
tam Cemetery because the rebel dead are
also to be buried in decent manner. No
more pitiable exhibition of narrowness
could be made, than that shown by
Geary. The war being over every good
citizen should endeavOr to allay the
bitterness caused by the late war, and
he is an enemy OF his country who
would continue the agitation. Yet
Geary virtually says to the people of
the South, you must be good citizens,
obey the laws,-love us"-and vet at |
the same time denies their dead broth |
ers and husbands and fathers Christian |
burial. Is it necessary,we would ask, to |
restore this Government in hatred when |
itcould be donein love?Let Ireland, Hun
gary, Poland show the result ofthe Geary |
policy. When, last Summer, Southern |
ladies scattered flowers alike over union |
and rebel dead, the act was praised by |
the whole nation, and yet the Governor
of a great State,--a man who claims to |
be a soldier, descends to n petty re-
venge, which even a heather would re. |
fuse to sanction.
The Governor also aliudes to the fact |
that large amounts have been stolen
from the Capital in the way of books, etc.
but tsingularly enough omits to state that
not one of the thieves was ever prosecut- |
ed and so far as we know were retained |
in office.
On National questions he takes ground |
IL favor Of Congress; that is in favor of |
DISTINGUISHING the whites-giving politi-
cal control to the blacks, s,-wiping out
ten States--and otherwise fastening on |
another civil war.
The message is unusually lengthy,and |
a large part Of it the merest twaddle. |
1t is common however, for men of few |
ideas, to require large amount of Ian
guage to clothe them. Many of his re-
concentrations are good, and we trust |
will be shaped into laws. But of these |
hereafter.