Worcester daily spy., 1872-01-06
woRCEsrRR
Thn Gnrnrnnr,. Ahhrnss.

in regard TO the general business 0
legislation and to some special matter
Of internal policy. The total funded and un
funded debt Of the state is now S29 690, 1854. Th
amount of the several sinking funds is $4,000,
900, about forty-iour per cent. Of the debt, and
with additions certain TO be realized from sales
of public lands and other resources, they afford
assurance of the prompt liquidation at maturity
Of all existing liabilities without resort to taxa
ton. The ordinary revenues of the present
year, with the cash on hand, are estimated al
$1,000 600, and the ordinary expenses at 81 400,
000 The deficit to be provided by taxation,
max ing allowance for special grants and posi-
Bile emergencies, will vary from one and a hal
TO two millions Of dollars.
The governor discusses the liquor question al
some length, and announces his conviction tha
the prohibitoTy law, repealed four wears ago, was
the best and most effective we have ever had
He would like to see it restored and rigidly en-
forced. He protests, however, against bein-
held responsible for its enforcement, as the law
now stands, since the control of the state con
stabuleTy is entrusted TO the board of commits
Sioners, and the governor is pOweriess TO remove
an inefficient member of the force, or TO contro
in any degree the action OF the commissioners
He advises the Increase Of the state police force
to double its present number, and sugz eSts somC
changes in regulating the appointments and
duties of state and town liquor agents.
The governor thinks the condition of our
school system is, in general, satisfactory, but is
of opinion that the schools would he improved
if there were more prevailing practical iuteres
in them among the people. He is gratiied with
the success of the agricultural college, and
suggests that more attention should be given tC
technical education. He urges with much earn
nestness upon the legislature the importance OF
so conducting its business as to bring it to a
close within a much shorter time than has been
customary of late years. He thinks it might be
found practicable TO reduce the length Of the
session to two months. A general railroad law,
and one under Which savings banks might be
organized without special charters, would pro-
mote this result.
The address, as a whole, is clear, candid and
judicious, and will doubtless increase the con-
idence with which Governor Washburn's prev
Gus public service has justly inspired his fellow
citizens.
The subject of woman suffrage the governor
deems worthy of candid consideration, but has
some misevings in reference 10 it, and believes
that large majority of the women in this state
are averse 10 assuming the duty of voting. Bui
he thinks that if the distinctive PRINCIPLES of the
present liquor law are retained, it would be emf
nently proper to permit women TO vote on til,
question of allowing the sale OF ale or beer. This
,,f +ba
tical working of woman suffrage.
The labor question is discussed with much
acuteness and good sense, but no special action
is recommended on this SUBJECT. The expense
ofthemilita, the governor THINKS, can be consid-
erably reduced without impailing its efficiency,
and suggests that no expenditure for breech-
loading arms be made, while, as now, the gen.
eTal government has under advisement a
plan for furnishing the militia of all the states
wish uniform arms of this kind.
Special railroad legislation, the governor
thinks, is expensive and demorazing, and ho
speaks with much force and earnestuess of it,
mischievous tendency in promoting corruption
in the legislature and maintaining the lobby
He speaks confidently of the prospect of thC
seasonable completion Of the Hoosac tunnel
and advises that the commonwealth interest in
that enterprise be carefully protected. He rec
ommends the sale of the remaining school sh p
tine diseonhnuance of the almshouses at Mon
son and BIidgewater and the use OF the build
ings in those places as relormatory institutions
for girls and boys more than sixteen years old,
for whom there is now no provision.
The Custom House InquIry.
It's very easy to find fault, if one is in the
mood for il, and very easy to give reasons iol
dissatisfaction if is not particular as 10 thci
quality. Certain writers on political topic
reckon it among their duties to condemn with
out reserve whatever is proposed or done by
their political opponents, and they usually have
no difficulty in finding a formidable array 0
reasons for their disapprova A moderat
amount of ingenuity and unscrupuousness il
sufficient for this service. Some of their reason
will bear examination better than Others, ant
their intrinsic force is not always proportional
to their number or to the yehem enee with whit
they are urged but there is not much flicut.
in making them look plausible enough to satisfy
those who wish to be convinced, and sometime
to disqniet others, who would prefer to believ
that persons with whom they do not altoIethei
agree in politics, are not quite destitute of hon
esty and decency.
Specimens OF this reckless criticism are to b,
found rather abundantly just now in some o
those journals which oppose the reromluatiol
of General Grant, and therefore do their best {,
discredit his friends. The senate reIrenchmcn
committee is the chief subject Of their ccnsorious
ness az present. OF course il was from the frs
called wbtewashing committee, ard reason
were offered to show that it neither could no
would makca. thorough and impartial invest
CATION. The committee assembled in New York
Eowever, and gave public notice, inviting al
= persons who could give any information Of til
management Of the custom house 10 appca
and make their statements. This notice was re
ceiyed with shouts Of derision. 1t was assumet
at once tnat the committee would take no othe
means OF securing evidence, and its detrac
tors were quite facetous over the probabl,
value of the volunteer testimony to be chcitct
by this process The place OF the committed
meetings furnished fui ther matter of complaint
"lhe people," we are told, "had a right to as
that the committee should SIT in some othe
place than in the custom house itself, and tina
it should seek aid in It's inquiries from othe
men than officers directly interested in hayin
them discover no wrong. IDstead Of this, tli
senators on the committee have thought wise t
accept the hospitalIties Of the custom house {
self' &c. Prisoner at the bar" said an Engis
magistrate, ''you arc OF good family and hay
received liberal education; instead Of lohic
you 20 about the country stealing ducks"
Now tins kind OF criticism seems to us nc
only captions, but exceedingly shallow and foo
ish. The committees business Is an inq uiry ii
to the management OF the custom house Wi
it do its members any harm or diminish the
knowledge Of the subject obtained from otht
sources. TO observe, SO far as their opportunilit
20, the actual workings ol the institution i
sell? Why Ialk Of the "hosptalities" Of the GU
tom house, as II the committee were receiving
favor in being allowed to meet there They al
as much part Of the government as the co
lecior and have as much right in the cusioI
house as he. The fact that It's sessions are bel
there, does not prevent the committee from haS
ing the testimony Of others bes des custou
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