Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1873-01-15
Governor vyoodscn's
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
Delivered f:efo-o tho I.Issouri
Legislature in Joint Session,
January ga, 1878.
SoNnd Democratic Eoci,lne On Ee-
trcuchmsnt, Easca,ica, &c.

SENATORS AND iErRESESTh-
TlvEs: Called - have been from
the walks of private life to the first
office within tho gift of the people o!
great ana prosperous state, | ASSURE
y0u that it i with many nis-ivin@s
aud with great dis;rus, of my abiii-
ties thai l venture upon the dis
charge uf uiii .iul duties. No general
assembly was c"er convened and 10
governor was ever imau@uraied in
time of profound peace ut Il more
pregnant or irvin" epoch in oar his
tory than the present. In November
last the people of Missouri. for the
fi,.-t , mr ,iuriug III" last decade.
elected, without let or liindrance, the
;iIr,I, Il I..c!r CnUlvc 10 Till every re-
spomsihic position wi!hin their g:f;
un,lcr tie. constitution. Ii Is for IL.
-r:i!tc3ucil. TO determine by our con-
Gu..t~ wl,ilc III Office the wisdom OF
folly Oi their c!iVi"c. II W" ar" i.Itr
10 III. p"uri". whose servants wc
ace: tir" 10 the great Interests coE!-
mittct to our hands; truc 10 our
selves. We VIII no. .>apnoiit the cx-
pccta,io:is OF our friends anl brln"
oar constituents into disgrace, nor
will we afford our r":i,ica, cnemlrs
the weapons OF Il successful warfare
upnm u in tic future.
! We AL KNOW Tie causes Of conf
plaint against t.t;looc who have Imouii-
! Cd and shaped !lc policies of the re-
| cent past in Missouri. We know be-
cause we have seen and felt lie bad
effects of uroscripiive par,is:,l-lnp,
! in the enactment rs well as III til" ell
| fvrcemeut of our laws. All Of ns
c::n uo.nt ont the evils of tho past =.
AMI assign to each its appropriate
! eau G SO clearly rha: no oEe will be
| found sufficiently reckless 10 con-
! test our assertions. Ii am right i'll
The positions assumed you CAT but
agree with me when Say that unless
we adopt different policy the Same
icvil rn~ults must follow US that have
followed those who proceeded us.
No legislator. no executive, no ju'
tlicial or miuisler.a officer under uui
form OF government ha, the mora
right to act as 4 partisan. Tie du
ties dcvoived upon us all. under ,li'
constitution and required by our otti
EcI;,! ua;hs, pertain To The state, 10 th'
people. not TO Individuals or to par
ties. Hence, assume that i'll slap
/ ing our policies as Il people we ehou!t
ruever look to effects upon party. bu
Ito effects upon the people. That leg
i>!a,ion which is inspired by partisai
zeal. and which can only be had a
the sacrifice or the genera! good Is
and can but be, vicious, and lucritin;
the condemnation of every patriot
And allow me, at the outset OF m
address, to say, in all c.ndcr, ant
with the most solemn emphasis tha
, | can possibly comman6, that thi
general assembly and tie whole in
coming administration of the stat
government will prove di:astrou
failure unless we show. By our ac:
TINT in AL we do. and in nil we say
IN. public good alone inspires u:
Can We, gentlemen, rise To II,
!..height of the great argument:
Can we thus sink The partisan i'll Ill
spatriot? Can we furge; the bite
memories OF tie past; its hates, its mis-
= rule aud oppression, aud consccrat
our official lives to the service OF .li
Estate: Ii W. can, aud will, r".
! assured that the people VIII sustain
anu the good and true men of a
partles VIII bless US.
| pledge You, gentlemen of til
general assembly, in joint scssio
ut convened, that wlIiic am governG
of the state, her interests, her honoi
i" her prosperity, shall control IN
i.ycry official act. Let Us, gentlemen
in tins spirit, 20 TO work, rcs,l>
lti.at not one dollar shall be impropcri
, speat, that we will reform ever
= abuse iii the administration of l.!
ati,irs OF thr state that comes to OF
Knowledge, remedy. so far as we 81
2 able, every defective law: inaugu
ate ali wise policies within our ubi
itv; advance all existing ones d
manted by Ike public good. and I,
- all we can, through every iustrl
mentality within our reach, To y,
=. our beloved state upon that sur
=. firm and certain road that Will mo-
OF assurcdiy anh in the shortest possib
" time make her the first III the glUy
to OILS galaxy of American states.
And Just here | want 10 call speci
r, attention to Il great evil thai has II
q, fortunately characterized our ie2I
lation for MANY years, and one Viii,
trust yol vii! siiun. lretcr TO Il
practice of changing our laws. A
most every general assembly that Ii
i. met for niany years past has cnact'
>. IA reveuue law each succeeding OH
if possible, m"re detective than
predecessor, until thus vicious cour
i" eliminated IN the production uf I
existing revenue law last winter;
r. some of the defects and har,lships
-, which my Immediate predecessor
"e as his recent annual message has
Is. pointedly called your attention.
ms ms might also refer you TO the frequei
and often unwisc changes made
our common school and public ro
. laws, as further and still nose conc
y sivc!y demonstrating the bad pali
of the oft recurring changes up
iae such subjects. 4 law is passed, Il
ica the people aud those who are charg
with its execution have scarcely h
time 10 become fn,ni!;ar with it u
!. understand its provisions ana prac
cal operations until the ruthless ha
of legislation scizes it-hn.ls it
rubbish into oblivion, aud snbs
or. tutcs & no better, but an aak.ao
law, in its place. No law which
Ia understood by the people ought to
changed, except To make room
- one known 10 be wiser and bett
two experiments upon such subje
ought never TO be tried. Too ma
-