The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-01-01

f275TwF TaTaEH so
good faith of the commonwealth, should
be fulfilled to the utmost of her ability in
any event and under all circumstances,
No other calamity could infict greater
detriment, either moral or pecuniary, upon
the whole body OF the people than q
deliberate breach Of public honor. 1t is
believed that proper scrutiny of all
appropriations Of public money, the cor
rection of every abuse, the abolishment Of
every unnecessary office, the enforcement
OF the strictest accountability on the part
of all revenuesoffcers, and the application
OF just principles of retrenchment to all
branches of the public service, will lead to
areduction of expenditures, corresponding
with the contraction of the limits of the
state and the diminution in the means Of
| people, and, together with the taxing Of
such legitimate subjects of taxation as NAV
have been unwisely or inadvertently
exempted in the past, will enable
us to meet all present demands upon the
treasury without increasing existing rates
of taxation. Such changes of our organic
law as shall at an early day recommend,
would, in my opinion, lead to reduction
| of present rates of taxation, without inn
pairing any of the rights of creditors.
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. a
While enforcing rigorous system OF
| retrenchment throughout the entire public
service, let us remember that there are
cases in which wise Gberality is the
truest economy. The care of our public
Institutions, educational and eleemosynary,
must be generous to be prudent. The eff:
ficiency of our high schools. colleges and
universities is no less essential to the flu.
ture progress and power of the state than
wisely ordered system of common
schools. The higher institutions of learn
ing established and controlled by the state,
as well as public schools OF lower grade,
are entitled to the most liberal legislation
compatible with the embarrassed condition
of the treasury. Especially should the
University of Virginia, the favorite legacy
of Jefferson to his country, be provided
with such aids and announcements as will
largely dispense its benefits among the
meritorious poor of our youth, enlarge its
means and facilities for instruction SO as
to keep it abreast of the rapid advance
ment of the world in knowledge and
/ oStShSVs olu udlubdll lis DUSlJlUl
among the foremost similar institutions on
the continent. R-5 Or
AT a time when the popular mind and
energies are concentrated upon the work
OF repairing our shattered material inter
| ests in period of increasing utiitarian
i tendencies, let us not forget the wisdom
contained in the noble words of living
statesman, that s'it is not true that physi.
cal happiness is principle on which you
can build up fourishing and enduring
commonwealth. A civilized community
must rest on q large realized capital O.
thought and sentiment. There must be Q
reserved fund Of public morality to draw
upon IN the exigencies of national life.
Society has soul as well as body. The
traditions of state are part Of its exist.
| ence. Its valor and its discipline. its re-
| ligious faith, its.venerable laws, its science
and erudition, its religious faith, its vene.
rable laws, its science and erudtion, its
poetry, its art, its eloquence and its schol
arship, are as much portions of its exist
ence as its agriculture, its commerce, and
its engineering skill" ss
THE CENTRAL WATER LINE.
| most earnestly recommend the renewa
OF every timely effort, and the use of all
available means, to further the construction
of the central water line, the great concep-
ton of Washington, the consummation o
| which is destined to signallze the present
period of our history. The proposition
1 already submitted to Congress to adopt il
as national highway. to be constructed
by the general government and to be main.
tanned and operated under its supervision
in the interest of the whole country, viii
| receive the most effective aid at my com
| mand.
The great want Of the country, trans
portation between the points of production
and consumption, has become vital cues
ton Of the day, affecting on the one hant
the profits of the western producer and in
yolving on the other the most serious ques
ton OF food 10 the eastern operative. 1t ],
lamentable fact that while the want o
cheap and abundant food is oppressivel,
felt in many eastern sections, corn is yearly
consumed as fuel in some of the grain-grow.
ing states of the Mississippi valley.
| The Improvement Of the natural water.
ways of the country and their connections
with each other and with the Atlantic sea
board by artificial waterways, is not only
necessary as supplemental to the transport
tation facilities afforded by railroads, but
to Secure that healthful competition which
the interests of internal commerce de.
mands. The natural waterways are con.
trolled by the general government, and il
is equally and obviously proper that theil
connections with each other and with thu
Atlantic seaboard, when extending through
| two or more states, should be controlled
| by the same government for the whole PEG.
pie.
| The water-line, from the capes of Vir,
ginia to the mouth of the Ohio river, Is
located by parallels Of latitude very nearly
on the central line of the United States
and is as free from all injurious climatic
influences as any existing or projected
avenue of trade. The feasibility Of the
central water-line has been SO often de.
monstrated by engineers of the highest
| reputation and skill; the colossal benefits
to be derived from its completion have
been made so apparent by years of careful
| and extended investigation, that it would
seem the only question remaining to be
decided by the general government is,
| whether it will complete the work on
national account and control it in the in
| terest Of the whole country or remit it to
the states to be constructed by other
means. While it might be of greater ad
vantage to us that the work should be con-
structed by private capital, securing to the
states OF Virginia and West Virginia
snecial hen Gifts in rat,1rn for tho rr;y,lano