Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1874-12-10
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.

u
In the concluding portion of Cover
nor Aliens Message he refers with evil
dent self-gratulation to his Inaugural
Address, of a year ago, in this wise, 'In
the inaugural Address. which ] had the
honor to deliver before the General AS
sembly, / strongly urged reduction OF
the expenditures of the State Govern
ment down 10 the very last dollar COM
patible with the maintenance of the
public credit and the efficient working
of the several departments Of the Gov
ernment; and I insisted that it should
not be that vague and mere verbal
economy which public men are ready
to profess with regard to public expen-
ditures, but that earnest and inexora-
bic economy which proclaims its exist
ence by accomplished facts
Now for the accomplished facts /;
what do they consist in? The Cover
nor says in his message, "The evidence
you gave at your last session of de-
termination to retrench, by reducing
the tax levy s474, 900, and by other acts
of legislation, has encouraged the peo-
pie ofthe State to believe that economy
and prudence will govern all your ac-
tions in the matter of public expendi-
tures." II is quite difficult to see the
evidence of a determination to re-
trench, in simply reducing the tax
levy, when in fact the expenditures
were largely increased, and the appro-
priations of money made at the last
session of the General Assembly larger
than they had been for years.
With these facts and figures before
the Governor, or certainly within his
reach, he congratulates the Legislature
and the people shat the, tax levy has
been reduced $474, 900, and treats that
fact as Synonymous with reduction of
expenditures to that extent.
The Republican Legislature of 1872
had very wisely increased the State
levy In order to meet the increased de-
mand ON the treasury to rebuild the
Asylums which: had been burned
down, and to meet our maturing State
bonds which fall due in 1875 and Janu-
ary 1876. The levy thus established
would have been barely sufficient .un-
der the most economical administra-
ton to meet their necessary demands
on the treasury But the present Dem
ocratic Legislature seeing that it could
not reduces the iexpenditures@but was
likely to increase then, hit upon the
of reducing the tax levy,
hoping that the people would not dis
cover the difference. between that act
and an actual reduction uf expenditures,
and the Governor commends them for
the act, as an evidence of a disposition
to retreneh. The Governor, however,
deplores the consequences of this reduc-
tion Of the levy, on the treasury, as wel
IiEd from his recapitulstion of the con-
1itioa of the State debt, and our means
10 meet maturing bonds. He informs
ne that the State bonds which fall due
IN 1875, and January 1875, with the in
crest, amount to $2.694 1865. To meet
his we will have available (under the
educed levy the sum of 81, ,712, ,569 80,
which will leave deficiency to be pro-
yided for of S9S2, ,296. The Governor
ellis the General Assembly that it will
re necessary at its present session to
make provision for the payment of this
efficiency. How will the Legislature
10 it, by restoring the three-tenths of
mill levy, and adding another three
enths to make up for their folly of
lst winter of taking it off, or will it
rovide for borrowing the money The
,rmer would be somewhat humiliating
, Democratic financiering, and the lat
II would not be creditable to so great
State as Ohio The Democratic Leg
lature thought it could make some |
,liticsl capital by reducing the levy, /;
i'd the people would not see the differ
ice between that and reducing ex-
,nditufes; but when it comes to bor-
wing the money, or increasing the J,
w to double the amount Of the re- a
lction in 1874, to meet deficiencies c
ID extrsvagant expenditures, their
es will probably be opened.
The enormous sum of s450, 900 is ask
for in an appropriation bill already r
troduced In the House for the Central
,io Lunatic Asylum In addition to q
!, 900 on hand. At this rate of deal g
z with the public funds it looks as Q
Ough money would have TO be bor- 2
wed to meet the ordinary expense of u
D State Government. 'sRise up Will 2
FnV and eYDlain 10