The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-04-14
[From th6 Madison6ourter, April 81
GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
! fAEfEtVlTI TT g
Goyernor HendrtcKs, Letter.

fTTfTILI VI To C{r-
| Governor Henaricxs' Letter.
I The letter of Governor Hendricks
is remarkable for its matter and from
the fact that it iaaugurates new tea7,
| ture in partisan politics. Never be-
fore has Governor of Indiana issued
an address reviewing the works of
Legislature and making q comparison
of that work Will the ifabors of former
Legislatures. To a man of Thomas
A. Hendricks known caution, the
pressure brought to bear to squeeze
such an address out of him must have
been immense. The matter and the
ten under durress. This remarkable
of Friday last without comment, We
thought that If that was all and the
best that could be said in defense of a
Legislature that had been burlesQued
Numerically during it's session, and
more virulently by correspondents of
Democratic papers than by the Re-
publican press, it did not require COM
ment. But the action of the Demo-
cratic press in taking this letter as a
text and commenting upon it uncan-
didly. to use mild term, has changed
that opinion. Drops of water falling
continually upon hard limestone will
wear it. away, and errors left un-
changed will make their mark upon
public opinion and become hard to
eradicate.
BY reference to Governor Hen
bricks letter in to-day's Courier, it
will be seen that our distinguished
statesman of the Democratic persua-
sion is not pleased with the conduct
of the Legislature that has so recently
adjourned. He acknowledges that he
expected good results from a body of
men claiming to hold Democratic
opinions, but regrets to admit that he
has been grievously disappointed. 1t
was. he thinks, quite as disreputable
body as the Legislature of 1872 3,
which was composed of majority of
Republicans. Now the duress begins.
For convenience of our readers a
portion of the letter published else
where is reproduced here. The Gov
ernor says, a comparison between the
Legislature of 1873 and its work, and
that of 1875, may properly be made in
respect, first, to the economy in legis--
1928 was in special and regular ses-
sion 101 days. It's expenditures, as
shown by Auditor Wildman's report
of November, 1873, page Z. amounted
to $199, ,563 80. The per diem of mem
bers. at the special session of forty
days was So, and at the regular scs-
sion of sixty-on days, $S. -
TT amounted as follows:
sixty-two days at atsS...--................. 7a,2OO
Making................... 200
"That left for miscellaneous ex-
penses $96, 1863 80, which was for 1O1
days at the rate of 1858 % per day.
The Legislature of THE year was- in
regular session sixty-one days, and in
special session seven days. and in
all sixty-eight days It's expenses
amounted to s117. .325 II, as shown by
a statement furnished me from the I
books of the Auditor of State. From
this sum should be deducted items in
the specific appropriation bill not
chargeable to expenses of this Legis-
lature, amounting to 81 1854 81, which
leaves the expenses proper $112, ,4S0 50.
The per diem of members, at 50,
to $01, 600. That left for
miscellaneous expenses $3O,S70 So,
which for SIXTY days, was at the rate
OF %tOA ~ per udy.
Daily miscellaneous expenses,
is72-3..... 1858 O9
The same for 1875. ............. 453 81
Daily difference. ............. Si99 IL
The aggregate miscellaneous ex-
penses for 1928 were........... se6,36s 81
The same for the two sessions of
.................... $3.50 So
Difference................... S65, ,492 n
All expenses of 1923, including
n m
The same in 1875. I12,470 So
The resident correspondent at In
dianapolis of the Cincinnati Gazette
has examined the Governor state
ment and figures and gives the results
of the examination as follows
There are three palpable errors in
these figures First. the total ex-
penses of the Legislature of 1928
were $1S3,617 "A, instead of $199, ,563-
80. The difference ($15, ,945 8S) con-
sists of debts contracted by the Demo-
cratic Legislature of 1871, and which
the Assembly of 1873 paid. But, of
course there is no justice or sense in
charging it to the expense account of
1 II ~