The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-01-15

STATE PRINTING.
The legislation OF 1878. regarding the num-
ber style, etc., OF our public Documents, very
largely reduced the cost OF paper aud print
ing. while il also provided for more general
and careful distribution than ever before.
believe that no State in the Union gives to its
citizens so full and complete reports or It's
institutions and business ae does ours.
Since the distribution and sale OF the SUI
preme Court reports has been placed under
control OF the State Librarian, the receipts
from this source bias largely Increased. The
receipts in 1871 and 70 were 81, Ala As against
SO, $685. in 1873 and IA. / am of the opin-
ION that the law requiring $500 copies each
or the Agricultural and Pathological reports
to be printed annually should be amended, 30
that they should be printed and bound TO-
gether The saving III printing paper, bind
ing and distribution would be fully %, 900 per
annum.
The Agricultural reports are not printed
until the facts they contain and the informa-
ton they seek to convey have passed into his
tory. Our prominence in agriculture in all its
different branches deserves something better.
lt would seem that this report should en-
brace every branch OF agriculture and be
condensed, concentrated history Of the prog
ress Of the State from year to year in this i'm
portant interest. The Agricultural report for
1873 IL not yet printed, portion only OF the
copy having been furnished to the State
Printer.
INSURANCE on STATE PROPERTY.
The Trustees of the different State institu-
tons desire your instructions on the subject
of fire insurance Of the State property under
their charge. There is not at present any
uniformity Of action, portion only being in
sured. The expense of insuring all the State
property IL very large. / believe at the
present time that only tire University, Nor
NAL School, aud Agricultural College are in
sured.
IMMIGRATIN.
The marked decline Of foreign immgra-
ton to the United States, and the present
condition of the labor market, induced me to
direct the closing Of the Office and to recall
the Commissioner, which / did in November
last The agency in New York City was
closed by my order Nov. l, 1873. The report
of the Commissioner tor 1873 and 1874, CIV
ing in detail an account of the operations of
the Office, will be laid before yon.
INCORPORATION OF CITIES AND VILLAGES.
The general act for the incorporation of
villages passed in 1878 has Eeen declared un-
constitutional, IN some OF lts PROVISIONS, by
the Supreme Court. This and the general
act for the incorporation of cities are of so
great Importance, and save 80 much of the
time of a legislative session. that it Is to be
hoped they will be perfected by you.
INSPECTION OF SALT.
The careful supervision of the manufacture
Of salt, and the rigid inspection required by
our laws, with the improved methods Of man
ufacture adopted is giving to Michigan salt
a greatly improved reputation.
The product for the two years ending Dec.
1. 1874, was 1,S5O,325 barrels, an increase
over the two preceding years OF 1884 bar
rels. The largely increased product will al
low of q reduction Of the inspection fees from
one and half cents per barrel to one cent,
and l recommend the amendment of the in
spectIon law to that effect.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.
The geological survey, under the supervis-
ION Of DR.. Charles Roeminger, State Geolo-
Sist, has been steadily pursued. The investi-
cations OF the past two years have been
mostly confined to the salt, coal, and gypsum
deposits of the State, but are not so far COM
pleted as to make their publication advisable
THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC.
We legislate continually in behalf of the in
sane, the poor, the deaf, dumb, and the
blind. deeming these large classes az deserv-
ing our care. But we have in our midst a
class larger by far than all these combined,
whom we neglect entirely. l mean the vic
tins OF lntemperance Ii there is an evil
that threatens our life, above and beyond all
else, it is incompetence. 1t reaches its bony
baud into almost every family. It's army
though losing its hundreds weekly, is re-
cruited daily by hundreds more. Pauperism,
crime, insanity, disease and death are it's di-
rect results, and untold private Griefs and
miseries want and wretchedness spring from
its myriad of planted seeds.
The United States Revenue Department re-
port G. 4H places In this State engaged in the
business OF selling liquors. The receipts
must average 800 per day each, or over $685.
600, 600 per annum--a sum three times
greater than al the taxes of every nature an
nually levied in the State. Four years re-
ceiDts would build every railroad in the State.
On the statute-bools Of the State stands a
law, the constitutionality of which has been
affirmed and reaffirmed by tho Supreme
Court, which declares this whole business
illegal, and each one OF the principals liable
to fine and imprisonment. Not less than
5000 persons are daily violating this law. If
5000 or 1000 persons we're daily violating the
law as to petty larceny, there would be arrests
without number. What makes the difference?
Is it not the fact that public sentiment sus-
tains the one and not the other Every good
citizen abhors drunkenness, and shudders at
the countless evils that follow in its train.
But is it not evident that the large majority
are not in sympathy with our present legisla-
ton, which attempts to prohibit it and so
utterly fails in It's object ? Is there no better
way? Can there not be some plan devised
that will receive the assent and support of all
the people to dry up the sources of this evil
There will always he drinking and drunken
moss. We cannot hope by any agency to stop
it entirely. But with the moral support of
the great teachers of home, school, and press,
ton that will diminish the Incorporate use of
liquor?
The Constitution will not allow license. and
VI it did, is there any reason why we should
license lIquor-sellIng that would not apply TO
any other business The theory of license is
not permissive only but for revenue also, and
| if revenue were required, any business could
be licensed. License left to municipalities
would in many of them simply be a farce.
| License would be n constant source Of tur-
moil and debate in every locality. Every
election would bring forth it's license and no.
license, high-license, and low-licenee candi-
| dates.
Why not recognize the fact that there is a
difference between drinking and drunkenness
and put on the statui e-book stringent laws
regulating tho sale OF liquor, prohibit its
sale to minors and apprentices, to those who
are known to be common drupkards, compel
the closing of liquor shops on holy days, anc
at Il reasonable hour at night, retain the pres.
ent liability law for damages, require ample
bonds for the observance of such laws, ano
collected by State authority, making broad
distinction in the amount of tie tax between
the sale of distilled liquors and malt bever.
ages Put the tax beyond the control oil
any one excepting the State. Could we moi
reduce the Six thousand liquor shops fully
one half by such law, and would not this re-
duction in mum, or reduce the consumption
Of alcoholic stimulants in almost as great o
proportion?
| Tn hehalf of ternnerance and solr;etv IF