Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-01-19
FIRST EDITION.
GOVERNOR c0cHRAN's ADDRESS.


address delivered by Governor Cochran at Do
Yer, to-day.
Gentlemen Of Tie Senate and House of Rep,psen
tatioes:
FELLOW CITIZENS Having boen eleete Gov
ernor OF the State of Delaware and, in you
presence, having taken the oatlis OF office pre-
scribed by the Constitutions of the United
states and OF this State, l propose to addres,
you briefy upon those questions OF public in
| tefest whicn the proprleties OF this occasion and
| the exigencies OF the times seem TO render i'm
| portant.
In assuming the duties of the high office
nave received at the hands OF my fellow citizens
desire to make public acknowledgement of the
obligations feel for this gratifying proof ol
| their confidence and regard.
10 be chosen by the people OF my native
state, IN the closing years Of long life passed
In their midst, to occupy the highest station ol
trust and honor in their gift, fills me with the
most grateful emotion
| But while l appreciate the distinction con
ferred upon me am not unmindfu Of the duties
| and grave responsibilities with which it is ac
companied.
To merit that honor and to retain that conf.
dence by faithful discharge of the office to
| which have been chosen shall be my constant
| aim and effort
Viewing official power as u public trust, and
not private perquisite, l shall exercise it con.
| scientiously, and to the best of my ability, for
public and not for personal ends; for the vel
fare of the entire State and people, and not in
the interest OF any particular section or class.
APPOINTING POWER
By virtue Of express provisions OF the Con-
stitnton of Delaware, the supreme executive
powers OF the State are vested in the Governor.
Among these is the power to appoint all Off
GERS whose Offices are established by the Consti-
tuition, or shall be established by law, and whose
appointments are not therein otherwise providsd
for.
This Constitutional power lies at the root of
all good government and should be exercised
with the most careful discrimination and with
the view Of selecting only honest capable and
jealous public servants.
Public Offices created for the benefit OF the
people and not for selfish and individual ends
This consideration should always be kept in
view both in the creation of offices and in the
appointments to fill them.
New offices should be created only ~ urgent
necessity.s requires, and should be abolished
promptly when it ceases.
"a multitude of new offices and swarnls OF
officers to harass our people and eat out onr
substance" should be as odious to us as they
were to our ancestors.
The disposition of the present tunes to multi
ply unnecessary Offices, and the deplorable CON
sequences resulting therefrom, have occasioned
dlsquietnde in the minds of all true friends of
economical and we'll ordered government
Fortunately the offices in this State are COM
paratiyely few and limited to the requirements
of strict necessity.
SO that, whilst fagrant and wide spread official
corruption has existed elsewhere, it has been
our just pride that it is unknown in the admin
istraton OF our State affairs.
With proper care in the selection of appointees
to office this enviable distinction may be main
tanned, and shall earnestly strive to preserve
reputation go honorable to our people.
PARDoNIsG POWER.
Our State Constitution also provides that the
Governor " shall have power to remit fines and
forfeitures, and to grant reprioves and pardons,
except in cases of impeachment.
This high prerogative is entrusted to the Ex-
ecutive in order that the rigorous execution of
the law may be tempered with mercy.
It's object is to provide remedy against pos
sible error in the adm inlstration of public jus
tice, and to save the deserving subject of Execu-
tive clemency from other~ise irremedable in
Jury. Human punishments are designed to pre-
vent tho commission of crime by reforming,
or deterring the offender, depriving HIM of
the power of mischief.
If, therefore, the pardoning power be either
carelessly or corrupty exercised, it becomes an
instrument OF evil to defeat the objects of pub
lie justice and place society at the mercy OF the
evil doer.
The demands of the public safety should be at
least as cogent as the appeals OF private sympa-
thy, and both require that executive clemency
shall be carefully and conscientiousy exercised.
The Constitution further provides that the
Executive '' shall from time to time give to the
General Assembly information of affairs concern
ing the State and recommend to their considera-
tion su iii measures as he shall Judge expedient."
My predecessor having complied 30 recently
with this Constitutional requirement, l shall re-
strict myself to the consideration of few ques-
tons of public interest which seem of present
importance.
FINANCIAL AFFAIRS.
Our community, in common with the other
States of the Union, is suffering from stagnation
in almost every branch of business, and wide
spread distress is consequent among all classes
OF our citizens.
Tie causes for this depression and paralysis
of industry may, in great degree, be found in
the destruction of the natural market for our
manufactures aud other products in the South
em States, which, by deplorable misrule, have
become unsafe for the investment of capital,
and 70 impoverished and prostrated as to be un-
able to purchase our commodities or to supply
their own III exchange; aud in the enormous
outlay of capital upon distant and premature
railway, and other enterprises, from which no
return could, or can reasonably be expected un-
hl the lapse of many years.
This large outlay of capital must, therefore,
40 far AZ the business of the country is con-
cerned, be considered as utterly sunk for the
present generation at least, and its absence must
be supplied by the same me thods whereby capi-
tai alone created,-patient industry accompanied
by rigid economy.
Fortunately for our people this State enjoys
remarkable exemption from the burthens of
local taxation which 30 heavily oppress other
communities. And trust that the example of
honesty and strict care in the expenditure of
public money (Which, after ALL is only the money
of private individuals drawn by taxation into the
treasury of the State,) will be continued for the
benefit of the individual citizen, and as an as
surance to our public creditors of that integrity
which is their best reliance for the fulflment of
our pecuniary obligations.
II is greatly to be regretted that the annihila-
ton Of our well secured bank issues, by the ruth
less exercise of Congressional power OF taxation,
is continued, and that thereby our supply Of the
paper money of the United States-our only Cir
cuating medum--is continually floating off to
the great money centres and leaving our rural
districts dcnuded of necessary medium Of ex-
change which, but fer Federal taxation, would be
safely and conveniently supplied by our State
banks.
1t is to be hoped that the interests of the
workingman,a as well as of all the legitimate COM
mercial manufacturing and agricultural indus
tries, may be secured upon the basis of gold and
silver coin, as was designed by the trainers of
our constitional government, and from which
Congress in an evil hour for the country has
seen hit to depart, and to be still unwilling hon
est'y to return.
ATTACHMENT OF WAGES.
Owing to the general prostration of business
to which / have referred, the necessities of
working men have demanded the use of every
dollar of their wages to supply their families
with food and shelter.
Existing laws of this State authorize the at
tachment, in the hands of his employer, of the