Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-01-12

Vas false economy to deprive ii of
-, Ing slMali encouragement afforded it
fo ~ c meagrc appropriation of
- i. mor wars. In the past two years
,. ,as ny. With serious misfortune in
~. ~. ny unr,Msvorable weather during
us iaiIs. ms has involved IL in debt
anu sersossly embarrassed its power
Ior usei. y, ~ Would itnot be wise
il to the position of former venrs2
The STATE HISTORICAL. a., 1rw,
This society has done much - nro
serve and perpetuate that which ,v;ll
be regarded with deep intereot ~
future years. 1t has had to struggle
against many difficulties, and the re-
port Of its transactions, which will be
submitted herewith, shows it to be
seriously embarrassed. Ii deserves
every encouragement which, with the
numerous demands made upon the
State, can be afforded to 1t.
The FISH COMMISSION. which was
provided for by the last General As
sembly, and for the use Of which
s5,OOO was appropriated, has per-
formed good work with little
money; II was the design to appoint
men VINO had made study Of fish
culture, and who believed Thoroughly
in the utility of state cncomra cement.
What these men have done. and what
they believe can be done i'm the fintnrn
are well told in their report, to which
special attention is invited.
GENEROSITY TO THE NORTHWEST
The commission appointed to dispense
the appropriation made by your pre-
dccessors to purchase seed for farmers
made destitute by the grasshopper in
yasion in some of the counties of the
northwest faithfully performed the
duty. Although supplying all who
came within the law, they returned
$l3, 1868 to the state treasury. This
appropriation, with the generous
private donations made to these peo-
pie, both in 1868 and again in 1874,
when there was another partial des-
truction of crops, have no doubt in
flucnccd 5000 people to remain in the
Estate who but for this generosity must
have left the country. To this work
of charity General Baker gave time
and heart, and deserves mention. The
past season most of those people have
harvested twenty bushels of wheat to
the acre and are now living in COM
Iparative comfort.
i WOMAN SUFFRAGE.-The proposed
amendment to the constitution adopt
ed by your predecessors, and which
Requires your sanction before being
Submitted to the voters of the state,
i will come before you. 1 venture to
Suggest, rs the uniform expression =
Wyoming Territory, where woman
suffrage is fact, is favorable to its
continuance, and that wherever in
in Europe and America women have
voted for school or minor officers the
influence of their suffrage has been
beneficent, and in view OF the peculiar
appropriateness of submitting this
question in this year 1876 when all
America is celebrating achievements
which were inspired by the doctrine
that taxation and representation are
of right inseparable, that it would
seem to me proper to give the people
of Iowa an opportunity to express
their judgement upon the proposed
amendment at the ballot-box.
| CENTENNIAL-I regard it as very
important to Iowa that immediate
and effective steps be taken by the
Legislature for the proper representa-
ton of the state in the forthcoming
International Expedition at Philadel-
phia. During the past two years
considerable progress has been made
by voluntary contributions and vol
untary labor in securing collection
of articles to represent our material
resources and some of our achieve
ments in art and industry. Those
who have given their time and effort
to this work in the past have now ar
rived at point where it become nee
essary to ship and enter for exhibit
ton the collections made. and unless
the state gives immediate aid the
work must cease. III will really be
seen that in addition to the value of
these centennial Observances in inspir-
ing anew the patriotic feryor of the
people, and in their educating infln-
ence, we can in no better or cheaper
manner advertise our state and its
resources. 1t is impossible to enter
here into details to show what has
been done, but the committee, named
by me at the request of the managers
OF the exposition, viii present you
report which will afford full inf0rma-
ton as to what has been done and
what is necessary to insure success.
i THE rHIRTEENTH CENSUS.
/ You have before YOU the volumi-
nous and valuable report Of tho
Thirteenth Census of the state, taken
and compiled under the immediate
supervision of the Secretary OF State.
The population of the state is shown
to have been. q year ago. l,35O,54J.
double what ii was in 1860, and four
times as much as in 1854 a rapidity OF
growth almost, il not quite, unparal-
leled. The amount of products, both
of the farm, the mine, and the factory
as shown by this census, exhibits
still more rapid and vigorous growth.
The wheat production appears to be
five times as great as that OF 1864, and
of corn three times as great as in that
year; and nearly all products Of the
farm, and the amount of all kinds of
live stock, have increased in large
ratios. The yield of coal has multi
piled enormously, while our manu-
features were more than five times as
productive in 1874 rs i'm 1864. The
entire showing of this census, prepar-
ed as it has been, is an extremely val
liable contribution to the statistics of
the nations centennial. i commend
to the consideration Of the General
Assembly the observations Of the
executive council upon the mode OF
taking our state census.
J, AS the constitution provides that
the apportionment for the House of
!, Representatives shall take place at
every regular session, suggest that
an enumeration of the inhabitants of
the state be ordered to be taken in
1877, in order to furnish basis for
such apportionpent.
Il MISCELLANEOUS.
i Tdgrancy and Cyimc.-I cannot re-
frain from calling yonr attention to
the increasing number Of itinerant
Migrants, commonly called cramps"
who infest many parts of the country,
and Of whose depredations, and even
crimes the public press has been so
full. Iflegislative action can be de-
vised to overcome the evil, i hope the
General Assembly will not be slow to
apply 1t. Here / would also refer to
the kindred but more criminal char
acters who haunt railroad trains. and
fleece passengers out of their money.
by the devices known to professional
gamblers. In one state this crime
has been made a felony, and punish
Gu as such. In another, railroad Off
Gals have been clothed with summary
powers for the suppression of this
evil. Through our state passes the
great tide Of California travel, and it
bchoovcs our Lawmakers to see thai
the fair fame of our state suffers no
detriment because of this modern
variety of highway robbery.