Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-01-27
GOV. KIRKwOOD's INAUGURAL.
The following is an abstract Of Gov.
Kirkwood's inaugural message, delivered
70 the General Assembly on the 18th:

AHkWoou luauSuIul uicSSoSt, dciisSIcu
70 the General Assembly on the 18th:
PUEBLO SCHOOLS.
Fears have Of late been freely expressed in GER
tain States, and to some extent In our own, that il
IL settled purpose with some to divert the school
fund from It's legitimate object and use IT. at least
partially for the maintenance Of private and sec
tartan schools, and thus eventually to destroy the
school system. l hope this Ia q groundiess fear.
ev ssa. II such purpose has been entertained. it
win be abandoned Persistence in 1t will certainly
place those engaged in Il in direct hostility to the
settled and cherished policy Of the State and II Is
shall assume that attitude Il belongs to yon to
have indicated rs sabssng and II to as DO ss whas
may be needed to guard against any probable or
possible danger
TRANSPORTATION
The growth Of railroad corporations ia demon.
strated, and the subject thus pursued
The result Is that unless the people can In some
way prevent II, the companies controlling the
through lines have IL in their power TO Ak the price
OF carrying persons and property at just such sum
a., In their own Judgment Of what IL 60 their own
interest, seems TO them proper To-day, four gen.
lines Of railroad from that city to the missouri
River, can At their own will aud pleasure add to
ortake from the value Of every bushel Of grain and
every head OF live stock In the State Of Iowa. The
same condition Of affairs obtains in Chicago with
the four main lines leading to Baltimore, Phila-
delphia and New York. AT the last
session Of the General Assembly Of this State, .
Law Was passed intended to limit and control, to
some extent the privileges and powers Of railroad
companies.
The law OF this State must of necessity have
been to great extent experimental The subject
was new one; It involved many difficult ques.
tons and much OF detail. recommend to you
careful examination OF the law In the light OF the
experience OF Its officers since Its adoption IL you
shall ind that In any Of its provisions IL works un
Justly and unfairly 70 ths railroad companies, or
that Il fails to afford to the people that degree Of
protection TO which they are fairly and justly en-
titled, such defect should BE- remsdied.
On the contrary advocate its retention on our
statute books. with such amendments as your
wisdom may suggest rs calculated to do Justice.
both to the people and to the railroad companies.
also recommend 10 you careful examination Of
the question whether YOU cannot by law prevent
the combination among what should be compel
Ing lines to which, have already alluded.
also recommend the appointment Of Board
Of Railroad Commissioners, whose duty, among
other things, II shall be TO collect and lay before
the General Assembly at each regular session such
information in regard to the railroads Of the State
as win enable future General Assemblies 10 act
with reference 10 them with knowledge Of many
particulars that cannot DO otherwise obtained.
think important that the question OF the power OF
the States to limit the charges of railroad compa-
nies within their respected boundaries. and the
power Of Congress To limit s6ch charges on inter.
State trade, shall be settled by the Supreme Court
OF the United States, that, In case this power
shall be held to reside In the State aud national
authorities respectively, we may 70 on and per-
and proper for ourselves. and the Federal Con-
gress be urged To exercise Its authority In the
yention Of abuses in the great carrying trade OF
the country.
the public interest can be protected In this regard,
II IL shall be found we cannot do so BY statutory
enactment. Among these the opening up by tho
General Government Of lines OF water communca-
ton through the country, and the building OF one
trunk lines Of freight railroads. the use OF
which shall be open 20 all have been advocated.
turc OF more money than our Government Is now
well prepared 10 spend. but, II In NO other way
the end can be gained, this difficulty win be over
come
Let us examine this question In all It's parts.
calmly aud carefully, without passion and without
prejudice Our people are not ho-tile to railroads
railroad companies, TN the contrary, we APP
preciate fully aud cuacede freely the great benefits
our State has gained from these works. aud We
have always contributed freely Of our means 10
their prosecution. We know. too, that our future
prosperity depends largely upon their maintenance
and success But. 10 the eiaim OF their managers
that they like other business men, must be al
lowed to manage their business affairs IN their own
way, without interference or dietation by
the State, We answers: First, that their
business so directly and vitality affects tho
interest OF every citizen thai II II the
DUTY ~ the State 20 10 Il that the priv
iiegcs Hantcd 30 them for the public good, and tho
power they claim 10 have, are not abused 10 the
public injury aud, second. that they do not man
age their business affairs Ia the same way other
business men do. ] think am safe In saying that
II the managers OF these roads viii. Ia fact and
la good faith. abandon the system ~ combination:
II the companies will depend, as other business
enterprises do upon the ski and courtesy Of their
agents, upon the facilities they offer for the trans
action Of business. and upon the cheapness with
which they can do H. they viii find active and
earnest friendship instead OF jealousy and bostil-
ity and that IN their case as In all others, the
right way 10 do anything IL the beet way 10 do II.
Tn. Governors remarks OF a financial character
20. out Of the usual channel u State nseal ex-
hibts, and trench upon the pursiew OF poilticai
economy:
The financial condition Of the country liz not 80
fayoFabl. We could desire, bat perhaps as much
a. we eRn reasonably expect. We borrowed during
the ciyl war, and in consequence of II, nearly or
quite t3Out.0DuUst. and spent the money. az all
nations must In war times. layisbly. million OF
more " men IN both armies were Withdrawn from
productive pursuits aud we're engaged In consum.
Ing and destroying the products OF the labor OF
those not In the hcjd. The Government bought our
products with bonds and paper money ut high
prices, aud had during the war. aud for short
lime after ia elosc, what many OF us called good
times but our then good times were good only la
the sense that an individual would have good
umes who should norgsge mis- prnpefty heavily
and spend the money In extravngant living. The
money raised by Us on our national mortgage was
spent rapidly and layishly We received for IT, u
- true. that boon Of priceless value: restored
vniae. In the latter sense the money spent was
lost The so-cnllsd good times caused e1trnya-
gance In expenditure by the National Govern
ment by tho State and municipal Govern.
mrnts and by Ourselves Individually. When al
last thu time came that the money spent. that
our soldiers returned to their homes and became
producers instead Of consumers, that the Govern
mept was no longer the purchaser Ut our surplus
products aud wu were Obliged 10 commence the
process " paying instead OF continuing the moro
easy one u spending, the times began 10 grow
hard. The first interest ~ feel the pressure Was
that ~ agriculture the leading 0Bs Of our state.
Our surplus products. increased by the labor al
our returned soldiers and no longer needed for the
support Of our armies. had Ia seek market
abroad, and their value there was measured by the
standard Of the worl DIS enrreney-eoin
The consequence was great and rapid declins
In the prices OF all We had to sell. Tbs prices Of
sli we had to buy did not decrease In proportion
The manufacturers and others undertook tho
hopeless task Of keeping the prices 0f thsif prod
nets and their labor above apr0per relation 10 tho
prices Of our products, and for time suereeaed
IN. result 10 ns was at fret disastrons; but the
WAS limited by the amount we received for our
surplus products and by the prices we had To psy
for the goods we wished 10 purchase. We nsees.
psrily bought less aud the manufacturers fuAind
themselves compelled TO carry large stocks OF un.
sold gasds. Slowly bat surely thu laws 81 trade
asserted their power. The prices Of what We
WI he'd to buy IN most cases. Tell TO proper pro.
portion 10 The prices Of what We had to sell In
some cases below that proportion, aud the press.
urs upon ~ was iightened and Transferred 70
those not engaged In agricultural pursuits. A.
We were ths hfst 10 srffer 30 We have been the
first 10 yet relief. We arc doing reasonably we'll.
our State ~ fairly ptosperons; God has blessed
prices what We need and get fair prices Tor
what we sell. The process OF adjusting ths blisi.
ness OF the country 10 the changed order 81 things
II going ON gradually and steadily aud II THAI
process sbail not be disturbed we may soon conn
IDENTITY expect renewed aetiyity and PROSPERITY