New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-01-10
TIE GOr.RNOHN MESS1GE.

THE corr RNOH> MESSAGE.
The Governor finds 50 much cause for salts
faction in the condition of the state that 1t Is
surprising ne is not III a better humor II Is
his pleasant duty TO announce the total eN-
tuction of the general fund and bounty debts,
the freedom of the State from any floating
dent, prosperity in the finances, decreasing
taxation the complete success Of the canal
and State Prison reforms, good management
Of the State insane aSyiumS, the rcappcaIancc
of the money of the Constitution, and
4 slow but certain revival of business
Aud yet his message IS not GENIAL docu-
mcnt. He BEGIN, 10y "pnccrcly hoping' that
the Legislature viii bc more comfortable AMI
also more vlrtuous in the new Capitol than it
wa, in the Old, but it is quite plain that Mr.
Robinson has no rosy anticipation that his
kindly desires in this respect viii be graft
fed; indeed it may be said tat he expects to
bc disappointed. He dcvotcs a great deal of
space to severe criticism upon the new Capt.
tol. dcnuncation of its cXtravagant cost and
censuc of It's faults Of plan and construction.
He advises the Legislature to make no
further appropriations for 1t, but to inquire,
before authorizing the outlay of another
dollar, whether the building cannot be finished
upon some new and economical plan. He
recommends the abolition of the Insurance
and Bank Departments, and OF the Offices
of Harbor Master and Port Warden. He
declares the State Tncbliate Asylum to be a
complete failure. He disapproves OF all state
ad to high schools. which he calls "lcgalizcd
"robbcry,' taxing the poor for the benefit OF
the rich And ne urges the Legislature not
only to reject the proposed additional sections
''of the so-cal I'd new Code" but to repeal
those already enacted.
With some OF his remarks we can heartily
concur. His warning against the miSchieyOus
practice of voting away appropriations out of
imaginary undppropriatcd balances " in the
| Treasury is excellent. So, too, is his counsel
to the Uties towns. and counties which have
hrudenrd themselves with enormous debts
and are now groaning under heavy local tax
atom "to insist upon thorough reduction Of
their local expenses, winch, like their debts,
have been swollen beyond all bounds of rea-
" son during the umeaSOnmg tines that have
"preyacd.H He reminds the people that
though rigid economy and q steady course of
paymrnts on the principal of these debts is a
long and rugged road to relief, IT is the only
safe one, and that by pursuing it faithfully
thcy will receive no small compensation for
the hardship "in learning to redUce their own
"pcrsonal expenses, and in having it i'm
pressed upon them in manner never to be for
"gotten that debts, both public and private, are
"an unmiugdted evil, and should never be
contracted except under the pressure of I'M
unavoidable necessity" With respect to the
municipal administration of this city, MIR Rob-
inson REPEATS the sound principles Which he
and TIE TRIBUNE-havc so often eXp0undcd.
Local self gOvcInmcnt, as we both believe, is
the ONLY remedy for the existing evils. But
the Governor thinks that the people of the
metropolis, absorbed in commerce, 'prcicr TO
continue victims of bad legislation" and to
pav eXtravagant salaries to useless officials
Perhaps ne wrote this part OF the message be-
fore the November election.
We find it difficult to characterize in be-
coming language the paragraphs in which
Governor Robinson speaks Of the relations
between the state and Federal authorities
1t is notifying to find so respectable a Chief
Magistrate of 50 great state setting his face
against the execution of just and constitu-
tional law designed to prevent fraud at the
polls Bat Mr.. Robinson is a Democrat, and
cratic party, in riiIculOuS aiicc'atiOn of rcga;I
for State rights, was not ready to deny TO the
Federal Govcrnmcntthe most necessary powers
for the enforcement Of Ihc most wholesome
laws, or even for the defence of its own life
Mr. Robinson asserts that " a significant fact in
connection with recent election the
organized attempt of the Federal authorities
"to interfere with the suffrage of our citizens"
and to pass upon the qualifications Of voters
at the polls. Mr. Robinson takes the ex-
IRENE ground that suffrage is peoples
fright, and by onr organic law its regulation
'is committed to the State authorities" Of
course this Is gross error. Suffrage is not a
"peoples night" at all, but the privilege of a
certain part of the people. The regulation
Of the suffrage. so far as it is exercised in
the choice Of President and members of Con
gress, is distinctly assumed by the Consttu-
ton of the United States, and the right OF
Congress to provide for enforcing the consti-
tuition il not doubted by anybody. But,