Morning journal and courier., 1880-01-08
Thursday Morning, Jan. 8. 1880.
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.

Thursday Morning, Jan. 8. 1880. I THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
 The Message of Governor Andrews to the
 General Assembly is characterized by ability,
 directness and sound sense. It is also a more
 ssreadabls" document than Governors messa- l ges sometimes are.
 I The finances of the State are in good con- dition, although the total income for the past
 year was SIS, 281. .83 less than that of the
 preceding year. The falling of in the grand
 Est of the State of more than ten millions of
 dollars, the reduction of the tax on savings
 banks and the abatement by the Legislature of
 the tax of the Charter Oak insurance compa- ny and of certain railroads, account for the
 loss of income. Though the total expendi- | lures for the past year were $s,o9S. S9 less I than the year before, there has been an in crease in the judicial expenses of no less than $41, ,Ooe. The attention of the Legislature is invited to this matter. The Comptroller, in l his report, points out that the act of 1879 giv- l ing to witnesses in criminal trials ten cents I per mile for travel to the place of trial each day is chargeable for part of this increase | in the judicial expenses. It is to be hoped and it is probable that Connecticut will not have every year such important and costly trials as have occurred during the past year, but whatever can be done to reduce the cost of the administration of justice without i'm pairing It's quality should be done speedily. The Governor urges that 8 survey of the State be made, and gives the best of reasons for his recommendation. It is indeed ssa re- proach to Connecticut, with it's large school fund and it's boasted common schools, that we do not know our own topography and are not in possession of any means by which to learn it."
 very gratifying part of the Message is that which relates to the improvement in the State prison, which was not in good condition year ago. The last Legislature appointed new directors, who commenced work on the
 first of April. They have done their duty well, and the Governor praises them without stint, as follows: ''Our prison, save that it is an old fashioned structure, built before any of the modern improvements in prison build ings came into use, might well be a model. h cleanliness, healthfulness, good order; in the intelligence, activity, judgment and fdei- 1Gy or all tu6 O1uCoEb, LII tAo oOoOloAcc, cheerfulness, industry and discipline of the prisoners and in that general feeling of sat- isfaction, security and pride which comes fzom doing, and doing well, the work which it is set to do, the State prison of Connecticut is now surpassed by no institution of sim iIar kind in America The Message touches upon one matter in connection with the State prison which needs immediate attention from the Legislature. There are several insane convicts there, Gin the prison) including An dersen the murderer. The directors and off, cers of the prison are anxious to have them removed where they can be better cared for than they can be at the prison. The Governor can,if he sees ft order the re- moval of insane convicts to the General Hos- pital at Middletown, but he deems it his duty under the circumstances not to order the re- moyal of those under consideration. He rec ommends that some special provision be made for insane convicts. The quicker this recom- mendation is acted on the better.
 The woman suffragists have 8 firm friend in Governor Andrews and he repeats his recofn- mendation that the right of voting be extend ed to women, as far as it can be done by an act of the Legislature.
 We call especial attention to that part of the Message which discusses corporations The Governor goes to the root of the matter. ''It is question:" says he, s'worthy of se- rious inquiry by the people of this State, whether the indefinite multiplying of corpor- ations is not an evil rather than good. The spirit of the law in Connecticut, as applied to property, favors the equality of property among all citizens, so far as the ordinary con ditions of mankind will permit. It does not favor the building up of large fortunes by in dividuals while the many remain poor. Indeed, vast and overshadowing fortunes, yielded by single will, whether of corpor- ation or a natural person, are among the greatest dangers to which the happiness of the people in repub- lie can be exposed. Such fortunes create a sort of Feudalism as oppressive and possibly more unreienting than that of the Middle Ages-seeking to do now, by the power of money, what was then done by force. The theory of our law is that all men shall have an equal chance in earning and equal security'in enjoying what they earn" In order to cor rect the tendency of combinations of numbers and of capital to disregard the rights of others, it seems to Governor Andrews that there ought to be some degree of personal liability on the stockholders, or at least upon those officers who have the management of the affairs of corporation-those with whom the public come in contact-for all labor claims for any omission of statute duty and perhaps for other things; and that this liability should not be in the nature of penalty, but should be 8 joint and several liability, as upon a con- tract. .z,s5...s The decline of agriculture in Connecticut is deplored, as is also the tendency of the young to seek the cities or Ego Vest" The Cover nor is unable to see why any young man living in country town in this State should go West, and he asks: Is it not within the duty of this Board (of Agriculture) to take pains to disseminate the information that farmers can live here in New England, here. in Connecticut, better than anywhere else in the country; and then the further informa- ton which shall enable poor people of moder- ate means to follow the business of agriculture with reasonable profit? The Board of Aeri- culture comes in for some just criticism, and Governor Andrews does not believe that poor men on rocky farms, with big mortgages, get ] much good from large part of the work of the Board.
 The recommendation contained in the last paragraph of the Message is by no means the least important. The Legislature will do well to heed it and make 8 short session.
 The Message contains other important and interesting matter besides that which we have briefly touched upon, and throughout it all clear thought is vigorously and at times wittily expressed. It will add to Governor Andrews
 excellent reputation for common sense. insight and power.
 EDITORIAL NOTES.
 | A sensitive Frenchman shot himself in New York because he did not like to be stbossed'' | by his employer. What next