Connecticut western news., 1880-01-14
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CANAAN CONN. WEDNESDAY, JAN. IA, 1880


 lature met on Tuesday of last week pursuant to adjournment. The only business seemed sto3be the yindication of some of the members against the aspersions of certain naughty newspapers. Having accomplished this, they {. stepped down and out" The new Legisla- ture which the people had determined to elect in the old fashioned way, met the following day, Wednesday, and organized, the Senate by elecslHg Senator Coe of the 18th president 1: pro tenn. and Edgar M. Warner, clerk and : the House by electing Dwight Marcy of Yer. : non, speaker; Clinton Spencer of Sufield, clerk, and Charles Perrin of Hartford, assist ant clerk. Edward s. Roberts, Esq, of East Canaan was supported by the Democrats of the Senate for the position of clerk. This is a handsome compliment which MT. Roberts well deserved. He has served as first mes- senger of the Senate and would make good clerk. William B. Reid of Salisbury was re- appointed (for the third CT fourth time) to his old position as doorkeeper. Governor An drews then met the two Houses in joint con- yention and delivered his second annual mes sage. It is unnecessary to say that it is an able presentation of the affairs of state. The PunnS Uoos aLo odohn6ay eAPensoS aio aoou' the same as last year. The savings banks are in much better condition than last year. It is necessary that there should be further accommodations for the indigent insane.
 The Governor repeats his recommendation in regard to woman suffrage. Why not per init them to vote on some special matters, as the raising of tax, for school committees, on the question of license or no license or others of 2 similar nature2 The dangers arising from oyergrown corporations and monopolies :; arg foreibly presented and the subject demands .scarefuf consideration. The Governor does not ehelieye in the advice of the late lamented Horace Greeley, to go West. He says:
 It is a matter of serious concern that year by year our agrcultural population grows less and less. The valuation of our country towns constantly diminishes. The productive ca pacity ofmany of these towns is constantly becoming smaller. For the last half century, or something less, the tendency of population has been toward great centers. Business and the opportunities for great wealth go in the F. same direction, and year after year the bright. : eat and best of our young men and women have gone out from their rural homes to swell the increasing number of some more favored > locality. Many have gone to the city. The : farmers have in great degree "gone west"
 That so many young men from New Eng land do go to the West for homes seems to be the. result of transformation or wrong theo- ries of life:
 " why should any young man from these country towns of ours go to the far West to hve? In almost any of these towns there are good schools. Here are churches and the so. cial advantages which these give; post-ofices and frequent mail; all the conyeniences af. forded by having physicians, tradesmen, and mechanics within easy reach indeed, all the good and convenient things which result from Q long established and well-regulated social organization. Why leave all these? What compensating advantages are there in the ' West, especially to 8 man who wishes to have the comforts of home, to rear and train up children to an honorable and useful citizen ship? There can be noneI Certainly none worthy of being named.
 {. < The reasons most often urged are the :cheapness of land and the lightness of taxa ton. In these particulars I am quite confi!- dent that no material advantage can be gain ed at the West. The price of improved farms -zthat is, farms with buildings, fruit trees, fences, water, and the like-is as small right here in many parts of Connecticut as it is in the West. In respect to taxation, many places in the West are more heavily burdened than we are here. Take, for instance, the partstwhere the towns and counties have been bonded to buld railroads, etc., etc.
 If any man and his wife here in this state, starting life on farm, will put forth the same degree of industry that would be required on . farm in any part of the West; if they will live with the same economy, will undergo the same fatigue and suffer the same self-denial will wear no better dress, will indulge in no more amusement j: in other words, if they will live here as they would be compelled to live there, they can certainly build up fortune here much more readily than there.