The daily gazette., 1881-01-04

pc ople sueh information as may enable
them 20 devise some means by which to
protect such crops against the ravagss
Of this foe. - 5000 5fI0 a9JJaCU
ROADS AND HIGHWAYS. ..
Good roads are among the public Inn
provementsnecessary TO the coIveniences
aud comforts Of modern country life,
while bad roads are great drawbacks 10
the progress aud development Of any
| community, inasmuch as they afford Q
very imperfect means of communication
between different localities and neigh
borhoods. One Of the most attractive
features Of any section of the country is
wellestablished system Of roads, aud
10 Que among the first objects to engage
the attention aud admiration Of stran-
gers. The importance OF this subject,
therefore, demands our earnest consid-
GRAFTON. With proper management ,ow-
ing to the even surface Of our land aud
the character of our soil, the advantages
OF such an improvement can be obtained
at very triaing cost, In q comparative
sense. The great difficulty 10 the mat
ter Of maintaining our public roads Is,
that they are not properly constructed
and worked. They should be made and
repaired according TO the modern meth
cd, Of working roads; aud when they are
thus made they can Afterwards be kept
10 good condition withou. the expendi-
ture OF much money. This plan, have
No doubt, would be attended with con-
siderable expense In the first place, but
the annual saving thereafter would be
more than equivalent TO the first cost.
l therefore recommend the enactment of
q law authoriEing the Levy Court OF each
county, at It's option, TO issue bonds, for
the purpose of raising funds TO carry
into effect the Improvement herein pro-
posed, and the creation of q sinking
fund for the liquidation of such bonds
at maturity.
| W. ELECTIONS.
The open and unblushing bribery and
intimidation which are legged TO have
been practised at the recent elections, In
this State, and many other States of the
union, have excited serious appreheu-
sion in the minds Of thoughtful aud pru-
den men, as TO the perpetuity of repre-
sentative government in this country. -
These fears are not without foundation,
for, OF all the vices peculiar to govern
ments based upon the popular will, l,none
perhaps is more fatal to their perman-
ence aud stability than corruption and
Intimidation in elections. Such, offences
strike at the very root of liberty mas
much as they destroy the freedom and
purity of the elective franchise-quall-
ties which alone constitute the value aud
importance of this fundamental right
While results obtained by such corrupt
and pernicious methods may represent
the majority of votes cast, yet they do
not represent the prepondeIance Of the
true sentiment Of the public mind, and
are therefore destructive Of one of the
great principles Of republican govern
ment. Elections under such circufn-
stances, instead OF being q contest be-
tween honest men for the supremacy of
principles, degenerate into q mere farce
aud become reproach to the institu-
tions Of political freedom. Men OF high
character, especially those OF limited
means, though richly endowned with
moral and intellectual qualifications, are
practically precluded from enLering the
political arena as competitors with their
fellows for positions of trust and honor,
because they cannot afford TO make the
sacrifice. Besides, Of what avail would
It be to engage in contest upon the
merits OF the questions involved, If a few
desperate paTtizans are allowed 10 capti-
vate the will Of the weak and to enslave
the conscience OF the timid, by exciting
their cupidity and fears to such extent
as to change or bias the verdict of the
popular wille
STATE LIBRARY.
1t appears by the accompanying report
OF the State Librarian, herewith sub
nitted, that the space Ia the State
Library 10 not sufficient for the recep-
tion ofthe books and documents which
are annually supplied from other States.
| therefore recommend that more space
be provided for that parposs.
VARIOUS REPORTS.
herewith transmit the reports of the
Insurance Commissioner, of the State
Board Of Health, together with the
special report of the President thereof,
aud OF the Adjutant General, which are
all submitted 10 your careful considers
tion.
ADJOURNMENT.
In order to facilitate the transaction of
business which shall come before you
and to prevent the present session from |
being unnecessarily prolonged, would |
suggest the adoption Of join resolution |
at an early day, requesting the people TO |
promptly present their business.
Having rsferrsd to such subjects as
relate to the administration Of public |
affairs in this State, and made such |
recommendations and suggestions In
reference thereto, as appear necessary, |
will now direct your attention to mat
ters which are of more general and
comprehensive character--those which |
Involve our relations with the Federal
Government.
FEDERAL RELATIONS.
The repeated exercise of Jurisdiction
by the Federal authorities over Affairs
purely ofa domestic or local nature,
such as the appointment Of officers to
supervise the assessment of persons in
this State, and .be interference with the
administration Of criminal justice, by
challenging the State methods of con-
stituting aud organising juries, has
forcibly suggested allusion to this sub
lect. IL was hoped that these, and kin
dred other .sarbltrary expedients, which
were ostens.bly devised for the attain
ment Of temporary ends, would disappear
with the excitement out of which they
were born. But in this we have disap-
pointed. The reaction OF public