The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-01-06
FOSTERS MESSAGE.
The Annual Address of the Gov
ernOr.
Interesting Extracts From the Document
His Views Upon the Temper
anoe Question, Etc.
To the General AssemSly:


To the General Assembly;
The fear entertained by many but
three years ago that the increasing
demands OF the public servise e would
require ere this an increase OF the State
levy Is, happily, dlssiDated. BY capable
anu economical administration of the
public lnstlLutions, and of all the
branches, OF. the public service, large
reductions have Oeen achieved, and
We ind ourselves in the gratifying
condition OF having paid, within
the past three years, more than 81 .5O0,-
OO0 of the funded debG of the State,
with the means provided TO pay $780,
OO0 more when 1t natures, with ample
revenues 10 supply the wants of all the
departments Oh the State Government,
Including its public Institutions, and
with a handsome surplus that may Oe
used in providing increased accOmmo-
cations Tor the unfortunate population
OF the State.
Then follows table, giving State
and local deb,s.
PUBLIC WORKS.
The report of the Board CT Public
Works dlsclOses the fact that The reVe-
nues were not sufticienC 10 provide Tor
their ordinary Care, and 10 repair the
damages To them occastoned DY the
Hoods Ot Cne past season.
The esuDjecC of thee future relation OF
The SLaJe to the Public Works is one
that must soon be seriously considered,
and its policy definitely declared.
We cannot close our eyes 70 the in
eVitable result of the successful efforts
that have been made in the past, ana
the efforts Cuat are now being made,
ami will be made in the future 10 geL
possession OF the Public Works by
Legislative authority, without due cou-
BldeIation and thus, by degrees, work
ing out their final destruction.
The confidence of the public has been
80 completely destroyed In The purpose
of the State to continue their main
tenance, that it is probable that the
building of new boats lS not
even contemplated. While there may
he portions of the Public Works that
are useless, and ought TO De abandoned,
yet 1T would be a serious mistake to per-
init them, as whole, TO Sutfer any lur-
deterioration. 1t Is clearly good policy,
all of the interests of the people con-
sidered, TO 80 provide for their mainte-
nance as to restore the public confidence
in the purpose of the State to fOrever
preserve her valuable water ways as a
me Ans of cheap transportation.
Portions OF the public works, worth
millions OF dollars, have been given
various pretexts. This valuable prop
erty has mainly, in the end, fallen into
the hand of railroad corporations; thus
practice lily, the State has given away
its property, which belonged to all OF
the people, to the few who ara the for
tunate owners of the raIlroadsthat were
the favored recipients of the bounty OF
the State. In one of these grants It
has been discovered that the title OF
the State covers property of great value,
not used for the public works or the
State; property upon which private
parties have built valuable structures,
and were resting IN the belief that their
title to the same was good. The records
of the Board of Public Works are i'm
perfect, and from them 1t will be found
impossible to ascertain the boundaries
of its property or obtain even a COM
plete record showing what property
belongs 10 the State. Measures should
be taken without delay to perfect these
records. f "a - EaI
Should it become the policy of the
State to di1p1se of all OF any portion OF
the Public Works, then would urge
the ascertainment of what the State
owns, pertaining to the portion pro
posed to be parted with, q careful Valu-
alton made by competent authority,
and when the property Is accurately
described and its value determined, the
sale to be made to the highest bidder,
but at notices. than the appraised value.
PENITENTIARY.
The MANAGEMENT of this institution
continues to be satisfactory. Excellent
discipline has been secured, business
methods prevail, economy and care
have been Observed, an the receipCs
exceed The expenditures In the sum of
Sic. 6.597.96, with the promise OF an in
creased profit for the current year.
Prison manageEent was discussed at
some length In my last annual message,
to which call your attention. and the
sugQestiOn then made that the State of
Ohio should, at All early date, adopt a.
svstem of prison INDUSTRIES, under the
management of the State, Is renew
ed, The change proposed, viz: the
abolishment of the present contract
system aud the substitution of State
management, is radical, and in its exc
cution great care will necessarily have
to be observed, and some considerable
time as we.l as large appropriations
will be required 20 secure the success
full transfer from the present to the
proposed system. 1 therefore suggest
that the subject be thoroughly invesu
GATED by a committee of the General
Assembly, or by a COMMITTEES appointed
for that purpOse. @ ~
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The attention of your honorable body
ia again called TO the importance OF
deyising, If possible, some plan by
which our rural Communities may
more generally enjoy Euch means of
advanced instruction as are now fur
nished to the centerS OF population. 1t
ia claimed that wlLh'a slight m0dt'ca-
tion of the present laws, relating to the
subject, the higher schools, Of many
towns and villages may be made acces-
sibie to the more advanced puptls of the
surrounding sub districts. It's claimed
that this method, 30 far from increas-
ing the expense Ut the educational sys-
them of the State, has, on local tIial,
heen found to diminish such expense.
IF this is true it furnishes another i'm
uortant reason for a thorough discus
siOn of the subJects , UAS A.Att9 ~
The tor nconing report of the State
school Commissioner will reveal the
Tact that several states, Which bave
,6outed what are REGARDED as imprOVed