The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-01-11
FOSTERS MESSAGE,

liVereu 10 the Legislature on the ZnO
inst:
The Governor begins his message by
referring to the prosperous condition
of the State and its satisfactory fipan
cial condition. Means are at hand to
pay $3.50, coo of the State debt as soon
Gs it natures, and the rest of the debt
is satisfactorily provided for. Tho total
funded debt ortstandipg'is 81 901 ,665.
The local Indebtedness of the several
counties, townships, cities, villages,
and school districts may not. with a
few exceptions. be serious burden to
the tax payers charged with it, bnt the
constant and certain increase Of this
class of Indebtedness must be looked
upon with regret and alarm.
| The totap amount of such indebted
ness is S45, ,716, ,351 %. an increase over
last year of ST ,652, ,250,47.
National Guard of the State consists
of seventy mine companies OF infantry,
one troop of cavalry and six batteries
of light artillery, aud a total number
of five thousand, eight hundred and
seventy. five men, including officers,
being reduction of one thousand,
| four hundred and siXty-nine during
the year.
The subject of the future relation of
| the State to the Public Works is one
t that must soon be seriously considered
and it's policy definitely declared.
While there are portions of the Pub
lie Works that may as well be aban-
doned by the State. the Governor does
not believe it would be wise to permit
them as whole to be given up. Es-
pecially should the practice of voting
! them away piecemeal to railroad cor
| pOrati0nS he SfODpn0
In case it should be determined on
| the part of the State to dispose of the
| canals, their value should be ascertain
ed and they should be sold to the high
est bidder.
Public institutions, the Governor
says. are all in satisfactory condition.
| The Jail system of the State needs at
! tention, and some of the State institu-
| tions need more buildings and more
money. A commission should he ap-
pointed to investigate the subject of
contract prison labor.
State Insurance Commissioner shO'd
have more clerks and more salary. He
has done well in driving the "grave
yard" insurance companies out of the
State. There should be commission
appointed to investigate the whole
subject of insurance.
=
Dmiles of railroad in the State, of which
three Thousand, five hundred and six
ty-four have been constructed since
last year. Ohio has the cheapest trans
portion of any State, and is well pro-
tected in her transportation interests.
There have been a good many boiler
explosions during the year, and the
| Legislature should do something about
it,
There have been fewer mining acci-
dents than usual, but there is trouble
about the screen question " that the
Legislature should look into.
The Inspector of Oils has attended
TO his business properly, and the laws
relating to oils have been generally
complied with.
I Public printing costs more than it
used to, and the facilities of the State
are inadequate.
Our schools are costing more than
they should. It is not always the most
expensive system of public schools that
is the best. Something should be done
to enable pupils in the country schools
to enjoy the privileges Of the town
high schools.
There should be State Board OF
Health.
The State Board of Agriculture is
doing = good work. and the crop sta
tistics are very valuable. Continuation
recommended.
Judiciary system of the State is in
adequate. More courts needed.
A lso house for the Governor.
And Board of Pardons.
The suggestions of the Governor in
regard TO the liquor question are given
In full, and are as follows:
The liquor traffic will bring to your
attention a question that engages the
thoughts of the people more deeply
and seriously than any other subject
that will come before you.
The enormity of the evil is admitted
by all, as well as its disastrous effects
upon society, and the magnitude OF
the burdens of taxation imposad by il
upon the people, through private and
public charities, was never as great as
at the present time.
When the present constitution was
} adopted clause was voted into it 10y
the people under the belief that thro
it would re secured greater restraint
. to the traffic than had previously ex-
listed. Experience has shown that
instead of greater restraint we have
practically free trade in liquor, not
only six days in the week, but on Sun
day also. In fact, in many localities
. Sunday instead of being, as the law
and we'll being of society demands, q
day of rest and recreation, has become
day of rowdyism and carnival; in
stead of being the most orderly, it has
become the most disorderly day of the
week. 1t is a humiliating fact that we
have insOhio today, more than 5000
| IL II A.,
f is carried on, taking the hard earned
wages from many thousands of our
citizens, whose families need the mon
ey thus worse than thrown away.
This entire traffic, the amount of which
in round numbers will probably ex-
ceed seventy millions of dollars annu-
ally, much the larger portion of which
is profit, contributes but tithe of the
burden it imposes upon the public
} through the crime and pauperism Gre
ated by it.
The laws upon our statute books,
enacted by both of the great political
parties, for the avowed purpose of linn
iting and restraining the evil effects Of
this traffic, are, to all intents and pur-
poses, except in few localities, mop
erative.
1t is eainectly hoped that practical
measure of restraint can be enacted
and through it the evils of the traffic
materially reduced.
have given the subject much
thought and careful study, and, while
il is not pretended that if the recon-
mendations and suggestions here pro-
posed are made into statutes and put
into successful operation and all the
good results desired by the people will
he secured, it is nevertheless confident
ly believed that thereby would be Sc
cured q gratifying diminution of the
evils of intemperance.
| am fully of the opinion that the
principle of taxation, judiciously APP
piled 10 this traffic, will furnish the
most satisfactory solution of the prob
lem " how to deal with the liquor traf-
fic" that is attainable. There seems
to he Il popular demand for the sub
mission of constitutional amendment
such as was proposed by the Cleveland
convention, to be voted upon in Octo-