Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-01-05


At 1890 O'Clock the Supreme Judicial Court
entered, followed by Gen. Butler, dressed in
an evening suit and carrying a gold-headed
cane, and wearing his usual ton-hole
boquet. He walked up the aisle and sat at
the Speakers desk, amid applause. His
friends and distinguished guests followed,
and soon the hall Of the House was packed
TO its last inch. President Croker, of the
Senate, administered the oath Of Office, and
Gov. Butler then read his address.
Gov. ButIer's Address.
Gov. BENZ. +. Butler, in bis inaugural
address, presented bis views upon free and
equal suffrage At great length He sng.
gests that q nominal poll-tax Tor State pur-
poses, to be assessed rs now on the polls
OF citizens, aud then il any citizen chooses
to pay by voting, let that act be discharge
and payment of such tax. He recommends
revision of the registration laws, and that
they be sufficiently guarded 10 prevent
frauds without being an active obstruction
to and burden upon the voters. Regarding
FREE BALLOT AND A FAIR COUNT
the governor says: "Why not provide that all
votes shall be inclosed in a seIf.sealins en-
velope of the same size, quality and color, to
be Furnished by the State; then the size and
complexion Of the ballot would be imma.
terial. A law still remains on the statute
book which requires that envelopes for such
purpose shall always be furnished at the
polls. The legal machinery Is ready, and to
! make it effeetual this permissive clause il
only to be made obligatory" The suggestion
is made that law be passed allowing
WOMEN TO VOTE
| under the same regulations as men 10
municipal elections, which law shall take
effect when it shall be accepted by msjuri.
| ty OF the women voting at some general
election. Provision is to be made obviating the
objections women may have TO 90 into ward
rooms and voting places for the purpose oil
exercising the rights of suffrage. The gov.
ernor recommends that the election Of the
| city governmental take place on the same
day as the general government, and that
election day be made general holiday. The
law restricting naturalization TO the Supreme
and Superior Courts should, the governor
| says, be repealed.
THE LABOR QUESTION
will form the subject OF further communi
cation. Considerable space is devoted to the
| question of crimes, and the Legislature il
| asked to pass an act providing that whose.
ever is convicted Of willfully attempting tc
| derail moving railway train shall suffer
death. The evils oil dealing in futures and
| cornering wheat, corn, etc, are dwelt upon,
| and legislation recommended to stop ths
abuse. Considerable attention Is given Il
| reformatory, Correctional and pauper fnsrf.
| tutions, and it is shown that the expense fol
salaries and agents are more than all other
expenses for supporting the poor by ST., 900
Legislation is suggested looking to the
IMPROVEMENT OF rHEplsc1PLINE OF PRISONS
and making the institutions efficiently re
formatory, causing labor prisoners to be self
supporting, providing that every prisoner
may work off portion Of his sentence every
month, and the investment of certain per
centage of the earnings Ola prisoner in
fund to be given him when discharged Il
start him inthe world sgain. The employ
ment OF the convict labor Of the seyera
houses of correction outside the walls II
raising the food they consume is spoken o
as probable. The following Institutions, tn,
governor says, should be abolished: Th,
State reformatory prison Tor women, th'
reform school for boys and the industrial
supposed good thay do. The message favor,
an asylum with kind treatment for idiotis
and feeble-minded youth, but not school
When the State shall have sufficiently edo.
Gated every bright child within its borders
il will be time enough 10 undertake
i
THE EDUcATIoN OF THE IDIoglc AND FEEBLE
| MINDED.
we'll fed, we'll cared for idiot is happy
creature; an idiot awakened to his condition
| is miser able one. Careful consideration il
given TO the insane asylums. The extrava
gancs of the Buildings and general manage
ment of this class of people is severely com
mented upon, and an appeal made TO th'
Legislature to change all this arrangement
and provide economical and business prin
i ciples. The governor says the doors o
insane establishments, both public and pri
vzte, open altogether too easily inward, and
with too great a difficulty outward, in thu
reception and discharge of their inmates
This matter should be carefully guarded b.
legislation. A recommendation is made tina
] purchasing officer for all State supplies o
Eesery name be appointed, with salary sui
tclelt 10 insure the services Of competen
business man to be commissioned by the ex
ecutiye iol three years. The governor con
graduates he commonwealth that Que
BRANcHoF cIvIL.sERvIoE REFORM,
namely, fxedusss of tenure of Office, is al
ready in operation in the State, and has beei
since 1879. Gov. Butler then, without say
ing he favors any national measure propose,
TO reform the civil sevvice, gets in blow a
the expense Of the Rspublicsn administra
tions of Massachusetts, who, he zyers, hav
very generally appointed relatives to subor
dinate places. whole Families are some
times appointed te saIaried places; besides
the rule is, with hardly exceptions enough
to prove its correctness, thai allaslafied off
cials, at least Of the higher grades, have bee
and are given to the political faith.s III
says there are more persons employed thai
| NECESSARY to carry on business, and at highe
salaries. He advises that at least one-thir
Of these shall be cut of, and the salaries re
duced by law. If any resign on sccounf G
such reduction, he will undertake to ell thei
places with competent men. He sugges.
The passage of a law prohibiting two Of
family
| HOLDING OFFICE
in the same department; and further, that
there are two or more already in, the on
who appointed his relatives shall 60 on
Laws should be enacted 10 reduce the take
of farmers and laboring men and womer
and to prevent the wealthy from eyadiD
the payment OF taxes BY practices wei
known 10 all. One of the best methods I
lessen taxation is to abolish all unAAser5ur
offices, and cut all questioned expendi
lures. The governor protests against tn
overworking of railroad employees and care
lessness as to their safety. The closing pan
| of the address is devoted TO the considers
ton of the subject of education, and th
governor sumo up his ideas as follows: GAS
PREVENTION OF PAUPERIsM AND CRIME,
to fit our people for suffrage, use ali the educs
tional force OF the State 10 educate the masse
| up to certain necessary point. The classe
above will and ought to educate themselve
up to still higher point. Do NOT take tn
common fund and give it to few, or hav