The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-10
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.

| second and last, Is pialn, straightforward
business document, full of information, con-
ceived in the best possible spirit, and imbued
with the sole purpose of giving the General
Assembly such facts and suggestions as will
enable them to legislate wisely and in the in
terest Of all the people. The first paragraph
of the message will find hearty response
from all quarters: "When the resources Of the
people are diminished, it is the duty of the
legislator to make the public burthen as light
as possible" The foreign debt of the State is
$627, 82512, of which $685., 900 is tenn
porary loan, bearing per cent interest,
which the Governor recommends to be
funded at lower rate. The necessities
of the State will require an increase Of the
! general levy, or further borrowing, a fact in
itself sufficient to put members on their guard
to effect every possible economy. The Gov
| errors illusions to the failure of the general
appropriation bill are in good taste, but de-
cided. He shows how, with the assistance
and cooperation of Auditor Rice, whom he
| specially and properly compliments by person
al mention, the State government has been
administered at even a less cost than if the
bill had been allowed to go through Itwould
be very wise and proper thing if the Legis-
lature could so provide for all the
regular and current expenditures of
| State administration that the govern
ment might proceed without jar or
interruption when, from any cause, there
should be failure or neglect to make the BIZ
ennial appropriations. On the topic of the
custody Of the State funds the Governor
| speaks plainly, without reserve, and with
business sense. It is humanity impossible for
the present system to be indefinitely contin-
ued without the certainty of serious loss to
| the State. A great defalcation in Ohio years
ago awoke that State to the necessity of some
| such financial system as that now in oper-
alton. 1t may be that a like catastrophe will
be needful TO cause Indiana to put the State
and county treasures on some safe, equitable
and business-like basis, which shall
give security to the funds and
relieve the treasurers from the enor-
nous care and responsibility they now
have. The Governors recommendation that
the State treasury should be carefully exam
! med by competent experts is so eminently
| proper that we presume the Legislature will
| oh tha cd III
question.
| The State institutions, educational benev-
olent, penal and reformatory, receive careful
mention. The suggestions as to the State Ii
brary are such as to commend them to uni
versal favor. If the State library is to be
what it should be and what it ought to be,
| especially as it will soon move into the pre-
sumably commodious quarters designed for it
in the new Capitol, the most essential thing is
that the librarian shall be some
one thoroughly equipped for such
an Office. The library should be
something more and better than museum,
! or repository for flags and honorable war
mementoes; it should be library, and no one
would for moment think of trying to found
public library without an efficient and
competent librarian. We regard this as one
Of the most important of the Governors rec
concentrations, especially at the present
time, when there are all sorts of wild sugges-
tons afioat as to the future of the library.
1t will well repay every citizen and taxpayer
of Indiana to read carefully what the Gov
ernor has to say about all the State institu-
tons. There is q vast fund of information in
the message, and after it is read the reader
will feel an increased interest in and for the
many and varied institutions maintained at
the public expense. The work of the State
in this direction is much larger and more
comprehensive than many people have an
| idea Of
Certainly the Governors recommendation
as to the reorganization of the State Board of
! Agriculture will meet universal approval-ex-
cept, possibly, among the self-perpetuating
lnummies who may be temporarily disturbed
in their somnelence For years the State
Board of Agriculture has been the butt of rid
| icule and it has demonstrated time and again
its absolute incompetence, under its present
constitution and methods of management,
to do anything toward the advance
ment Of the agricultural and industrial
interests of the State. 1t is high
time something was done with it; that new
blood was being infused into it; that the dry
bones were being clothed with living flesh, and
general rehabilitation taking place. Wer
State board not only timely, but wise and
thoroughly conservative. Whatever else the