Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1885-01-15
CRITTENDEN'S ADIEU.
His EXcellency's Farewell Words to
the Missouri Legislature.
An Abstract Of the Message Matters Of
Special Interest to Kansas City,
The Downing Law.

Special 10 The Kansas city Times.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo-, Jan. 7.-Goy-
ernor Crittenden's message, which has |
been received from the printer, is q
very voluminous document, sixty-two
printed pages long. After the usual
congratulations it proceeds to state that |
taxes are light and should be lighter.
The credit Of the state has been pro-
tected and the finances were never
more judiciously managed than in the
last four years. No matured obliga-
tions remain unhonored except the
Hannibal and St. Joseph bonds. Not
a warrant OF the state is outstanding. |
In 1883 and 1884 the state has received |
as interest on its deposits in the Bank |
of Commerce at st. Louis Sl7,972,2i, |
and for the four years $52, ,G33.37. Mis-
souri, 6 per cent eleven year bonds, tho
longest now outstanding, sell readily |
at Sl.30, yielding the investor 8 per
cent per annum, where United States
per cents yield p per cent. In 1881 |
the total assessed valuation of real and |
personal property was S60l, ,722, ,SS3.7 10;
in 1882. $6i0, 267, ,2i2.S6; in 1883, $780,
250, ,ll4.6 6S; in 1884, 1925, 775, $50. AS. |
The total public debt January |, 1888,
was Sl6, 97S,O00 In 1883 and 1884 |
state bonds aggregating 81, l44,00O |
were redeemed and purchased. Dur
ing these two years the debt was in
creased Si09, 600 by the issue of ccrtif-
icatcs to the school and seminary
funds. The total debt on January /,
1885, was Slj, 900. The annual in
tercst on the public debt is now $780,
400. During the last four years the
public debt has been reduced S7l2,0O0.
Balance on hand January /, 1885,
$l,413.S95.37.
THE BONDED DEBT
of the state is Sll l,S03, 600, the longest
bonds extending in time to 1897, of
which sum the present general assem-
bly, must provide for the payment of
1882, 900, The governor says that
81, 200,0 of the balance of Slab
S9j.37 in the treasury can safely be
used in further reducing the debt,
leaving 1882, 600 to be provided for in
1885 and 1856, and thinks that the por-
tion falling due in 1856 and 1887 can be
refunded at 4 lower rate of interest
than the state is now paying. The ap-
preparation OF 100000 by the last as
sembly for the redemption and pur-
chase of state bonds proved insufficient,
and the legislature is admonished to
avoid such errors in the future, n large
sum which could have been used for
this purpose having been permitted to
| -, 10, trn A of
the Hannibal and St. Joseph case is
given, and the governor recommends
that steps be taken at once towards
the payment of interest on the same.
Missouri has kept pace with her sis
ter states in the matter of railroads,
which should be managed on the part
of congress and the states with rs little
legislation as possible, and that on
vital points. There are few persons
who have any conception of the rapid
ity with which
TRANSPORTATION RATES
have been reduced since the close of
the civil war A table is given show
ing total reduction in seventeen
years of S3S2, ,9i7, ,4S6. 26 on the Penn
sylvania railroad alone, thus reducing
the average charge of carrying freight
to less than one cent per mile. A
table of through freight rates in Michi-
gan showing rate of ninety-seven
cents a mile in 1882 is given; also
table for Illinois showing rate of
SlO9 in 1888, and one Tor Missouri
showing the rate to be Sl.40 for
freight in 1883 and the rate for local
and through passenger fares to be
81 SO per mile. The governor thinks
that no one could design a clearer
demonstration of the futility of legisla-
ton on the subject, and expresses the
opinion that the commissioners could
do more with the managers of the rail
roads in quiet and less expensive
way than can bo done by Legislative
action. Also that the railroad laws
are sufficiently explicit and that only
minor amendments are required
Since May /, 1883, there have been
constructed in the state 236 miles of
railroad; l13 miles in 1888, and 1873 in
1884, through the counties of Charlton,
Clinton, Cape Girardeau, Greene, Hen
ry, Howell, Polk, Stoddard and Wayne,
making 4,73S miles now in operation.
The gross earnings are estimated at
$29, 100000.
The state prison has a balance of
S2S,411.72 to its credit. The new PEN
tentiary buildings have been COM
pletcd, and are equal if not superior to
those erected for like purposes in any
of the states. Fifteen hundred and
forty prisoners were on hand Decem-
Der 81, 1884, their maintenance and
guarding costing the state 3ll cents
per capita. Those pardoned have,
with few exceptions, at once engaged
in honest industry and made law abid-
ing citizens of themselves. Two pris-
oncrs have been pardoned on each re-
curing Christmas day and Fourth of
July. The governor strongly recon-
mends the erection of a reformatory
school for youthful criminals. The
passage of law remanding per-
sons acquitted of crime on the
ground of insanity to some
insane asylum is recommended.
Governor Crittenden suggests that the
Downing law be either repealed or
amended so as to make it applicable to
every part of the state alike.
THE DOWNING LAW.
Governor Crittenden speaks of the
Downing law in the following terms:
suggested that this law should
either be repealed or so amended as to
make it applicable in its provisions to
every part of the state alike. This
law has been in part made imperative
in the city of St. Louis by the pre-
sumed existence and operation of the
act of 1857. am not inclined to that
view, but as it. was so declared by a
court of adequate jurisdiction, the
civil authorities of the city acquiesced
in the ruling. suggest that the act
of 1857 be repealed, thus leaving the
Downing law in unquestioned opera
ton over the whole state. As police
law, | think the Downing law has
already accomplished much good, and
can be made much more effective, with
certain amendments. No law should
remain dead letter upon the statute
books. If good one, 1t should be en-
forced. If a bad one, it should be re-
pealed. In 1880 there were 3,042
licensed dramshops, 1877 wine and beer
saloons and ninety drug stores retail
ing liquor under the then existing
license' The state license. together