The Osceola times., 1885-01-24
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
Delivered to the General Assembly
by Governor s. p. Hughes.

Approaching the distinguished honor OF
my election to the first position In the gift of
the people of the state, and with a deep
sense of the high responsibility imposed by
the Constitution and laws upon It's chief
magistrate, l shall enter upon the discharge
of my official duties with distrust OF my
abilities, and trusting TO the mercy and good.
ness of that bene1cent and omniscient Being
who controls the destinies of individuals and
OF states, and relying for encouragement and
support in all just efforts to promote, by
legitimate means the prosperity and welfare
OF the commonwealth upon the intelligence
virtue and patriotism OF the people and their
representatives; believing that in the su.
premacy of the law and its strict observance
and enforcement are to be found the best
and surest safeguards of the rights of life
liberty and prosperity and of the peace
and happiness OF the people of every free
State.
For the peace and prosperity enjoyed by
the people of the state, under the honest and
conservative administration of the state
Government by my immeainte predecessor,
and the other excellent state officers associ-
ated with him, we have much cause to be
grateful.
Within the last few years the population of
the State has largely increased the area Of
her cultivated land has been greatly enlarged !;
the means OF transportation and travel within
her borders, have been much extended; her
laws have been vindicated by certain and
speedy enforcement and the condign punish.
ment OF malefactors; her villages and towns
have increased In number and population,
and her people enjoy wide spread content
ment peace and prosperity.
Our liberal common school system is cheer.
fully supported by voluntary taxation. and
the facilities for better and more general ed
ucation have been multiplied and improved,
and we Justly cherish the hope of their still
greater Increase and Improvement.
hiHliN
which general education gives OF the eontn.
uance OF good government, and of the pres.
ervation and enjoyment of the blessings of
liberty. ! hope we recognize the truth of
tn at elegant expression of brilliant and
gift ed statesman that education Is the
guardian of liberty and the bulwark of NOR
atty" Let us foster and support our free
schools and Institutions OF learning with
enlightened lberality.
In addition to the means OF education the
State now has, hope to see established, ms
soon as the financial condition of the state
vii | warrant, an agricultural college, where
the youth OF the State may acquire scientific
and practical knowledge of agriculture,
horticulture, the mechanic arts, the proper
growth and care OF stock. and the diagnosis
and treatment of their diseases.
The state has many fertile and valuable
lands that are unoccupied and unproductive
we boast of rich mineral deposits that are
almost wholly undeveloped. Our climate Is
salubrious, our forests of valuable timber are
the finest and most magnificent; the extent
Of our navigable waters is greater, perhaps,
than that of any state In the Union. We
raise the staple products of our latitude, and
the finest fruits and vegetables in great
abundance and still the population of the
state, though rapidly incrC asing, is sparse
and meager, and yet the State has done com
paratvely nothing to induce immigration
and to develop and build up her agricul-
tural, mining and manufacturing interests.
An abundant population is the basis of
wealth, strength and greatness In every
State. We need more people to utilize our
vast forests; to reduce to cultivation ourwild
lands, that have gathered fertility from the
repose OF centuries, to aid in the develop
ment of our inexhaustible mineral wealth,
and the establishment of manufactures; 20
swell our taxable values, and contribute to
the reduction of taxes, and the maintenance
Of reduced rates OF taxation.
1t Is worthy of consideration how we may
best induce good people from other states to
cast their lot with us, and to aid us with
their brain, labor and capital, and to enjoy
with us the blessings of liberty and good
government, which Ihope may ever be main
tained In Arkansas, and be bequeathed as a
priceless heritage to successive generations
for all time.
In Article X, Section ], of the Constitution
II Is provided that "the General Assembly
shall pass such laws As Will foster and aid
the agricultural, mining and manufacturing
Interests OF the state, and may create bu-
reau, TO be known as The Agricultural, MIN
Ing and Manufacturing Bureau"
am OF opinion that such a bureau, proper
lie conducted, would induce immigration and
contribute to the development and material
ofnnend that the General Assembly consider
wen the importance and feasibility OF estab-
fishing the same.
also recommend that the General Assem-
iiy consider The nee ssity Tor tie Or aniza-
tion OF stae wea her serS ice, which, am
assured from n rel able source, can by or
ganized and continued for two years AT a
cost Of about 81 200 for the tw o years, most of
the work being Performed by volunteer OBJ
servers without salary, and that the In orma-
,ion derived from such source would be
"A a o. COZ lsla "A n All
United states signal service, special warn
lngs being telegraphed to observers from
Washington. IL Is estimated that such SER
vice could be had at the cost named from
thirty different stations in the state.
can not refrain from adverins briefly to
the condition of many of the swamp lands of
the state, Will h wete entered with "lf wee
bonds, and have since Teen conveyed for
valuable consideration to Innocent purchas
els, who In many instances, have made their
homes upon them. The supreme Court in
woodward VS.. Campbell, 81 srks. $50 de-
cided that payment for land OF the state in
leVee bonds Is NJ payment, and the pur-
chaser acquires no right thereby" So, many
of these innocent actual settlers who bought
and improved these lands and have paid
taxes on them for ten or twelve years, are
without any title to their homes. A sense of
justice constrains me to urge upon the GEN
eral Assembly to make such provision in re-
gard to the titles to these lands as honor and
good conscience may demand. II the titles
be not confirmed, the state certainly ought
not and Will not refuse to refund the taxes
received upon her own lands.
cannot forego the pleasure OF congratu-
lating the General Assembly and the people
OF the state upon the greatly improved con
dition of the State in her finances and gen
eral material interests since ls7i-when n
most unhappy and deplorable condition of
things prevailed.
There were then outstanding more than
s2,5OO,Oo0 of Arkansas Treasurer's certificates
of Indebtedness, familiarly called estate
scrip" much of which bore interest at five
per cent and eight per cent. per annum
This state scrip" was receivable in payment
of all state, county and municipal taxes and
debts due the state except the tax to pay in
terest on the public debit. The amount " as
equal to one half of the undlsputed bonded
debt of the state with all interest to date
Hence no money could be realized by
either state or county taxation, as all taxes
were discharged in estate scrip" so en-
barrassed was the condition of the state
financially that she was unable to pay for
printing the acts of the General Assembly of
lsit, at n cost of about Sl,300. until the
amount was raised upon the note OF the state
officers
This State scrip was worth from twenty to
twenty five cents on the dollar In the winter
of 1874 IS; now only nominal amount, II
any, is outstanding, and IL has been worth
about par for some time.
The Brooks Baxter way bonds, issued to
pay the expenses OF the Brooks Baxter
troubles, and made to bear ten per cent. per
annum interest, amounting to s2s0.000. and
to pay which the revenues of the state were
pledged, and which were considered sacred
obligations OF the state, and as the price of
her deliverance from anarchy and public
confusion and distress, have been fully paid
The Loughborough bonds, devised to bridge
over the embarrassed financial condition OF
the State, superinduced by great extrava-
gance and the ruinous policy OF issuing
state scrip" amounting to 432 ,0o0-have
been paid, save the sum OF SlS6 S6,O00-bolong-
Ing to the state school fund and TO Wash
ington County.
The State has ceased to borrow money and
Is on currency basis In meeting her cur
rent expenses. / can not conceive of any
greater calamity that could befall her fnan-
cially than a return to the borrowing of