The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-01-19
due OTTAWA Iree Grader.
Ottawa, H.. January 10, 1850,
Current Events.

ade" display, or flummery Oh tha' hipu'
simpie military escort of the new Governor
and his predecessor 10 the capl"i'
The legislature met In jcint session In the
house CHAMBER, and al 23O the speaker
called order, when Chief Justice Craig ad-
ministered the oath of CiliCe 10 Gov. Flier
ard after him 10 Lieut.. Gov Ray and The
various other state officers assuming the
duties of their Offices on that day.
Following the oath, Gov. Fiier delivered
his Inaugural address, -an elaborate Mort.
After the Introductory sentences ana tri
butte TO the retiring executive, he TOOK up
severally the topics If "a" Tree ballot hnd n
fair count the laborer and his needs, the
protection of property from lAW!esshes'
Istrikers and anarchis'sG and the improve
ment of workshops aud mines in the way
of sanitary provisions and in life. protecting
appliances, and raised his voice. against
imported labor, which, he said, should he
provided against by the national govern
ment. He briefly alluded 10 the Piukerton
outrage. but said, which Is not strlctly,
though nominally, perhaps, true, thAt the
law giving them authority hau Dteh re-
pealed July |, 1887, and he SAID, 80
far as | know has been respected ana
obeyed by all the citizens II the state.
Mr.. Filters "education' during the last
campaign does not seem TO have been very
complete on this suhj1ct,-ss he may ma
out later Continuing, he called attention
10 the enormous importance OF our pubic
schools, and that the compulsory educa~
tIopal law, now a dead letter, should be
enforced.
On the conclusion of Gov. Filters ad
dress. Oglesby was called for, and made n
speech highly commendatory of every
thing in general and Of OglesDy in partic-
Mar la the Senate chamber, Lieut. Gov.
Smith made a" farewell" address and Ray
assumed the chair.
On Monday morning, before the inaug-
uration of Gov. Fifer, Gov. Oglesby sent
final message to the Legislature, urging
again the reform of the revenue code, call
ing attention 10 the draft Of law sub
mittpd by the revenue commission, which
he believed, If adopted would greatly i'm
prove the present system of taxation. Ii
certainly can't be made much worse than
II is; and the governor Is not far wrong
when he saws: Unless some policy Shall
be adopted to arrest what now seems TO be
the settled purpose of the local assessors,
70 constantly reduce valuations. 1t must be
plain 10 any rejecting mind That sooner or
later the whole revenue system will be
shipwrecked " Nor Is he far wrong when
he SAYS that " lands and town lots now bear
much the larger share Of taxation IL
was Prof Ely, we believe, who said, as one
result of his examination OF the subject OF
In American states, that the lands
paid IS percent Of all the taxes levied, and
personal properly only Is. When to this
So per cent OF local taxes the farmer adds
his tariff taxes, he can readily figure out
why 1t Is that the farmer no longer gets
rich as he did In " war times The gov
srnor also renewed the recommendation OF
MS message of last week, that the legisla'
ure find some method of s. living the pen
tentiary problem
The auditor estimates the am cunt needed
for state expenses from Oct |, 1883, to
July |, 1889, at $2,Gl2lS1 During the two
last fiscal years he drew warrants for state
expenses Of $40, 3G0,236 State charities
cost SO 423, 965; schools, ~, 475022; the
executive, $367,l7s; military, $326,003; !
live stock commission, &c $l44, 4S0; leg
stature, $35i.3ll; local bond disburse-
nents, S2,s24,sS7
Among the laws proposed this week were
One to limit sleepng-car rates to $l0O
Tor lower and Is cents for upper berths
per "a hours one TO create state board Of
arbitration; one limiting railway fares to
Be per mile; one repeating the Merritt
act. On "Wednesday Hurst, of
Rock Island, presented an important bill.
1t provides for the printing by the state of
all ballots to be cast at a general election
upon petition OF not less than thousand
votes, the names of all the candidates are
% be printed on one ballot In order that
the voter may signify by cross mark the
list of candidates for whom he desires to
vote; the bill seeks 10 give the voter an
to make his ballot unseen by
the general public, and provides tor en-
closed stalls mt the voting pleces,-all OF
which Is very pretty specializing, but II
won't prevent the manipulation OF the
voters In blocks of five any more than
does the present law. Orr of Lake, pro-
poses TO regulate telephone charges, fixing
the rate at $3 month for one, and at ~
a month where party rents more than
one. Mr. Pepean wants $4,000 invested In
medals TO be given to Illinois soldiers and
sailors Of the late war
Ou w uNVuiuS thC Ntbi'Iid'lN
senatorial caucus was held at the st.
hotel Tom Merritt nominated
Gen. John NJ. Palmer, and he was chosen
as the candidate by acclamstion In his
speech on this occasion ten. Palmer said
y The democratic party Is now the hope Of
the country, Ii has nothing To offer the
people except an honest, constitutional
gOvsrnment-nO bOunties or subsidies.
The hour OF triumph is not 50 distant. Al
the last campaign the delusion Of protec.
ton was off cred the lahnring people. No
party can redeem all the promises made
by the republican party, and the farmers
VINO disappointed us will come to their
senses. Unfortunately, In elections, the
national election absOrbs too much atten- !
tiOn add too little attention Is given to the |
affairs of each state. Invited the peoples |
attention to Illinois sif and was met
always with some catChwOrd like pauper
wages or we put down the rebellion"
The U. 3. Senate finished reading the
tariff bill on Saturday, and this week spent
a large part OF Its time going back and |
passing on sections passed on the first read |
Ing, and fixing up the bill for vote on IL |
as whole to take place on Monday. 1t |
will be found, we think, In the matter |
Of pure taxation to be an advance toward |
greater taxation rather than toward re- |
1uction.
The inherent cursedness of the whole