Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-01-15


ALVIN p HoVEY
Harrison occupi ed box with few friends
upon the right of the stage Governor elect
Hovey's appearance was the signal for a
burst OF applause, and without unnecessary
delay be stepped forward and delivered his
nuyural.
Gen. HOvey devoted good deal of atten-
ton to the matter of corfu ption at election
and on this head made the following sugges-
tons:
1. II is the duty of the general assembly under
the Ninety-ifth section of our constitution to
provide for the registration o. all persons entitled
to vote This amendment has been In force since
March Il, 1881, but no law has yet been enacted
and the constitution has been disregarCed re.
commend that provisions be made for fun and
fair registration of all legal voters where the
rights of each elector can be Investigated by the
day of election. Any person who shall hire or
prevent any elector from beng duly registered
should he subjected 10 fine and Imprisonment
9. Limit the number OF ele ctors 10 each cleo
ton precinct they shall not exceed 800 voters
B Provide that every precinct shall be- sur
rounded and protected by some kind of barriers
or guard rails which will prevent all persons ex-
cept the persons voting. from approaching
nearer than forty or fifty feel from the Inspect
ors, judges and clerks Of elec ion and make. the
infraction OF this rule misd -meanor punishabl.
by fine
Provide that the buying or Offering to buy
the vote of any elector. directly or indirectly or
by any subterfuge, or evasion, pretense or by
hiring any person TO work for the election of any
candidate at the polls shall be criminal with
penalty of Acknowledgement FOR life to the briber
and the brlhed. and for a second offense after
conviction let the penalty De not less than two
years in the state prison. Men who will thus
pollute and corrupt the ballot are not worthy of
..a-fynrr IL, al.
never be- trusted. l suggest that it might h..
policy to exempt witnesses from punishment in
bribery cases where they may be impli, ated 1t
will be almost impossible to convict the guilty
bruer without such exemption
5 Make 1t unlawful and criminal for any
political convention or committee to demand ex
act, or receive an assessment or contri button
from any candidate for Office and provid. the
penalty OF Acknowledgement for life to the mem
Der or members of such conve ntion or committee
who may demand or attempt to enforce such as
sesSment contribution No Office should be
placed beyond the reach of the poorest man in
the state. Nominations nov said to have
their price, like the Roman purple of ancient
days, and it i, our duty, if possible, TO put an end
to such corruption.
3. Make it unlawful with heavy fine and i'm
prisonment for any person to challenge legal
voter at the polls. Let the ch illenger beware as
he imputes an attempted crime against the cleo
tor who offers to vote. Let him. before he makes
the challenge be- assured that he himself is not
the criminal Many legal voters have been
driven from the polls by unjust and Illegal chal
enges The challenge at the polls is one of the
most successful devices of the bully and bull
dozer, and should be prohibited under a penalty
Governor Hovey also advocated a local
option law for the sale or prohibition of
ardent spirits as the peope may choose in
each county, city, or Incorporated town. He
recommended severe penalties for the adul-
terstion of articles OF food; urged that the
common schools be provided with free text
books bought by the state or school districts
and loaned to the pupils He said that the
adoption of this system. even should it cost
on the average of 8 to the pupil, would still
leave an annual net saving to Indiana
parents and guardians OF over SSH, 600
Tue oath was then administered to Gen
HOvey, as we'll as to Lieutenant Governor
Chase, and then Governor GRAY made a
brief address, in which he thanked the legis
lature AM the people for their kindness to
him and gave his successor Godspeed
The public reception given at the capitol
last night by Governor II ovey, Lieutenant
Governor Chase aud the newly installed
state officials and their wives was most
brilliant affair. The weather was some W hat
unpropitious, the late rains rem iering the
streets muddy and the sidewalks dis
agreeable. The magnificent capitol. was
Illuminated from cellar 10 dome with its
thousands of lights The scene within the
great ro.unda at 7:30, when the reception
opened, has rarely been surpassed on such
occasions The governor was accompanied
by his daughter, Mrs Menzes, and for two
hours the people streamed 10y.
About 8 o'clock President-elect and Mrs.
Harrison arrived at the governors rooms,
and after paying their respects to the new
executive they returned to the parlors,
where they were kept busy greeting old
friends and shaking hands