The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-01-19
GOV. FIPERlS INAUGURAL.

with fulsom eulogy of his predecess I,
Gov, Oglesby, branches off into a DISGUST
ton in favor of greater purity in our poll
tics and the conduct Of our elections,
touches" the subject of detective abuse,
grows less humorous than voluminous on
the subject of labor protection, and winds
up with half a column of platitudes in re-
gard 10 our common schools.
! On this last named topic, amid so many
words, our new governor encloses two
ideas: that to derive the full benefit from
our common schools, more thorough prep
ara'ion and higher standard of excellence
on the part of teachers is necessary; and
that more stringent provision should be
made for the enforcement Of our ccmpul-
sorry educational law, on the Gen Grant
principle, that If the law is not good one
the surest way to secure its repeal Is rigid
enforcement.
Gov. Fifer was evidently unable to rid
| himself of unpleasant recollectiOns of his
heated controversies on the stump with
Gen. Palmer in regard to the Pinkerton
detectives. Admitting the vicious char.
acter of the system, he repeats the old
chestnut that the evil was effectually
guarded against by the law of 1887, but
ignores the fact that by subsequent
amendment of that law greater license
than ever was given the Pinkertons for
the srming and parading of private de-
tectives," under the sham pretense Of run
ming down horse-thieves land other
offenders" and he suggests no abrogation
or change of that vicious amendment.
1t was, of course, unavoidable on the
part of Gov, Fifer, since 1t has become a
universal fad on the part Of all governors
and other high functionaries since the
election, In their public utterances, to refer
to and deprecate the impurities and vices
that have grown up in our popular election
system Intimidation, trading and bribery
cut so conspicuous and audaciuus figure
In the last presidential election, that some
plan or device TO curb so glaring a wrong
obtrudes itself unavoidably as first In
importance to the maintenance of our
free institutions. The governor could have
enhanced the interest Of his remarks by
citing few "modern instances" as, for
example, the Dorsey system of dividing
up the Indiana deuEtfuls Into purchasable
groups of tive,' by which, no doubt, that
state was carried for Harrison; and the
open and shameless bribery in Brooklyn
and trading of presidential for mayorality
votes In New York city, through which
the great state of New York vas wrested
from Cleveland, and thus the defeat of his
election accomplished. Ignoring such
trtllng facts, however, the governor con-
tents himself with suggesting as a remedy
simply that our present laws against bribery
at elections be so amended that he who
pays the bribe be held as equally guilty
with him that receives 1t, and punished
accordingly.
But 1t is In regard to the protection Of
the laboring man that the governor makes
his nearest approach To becoming eloquent.
4" God has created him in his own image"
he says, mot only with a stomach to feed +,
but has given him soul with hopes and
aspirations to be satisfied" Not to higgle
over the theological point whether the
"image" involved the stomach to feed"
the means suggested to provide proven
der" for the one and to satisfy the sspira-
lions of the other, are prosaiC enough con-
siderug the loftiness of the theme. Greater
safety is suggested in the construction of
factory buildings and tie arrangement of
mines, and system of arbitration to settle
disputes in regard 10 wages, Our work.
men also need protection against the impor-
tation of cheap labor from abroad, and
though state legislation alone can accom-
plsh little in that direction, II can at least
forbid the employment of any but Ameri-
can citizens upon our public works.
meaning probably, as the state has no pub
lie works, the employment Of foreigners
as aborers and scavengers Ia our cities and
other municipalities.
But is II not a little singular that while
Gov. Flfer is so solicitous for the welfare
of the laborers in our factories, shops,
mines, &c, he Is utterly obvious of the
interests of that other large body of labor
ers, involving more than rslf of AL who
" earn their bread by the sweat If their
brow"-to-wit, the farmers, for whom he
has not single good word to utter It is
because the farmers generally vote right
anyhow, while refractory operatives at the
late election showed strong propensity to
fly the track.
There is no industry In the country that
approaches the magnitude of that OF the
farmer; nay, all other industries combined