Telegram-herald., 1891-01-09
TIE TWO MESSAGES


Gsasssna 80 szsA Dssel
e pnhfe sksiss tAaa I EN- nd1 ktsls -
ne6kinR ~ the inko<usflen you now
k4vc. HIS diligence and fiehfy hare
made hzn fnmihar win tns nanage-
aent q ~ vnrieos pohlio incfitutioEs.
And to naonaaxre 81 slacoom ox taLiure
N Their admlnlsEration. command
bic eonelasiors and sugyessiols 70 your
careful eonsldssssloa.
szArE UNIVERSITY
Yin Guhmistln& THAR esfj mates for the
BEET two yeazs / thlnk the kexsats OF
the unlversity have acted in : spirit CT
the stsistest seoaomy. Their request
v Cor SIS, 90 less than asked for two
years ago. and etooo Iem than VAS then
granted, and tns needs OF the Unlver-
SHY, owing % largely increased At.
tendance. are necessarily greater, and
mora room aud accommodations are
required. While visiting the iastisu-
ton observation convinced me that
utility vas the aim in ell expenditures.
aud II the SANG policy 10 continued, -
Think ~ viii b, every dollar you may
grant viii b carefully and judiciously
used.
ssfhs University OF Michigan takes
high RANK IN tha educational world,
and exerts powerful influence OH the
intellectual life of the state aud nation.
command its Interests 70 your favor
able consideration. =
PRISONS AND REFoRAAroRiEs.
'srhs prisons and reformatories are
among our most important Institutions.
not only IS regards the value OF the
plants and the character OF their work,
but also as regards the policy which
should control them. Successful prison
management requires special quAlitica-
tons IN the warden and his subordin-
ates. Questions other than the coniine-
ment and support of convicts are in.
VOWED IN prison government. and long
study aud familiarity with criminal
classes and their conditions are ncces-
szry to tit men to deal WITH them WISE
ly. Believing that our prisons should
have the best executive and business
talent obtalnable for their manage
ment, have elsewhere recommended
that all our penal institutions be placed
under the control OF = single board.
This board should, so far as possible,
DO nou.partisan, and should appoint the
Wardens and have general supervision
OF the institution. The wardens of our
prisons are the only officers at the head
of State institutions who are appointed
by the Governor. The other executive
heads Of institutions are appointed by
the respective governing boards, and
sound policy demands that the prison
management be non-political.
ELECTION LAW
"All are agreed as to the desirability
OF ballot reform, and our new election
law is generally approved as q step in
the right direction. The booth feature
gives every voter an opportunity to be
alone with his guaranty of purity in
elections. A practical test of our law
has shown that some amendments are
needed 20 render it entirely efficient
and satisfactory. / suggest the follow
ing:
/. Let the law apply to all elections.
2. Let the distribution or using of
ballots outside the booths be prohibited
under the seyerest penalties.
8. Let the ballots be printed by the
county clerks under the supervision Of
the party committees, and be delivered
by the county clerks TO the inspectors
of elections. Let the ballots be paid
for by the State in all State elections,
and by the townships and cities in
township and municipal elections.
4. A more expeditious method Of
counting should be adopted.
5. favor the Australian system, or
some modification which would render
unnecessary the use of slips or pastors"
Attention is called to the necessity
for some change in the laws relating to
the highways Of the State, and the adj
of better wagon roads pointed
out. Some general system of road
making is advised.
TAXATION.
"There 10 general feeling among all
classes, but more pronounced, perhaps,
among the agricultural and industrial
people, that public expenditures nave
increased much more rapidly than the
ability of the people to pay, and that
our civilization 10 becoming very ex-
pensive. Greater simplicity would bet
ter accord with the present circum-
stances and condition OF our people.
"There ia no desire TO lower our stand
ard OF civilization or impair the effi-
cheney of our various stitutions, but
the people believe that simplicity and
wise economy promote, rather tlan I'M
pede, human virtues and improvement.
Our people are willing To support gen.
erously those public expenses which
tend to the general welfare, but they
also believe that State taxes are too
high, aud that no public institution
need suffer ii less tax is levied. Taxa.
ton has steadily increased year by year,
while the ability TO pay, ~ least by the
largest class of taxpayers, the farmers,
has diminished. There should be an
effort made to reduce taxation. The
demand that only careful and needed
expenditures be authorized is impera-
tive and should be needed.
Your own wisdom and experience
will suggest ways and means of afford
ing relief, but / call attention to some
features of our present system which
seems TO me to need correction.
sour system OF State taxation needs
. thorough revision for the purpose of
the assessment On the two
classes of property, that subject TO
specific tax, and that subject to local
taxation. Every industry. business
and property interest should bear its
Just share OF the burden of taxation.
but, under our present system, that
vast amount of property which pays
specific tax, pays At least one-half less
in proportion TO its value than the
property subject to direct and local tax
alton, thus adding TO the burden of