Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-01-14
VOICES or THE rzEss.
The o5vssnor's Addrsss.
fArocetook RsrubIican.1

h 1OtcAo@f fPbs-rttat GrtzvE1tG 111 = AAf4s>A
iranzE.ai atdsess hufsday forenoon. and
| II = safe % ssy shs- fhe differences Of No
| Chief Excessive # the Sssss on similar
| OCCASION have ever been received BY Tie
rsorls without regard 20 party With mere
| general approval. The address occupied
aocu, AZ bo1r in the delivery, and dealt in
q concise bu. c,ssr ard comprehensive ~ay
vita tie important questions that concs-n
tie iafefssts Of the whale people. TIE
| Gove-no,'s sxaerierH and natural financial
abilities enisen,iy qualify him fes
the dsseussion Of Gues.ions of frauc-
we're p-ssersed in such manner - TO call
ont universal csmrerdstian Or ire sub-
| j. CT Of ballot reform the Governor nkss
ssvaseeS g-rnnd, ard his general positions
sre i--s -ss,iN wflile some may rot fuiiy
.pqroye he sdep'ion Of the Australian bal
fcs as tsi- sss, n.e.-s Of aecuriog q elegr
| -, inderenien. expression Of ''shs voice
o. the pec-le, - the crest majority are COM
| II to believe ,aa. such system Of votinz
| 10 csseuisssd 10 promote that desirable end,
| sTid are wiling 70 adopt - ss m which has
been triei ia o,h~r ssa,es with srtis-
| fsrioyy fes1lts. and which il, therefore,
not merely an experiment. The views
Oh 'Jbt''lsf DAfsGiSu tpDn JSls, ~
boldly aed clearly expressed, should re-
ceive careful consideration. As tie paners
have already enabled oar readers to study
the entire messsgs. il IS enough nov 10
st4se thar. in nanner aad matter, in siyie
OF expression ard in eiesfness of thought,
| the address of Governor Burieigh has never
| been surpassed and rarely eqsalled. The
commeuds,ions bestowed upon it by all
classes. and especially by the eomDnr-
sssse eGmmoa people, are well deserved
AID very gratifying.
Portland Advertiser.
Governor Burleigh's inaugural address is
OF uncommon ihterss, Tie two subjects
OF foremost Importance ihst now occupy
public attention are taxation and ballot re
form. AMI to tie consideration Of these the
Governor addresses himself particularly.
In regard tn revision OF tie tax lsws,
Goveraor Barieiga properly Insists that
full. Uniform and frequent valuation is es-
sSDrial 10 adequate reform Of the system
| snd be advises bienrial valuation b. a
non partisan Stale board Of IS
J s4ssofs He clearly poiat. ont the
| fsultiness of the present plan OF dscennisl
yalaa;ioos AID Truly ssys that justice TO all
| ESH u uDnt btftF " u ifrIlHSh
of values. ahicA are continual, changing.
Els suggestion Is pertinent. that special
commiGsc should be sppointei 10 consider
| this important sntjecs
The Governors endorsement of the Sc
cret bslio, leaves no,hieg on his part to be
| desired. II am firmly convinced" he gays.
| THAT the time has come for Maine to
adopt the Australian system OF voting" lie
1 ~. -. EnA t,..a ed st.
* ~ rimen'si stage, that il has been adopt
ed ny the more .hsn third of
| the States and that these unanimously agre e
| hist IT is the bsst method ye, devised 70
.ecu,e good ca iidates for political office
AMI maintain the purity OF thf ballot Its
wisdom hss been clearly established This
being the case. the Governor heartily can.
mends the system and urges its adoption 10
Maine. The halo, reformers have reason
TO congratulate themselves on this ;mpo,-
taat addition to their forcee.
| The address SPEAKS in cheerful tone Of
material conditions aud prospects. For one
thing. the savings banks show an increase
approaching fur millions in deposit. the
past year, and az increase of over 40, 900
in the number of depositors. This
| is signifi cant A State that is able
TO add four millions to lis savings
ia a year is surely not going back
ward Emigration has been checked,
Maine people are awakening to the realiza-
| ton that they can do as welt or better by
staying At home, capita, is seeking invest
nept ia domestic enterprises, ne. indus.
| ries are being established, natural resources
are being DEVELOPED and labor is finding
better opportunities of employment.
| The evident growth of the manufsc-
| turing interests of the State the Governor
considers encouraging to She farmers, siacs
| il will terd (, increase the demand
for farm products Altogether he
thinks that "at no time siuce the var has
the future of Maine looked brighter =
| Such hopeful, words as these should silence
the croakers ard reas the good citizens
whn have faith in their State and its future.
| Other points of particular interest in The
address relate to the preservation of for
ests. fish and game, to the State board of
health, prohibition, Stste reformstcry for
women the Columbian exposition snd thu
proposed constitutional amendment. BIZ
| the constitution the legislature elects the
adj utant general. Governor Durleigh
considers this an anomaly. and that by
right. the comm ander-in-chief should be
allowed to appoint his chief OF staff. This
| seems reasonable, and unless good reason
! should appear to the contrary there will
| probably be little opposition TO making the
| proposed change. One very imr ostant re
commentator is that oficisl registration Of
| births and deaths should be instituted 1t ap.
pears that Maine is behiad other States in this
regard, which ought not to be, and it is plain
! that uithou. Official registration no vital
statistics of value can be obtained. The
expense would probably no. be large ia
I proportion to the benefit conferred. Gov
ernor Burleigh's concluding words are wor-
! thy of particular attention: I'VE are uo'
here as the representatives. of any special N
terests or sections Of the State, bu. as tie
representatives. ef all Interests and all sec.
tons. Let US act fearlessly and canscien-
tiously for The furtherence of wbstever, ir
our judgment, may be for-the highest good
! of the whole State" This is good advice
snd should be needed.
Lewiston journal.
| For the past two years there has been
| profitable agitation of tax reform issues in
! Mace, ard the necessity of more equi-
table system Of raising the wherewithal C
run the public machinery. has been uni.
verssily yecogn z ID. His Exceliency
Governor Buylpigh, in his compact and ex
| ceilent al lress 10 the Legislature nov in
session. calls attention ID the necessity Of
q full and fair valuation as basis for tn
tax-rquity thai Is so SLOW in coming. moi
hecsuse people dislike justice in the ali
strsct. but because the only man who
thinks he isn't already Cvertaxsd, died and
was eancnizsd many years ago.
HIS Exceilepey makes g significant re-
mark when he calls attention to the fac
that twice as mach property is found by the
United States census takers in Marie az by
the town and ciry assessors Why? Large
ly because it has been The practice. more
or less, to undergalue property, sithouga
by so doing the rate PER cent is
carried up. Yet many folks seem 10 for.
get tina. $ riece of properly worth aud
rs'ed At 81 ,0C0 at per cent rate pays m
more tax han the same property assessed
at 81 600 at 2 per cent rate. The injus.
tee comes not in SO or 70 per cent basi.
Of valuation operating generally through.
out town, but in the fact that in 6iffs.en;
towns different Standards exist. For eI.
ample, last year in 4 cartain town.
ss correspondent informs MS
the agitation of tax reform led the
assessors to make q new raid on proper
~, largely. as il turned ou., on real estate
they carried up she valuation of real IS
tate considerably. which rise was cougfatu-
latorily footed up as the discovery Of new
property. They were, accordingly. enabled
70 reduce the rate CT taxation. ard every
b,dy shock hanSs with everybody
else over an era of reform. Ru'