The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-01-12
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.

OyHOpSlS vi IL very ElaDOfatc fIpef.
Many Matters Of State Interest
Touched Upon.
The Governors message opens as
follows: alt is the duty, under the
constitution of North Carolina, of the
occupant of the executive chair to
communicate to you a summary Of the
material facts in the history and oper-
atoms of the various departments of
the State, since the adjournment of
General Assembly with such con-
siderations in reference to the public
welfare as may seem pertinent to the
well-being of the people, and the
honor and prosperity of the common
wealth. This service has fallen to me
to perform by reason of the sorrowful
dispensation of Providence whereby
the late distinguished and patriotic
Governor Of the State, Daniel G..
Fowle, was suddenly called from his
arduous service in public duty, on the
9TH day of April, 1891. On the sue
ceeding day, April 9Th, l took the
oath Of Office, at the hands of the
Chief Justice, in obedience to the law,
and participated in the solemn Ger
emory with which the people laid to
rest the eminent statesman, so long
and honorably identified with the
history Of his State. Rarely, if ever,
within the period of a gubernatorial
term of four years, have the chief
executive and judicial Offices of North
Carolina been SO thinned by the hand
of death. The Governor, in the midst
Of the honored career that has been
referred to; the able and devoted
Secretary of State, who has left an
imperishable monument in the col
lected Colonial Records of Caro-
lima the industrious and experienced
Treasurer, who had given a life time
to his complicated labors; two Chlel
Justices Of the Supreme Court, re-
nowned in the forum and upon the
bench, associated no less with ma
tional legislation than with their re-
sponsible judicial duties at homeland
another Justice Of that exalted tribu-
nal, peculiarly dear to the whole
people, as an exemplar of private
virtue and official probity. Nor can
omit to add to this shining roll of the
departed great, the name Of the soldier
and the statesman who left the execu-
tive Office at the beginning Of the
present term, to enjoy the sweets OF
private life, but briet period before
his summons from earth. Recalling
with pain these sore bereavements,
and bereft of the wise counsels and
patriotic efforts of the departed, let US
yet rejoice that such names are en-
rolled in the history of the State, for
the encouragement OF her children,
and to stir generous emulation to
repeat such examples of purity and
patriotism. The vacancies thus Gre
a,ed by death were filled by appoint
ments as follows: Capt. Octavius
Coke succeed Hon. w. L. Saun-
ders, by appointment Of Governor
Fowle; Hon. James c. MacRae
succeeded Hon. Joseph ]. Davis as
Justice of the Supreme Court, by my
appointment. In like manner Chief
Justice Augustus S. Aerrimon was
succeeded by Justice Shepherd, and
the vacancy thus created filled by the
appointment of Hon. Armistead
Burwell. To the position of Treas
urer of the State, held by the late
Hon. Donald w. Balm, Col. Samuel
Med. Tate was appointed
The message first touches upon the
finances. Their condition is highly
satisfactory. The gain in value of
real and personal property in two years
is s15,oso,oeo, and in assessment of
railroad property $4,000, 900. In re-
gard to pensions 4,7II are on the roll
and the past year were paid S96I,9sI.
OF those 2,81S are winows.
He suggests legislation regarding
building and loan associations.
The suit in regard to special tax
bonds (the Baitzer and Tack case) is
referred to.
The present banking system is
referred to as being. with the tariff,
one of the two great causes of the