The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-01-30
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.

Will Wen repay inc dtbcutlOu ~ 10 eutS w
receive. Since the May session, His
Excellency has been the butt of coarse
Democratic wit and partisan censure,
and this message offers his first opportu-
nifty of publicly noticing their veno-
nous attacks.
In his message Governor Brown treats
his caluminators with a contempt that
excites the risibles, while the few
words he devotes TO the real essence OF
the legislative trouble treats the extra
ordinary situation with courage and
dignity. With the people back of him
Governor Brown may well be firm in
the righteousness of his position. sour
highest judiciary" he says "has sus-
tanned the expediency and legality of
my action in adjourning the General
Assembly, but the circumstances
which evoked the performance of that
duty have not lost their paramount
IMPORTANCE. / commend to your care
full attention and recommend for your
guidance the review of the controversy
by the Supreme Court, and assuming
that equity and reason will prevail, and
that the interests of the people will not
be sacrificed, have deemed it advisable
to continue the custom of presenting a
survey of the years work in the state
departments"
In concluding his message the Gov
ernor again refers to the situation, re-
minds the members of the General
Assembly that they are the guardians
of its character and dignity, and that,
while willing to cooperate with them,
he will not be deferred from the patl, of
duty by denunciation and reproach.
Every unbiased person will agree with
the sentiments of his final remarks and
recognize that he has no fear of submit
ting his action to the people, when he
says, "The peculiar trying conditions
under which we meet will make severe
demands upon the sound judgment and
gracious tact of all, but will not war
rant the neglect of public business.
federation of wrong or sacrifice of
principle is not required and remedy
for every grievance may be speedily and
wisely sought from that popular tri-
bunal whence our authority emanates."
AS review of the work in the differ
ent apartments the message is compre-
hensive and exhaustive. II shows that
the machinery of government is running
smoothly. The state is out Of debt,
thanks to the thirty years of Republican
rule, and there Is a balance of
$194, $40 81 in the treasury. While the
years receipts are 5000, 220.32 more than
those of the previous year, the expendi-
lures have only increased Sl29, ,446.S0,
large portion of which covers special
appropriation.
The recommendation of the governor
are many, touching a,variety of subjects,
the more important being in relation to
the collection of revenue, labor legisla-
ton, constitutional amendments, rail-
road facilities and election laws.
A tax upon inheritances is suggested,
to enable the state TO take smaller
portion of the property thereby leaving
a larger share for the use of the
local authorities who are struggling
against an ever increasing indebted
ness, which amounted last year to over
$4,000, 600 The present system of col
lecting and assessing taxes is pronounced
unfair and unbusinesslike, and a remedy
is sought by the creation of State Board
of Assessors and amendments To the
law regarding the personal property tax.
This matter ought to be promptly
attended TO.
Considerable attention is devoted to
industrial questions, the times demand
ing especial prominence of this feature.
The governors utterances upon labor
legislation in general will receive
the approval Of employer and working
man. The message takes the rational
ground that the aim of legislation so far
as IL should go into the matter at all
should be TO create harmony between
employer and employee, rather
than TO hamper the former
in his competition with other states
Much emphasis is given TO the fact that
the great need Of the laborer today is
work. and that the State is in n position
to furnish much relief by vigorously
pushing public improvements. The
working people will have no
difficulty in deciding who are
their friends il in face
Of this statement the Democrats
refuse to pass the appropriation bill. No
time is more opportune for the state TO
spend money especially as 1t has money
to spend for public works can be pushed
m