The Monticellonian., 1895-01-18

 | omy and official efficiency for the officers of tho law to loo, to their constituency, to whom they are immediately responsible, for compensation Tor services rendered
 NEW CONSTITUTION.
 One Of the subjects which will be brought to the atom. oG Of your honorable body will he tho calling Of u constitutional convention. To this proposition l nnd myself unable to as- sent.
 Apart from tho strlngency Of the times, and the neglect of other far moro important mat ters which would en5ue, unless 1t Is proposed to increase taxation, can sec no ne cessity or even expediency for such n step. There never was constitution in the United States which did there never will be a constitution in the United States which will, entirely please single member of the body framing 1t. Constitutions always have been and always will be matters of compromise, and fl you were to ,IraEe new ones every month there would still be as mfG5 ohieetions To the new ones as to tho old mere are many things in our present constitution which would like to changed, but from reasons urged by others for a new constitution, there would be many more features in a new one to which 1 would much more seriously ob- ieet. Take tt al iH all VIC have the very best constitution on the continent, and one under which Arkansas has prospered moro than any other state in the union except one. think 1t advisable ts let well enough alone especially in times like the present. If our very excel | lent friends who met in this city short time since to ask your honorable body to call a con stitutional convention. in the face Of the but recently expressed wishes of the people, will constitute themselves each into a committee of ono to induce capital to come into our state for intes tmeht, and fl they really desire to do Arkansas ssnaily valuable service let them not to forget to publish and to emphasize tho fact that neither our state, our cities our counties gre permitted to issue bonds and to mortgage the citizens property for genera tionS; that in Arkansas neither the state, city nor county officials hayB it in their power to build up q a.repdtatidn for public spirit at the expense of the taxpayers; that no horde df tramps or negro vagaboAds can vote money out of somebody else,s pocket in order that they may secure work, or that somo incipient Tammany may barter in ballots and revel in public plunder.
 My wor, for It. such information will do thousand fold moro for tho commonwealth than any new constitution which could possi. bly, be framed. If they would encourage home-seelIcrs to come to state. settle up it's waste places and aid us in building up n great and prosperous commonwealth lot them not forget to proclaim tho further fact that | here in Arkansas when man plants an ever | green, a vine or fig tree upon hlS home stead, | sets out bed Of flowers, whitowaahes his premises or otherwise adorns his home he can rest in full assurance that his labor will inuure ; to the benefit ef hls wife and children and not to that of the stranger. I am aware that tho cant of hypaer4v will sheer at this as dema- | gogy. But if there be q statoSmanship which has higher and holier aim than to plant deep in the hearts of the citizen the seods of a patriotic love for his country, by rendering tho homes of the pcop'e tasteful lovcablc and ab solutely saenre it is. I frankly confess a statesmanship with which am not acquainted and do not wish t9 he, and on- too under whose : | f may SoIiiiAiVASiS ipp" 'pt eiiN Ho"iAiN hypoorite.
 COMPROMISE OF STATE DEBIT
 The congress of tho United States at it's last session passed an act authorizing the secretary of the interior and secretary of the treasury df the United States to comprOmis9 with the governor Of Arkansas the indebtedness be. twCcn this state and the United States. The General Assembly at a former session had also empowered the governor to make this com promise.
 went in person to Washinrt 1n and called | Hb1Va Ulrna6 officials and pPu6iuy l investigations ot tho records ot their depart ments. the smallpox broke ont in the interior i department and temporarily closed it. and scattered the clerks to distant places. This necessarily suspended negotiations
 Since my thus enforced return I have writ ten several letters urging as speedy action as possible, but as yet the matter has not been i settled.
 That upon fair adjustment. tho United States Is indebted to Arkansas In excess Of the states indebtedness to the national govern ment is only doubted because of the bad book keeping and blundering" which characterized the interior department during tho flfties. Arkansas should not be made the victim Of this fault entirely beyond her control and SO frankly confessed by one Of the department . officials That Arkansas under the circum- , stances will ever consent 10 pay any portion of the state bonds held by the United States government is, and ought to b.. beyond even the possibilities of the future, still further be- yond the probabilities Accordugy the existing unsettled condition of the controversy is breeding conflicts to titles to lands in this state giving great trouble to both state and nation and pr oductive ot benefit to nobody. I am not without hope that an adjustment in. I velving balanclng of accounts and quit claim from the state to all lands within her 3 boundaries will sooner or later be reached
 TREASURERs OFFICE.
 cannot think should discharge all of my duty to the people of the state. If failed in this, my last message to them, and their rep, resentatives, to emphasize the condition of our treasury department
 Unler existing laws V Is unsafe and wanting 9 in every element Of either economy or business 8 principles We collect from the people more [ than three quarters of a million of money every year. and JeoD an average of nearly three hun drod thousand dollars of it locked up, contract ing the currency of the state at the very time when we most need currency, and of benefit to 2 nobody. Our sister stata Of Missouri adopts a e more business like method which heartily f commend. They lend out tho public funds every year to banks and thus restore them to circulation among her citizens, while they yield to the state a percentage Of revenue in the shape of interest This plan has these ad- vantages:
 I lst. It yields the state an income from oth- l erwise idle money.
 2nd. It restores to circulation funds which l the people need In their daily aTalrs.
 8rd Ii is much moro safe than the present l. method for the very reason that any bank in the state can give better bond than any treasurer can.
 OUR STRICKEN NEIGHBoRs News comes to us from the state of Nebraska | that large numbers of her people arc upon the 0 point of starvation owing to failure or crops. I | Arkansas Is blessed with an excellent corn F crop. and owes tho common debt of charity to . | the sufferers of our sister state. I earnestly | recommend that the commissioner Of mines, manufacturers and agriculture be authorized to send to these sufferers immediately Q train load of corn.
 s DIRECT TAX FUND
 By an act of congress of March ?. 1891 a sum e of money amounting to Sl56 272 65 was appro- n prated and turned over to the State of Arllan- . sas to refund the direct tax illegally paid by our citizens to the national government in l 1865 and ls66
 After my inauguration, continued the pol e icv of my predecessor, Governor ]. r. Eagle, in s regard to paying out this fund.- and renewed l. | his attempt to secure the balance due the peo- | pie of this state, and succeeded finally in se i curing in May, 1893, another instalment Of sla 17027.
 | By an act of the last General Assembly the governor was authorized to borrow of this fund s sl5 0W for the benefit of the Worlds Fair ex- | hihit which was done and the money expended r | accordingly, as you will see by the report of I the board of directors of the Columbian ex- | hibit.
 There is on hand of that fund unexpcnd- ' The account stands in short as follows: DIRECT TAX. Original fund sl56272 65 l On hand January lst, 1893 ........... E. 595 60 F Received May 23i, 1893 ........ Ia, ITO 2
 Disbursed between January ist, 1893, Q and January lst. 1895 ............ 29.S2S Ii - On hand January lst, 1895. ........... 37,937 82
 SUPREME COURT AND ITS CLERK.
 feel thai l should be wanting in fidelity to f the people of Arkansas if l were to conclude q without calling your attention to an almost disgraceful disproportion in the salaries of certain of our state officials,
 r The salaries of our supreme judges only 5000 per annum while that of their clerk is nearly or quite double this amount, including f | fees and perqutsites.
 n That people should estimate merely cleri. , cal duties at higher rate than those Of the n l supreme judiciary Of the state Is reflection