The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-01-10

keep fully up with neighboring states in this as in other important move ments in which are involved questions of vital interest in their relations to the prosperity and comfort of our peo- pie. Views differ widely as to plans, and only through careful inquiry and perhaps extended experiments, can safe and permanently satisfactory conclus- ions be reached.
 SECRET BALLOT.
 The present law enables the voter to follow his own preference as to men and measures in casting his ballot without allowing any other person to know how he votes; while at the same time it's provisions are such that the vote-seller can furnish fairly clear evidence to the vote-buyer that the bargain between them has been observed. The evils that have befallen the state under the law of 1889 ought to be rendered impos- sible hereafter by such action during the present session as may be needful to that end.
 What is known as the blanket bal lot" system (for the adoption of which an earnest effort was made five years agol, or some form of voting machinery of which very ingenious, and, it is claimed, efficient examples are now to be found, may meet the requirements If the situation. It is most earnestly recommended that you give thorough consideration to this subject, involving as it does the quality and durability of the very foundation of free government.
 A bill and two substitutes relating to this subject come to you by continual tion from the last session of the gen. eral assembly.
 CORRUPT PRACTICES ACT.
 Any secret ballot law, in order that its advantages may be fully secured, needs to contain or be reenforced by such statutes as will provide the surest methods of enforcing its provisions, or inflicting adequate penalties for their violation. Efficient enactments have been reported in other states and in some other countries, covering these and other important points relating to elections. Two bills on this subject come over to you by continuation from the last session of the general assem- bly,. Permit me to urge thoughtful at tention to providing, through the adop- ton of one of these proposed laws, if deemed adequate, or by new and bet ter scheme, such added safeguards to the purity of the ballot as will afford the utmost degree of security now at tainable.
 LICENSE.
 Abuses have crept into the present system of executing the license law, especially with references to the prices of licenses and decisions upon applica- tions, to such an extent, that strong sentiment has been aroused in favor of abolishing the office of county com missioner and referring this portion of It's business to the superior court. Whether 1t is best to adopt this course or proceed in some more moderate way, is a question for your careful investi- gation; but there is little room for doubt that the number and cost of H. censes should be definitely fixed by law, according to the population or other wise, so that neither commissioners nor courts would possess the power, now held by the former, to change both number and cost at will. You cannot guard too thoroughly against the perils involved in such abuses as are claimed to have been recently brought to light.
 A DEFECT IN THE LAW.
 You are requested to notice serious defect in the statutes of the state, sec ton 2,952, as construed by the supreme court. Under the construction given, property cannot be deeded or willed for the benefit of a person for life, and up- on his decease for the benefit of his heirs. Attempts have been made to amend the law, but without success; so that man is prevented by the stat utes, as construed, from making the most natural kind of a trust by will Cases are often arising wherein the court must, by reason of this statute, pronounce void trusts which are entire- ly commendable.
 The law should be amended or re- pealed at your earliest convenience.
 REPORTS.
 The number and extent of the re- ports requlredfrom departments of the state government and from institutions belonging to or aided by the state, are so great, the methods of making re- port so various, and the dates to which are made so scattered, that 1t Is not possible to gain exact informa- ton of all on any single date. sug- gest an inquiry by the general assem- bly, as to the practicability and exped- iency of fixing date, not later than some day in october of each year, to which all reports shall be made, and also of securing some approximation to In the presentation of f1nan- cial statements and other statistical in formation.
 MALFEAsANCE IN OFFICE.
 The existence and recent increase of abuses of official position, involving in the conduct of public business in many sections of the coun- try, have aroused a very earnest spirit of resentment on the part of the people. intelligently started and pushed, have brought to light here and there so many evidences of great recreancy to duty in both pub lie and private places, that the founda tions of confidence have been severely shaken, suspicion has been widely and