Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1897-01-14
GOV. A. LEES INITIAL
LEGISLATURE LISTENS TO THE
EXECUTIVES ADVICE.

He Urges the Immediate Passage OF
the Wheeler Railroad Bill as q
Redemption Of the Pledge Made
BY the Party In their Platform.
The Message.
The first message of Gov. Andrew Lee
was given to the Legislature on Thursday
afternoon and in part is as follows:
Gentlemen of the senate and house OF rep.
resentatives:
have the honor and the pleasure at this
makers Of the state of South Dakota. some
reflections upon some matters which are of
deep interest to the people and some
recommendations regarding measures
which will be passed upon during the leg
tslative session now fairly opened. as
sumo that you understand your duty and
will perform it. do not seek to instruct
or dictate, but merely to state things as
see them. AS for myself have been elected
from the ranks of the plain people in their
hope and desire, as believe, for a pactical
business administration of their affairs.
We are new and untried party with no
apologies to make. The eyes of the world
are upon us. Let us so conduct ourselves
that when our work is finished we shall
then have no apologies to make.
Economy in the management of the affairs
entrusted to our care will find ready re-
spouse in the hearts of the people. We
have been placed here to do business, and
that business should be more promptly and
faithfully attended to because it is the
business Of all the people. would there
fore most emphatically, though respect
fully, recommend that we proceed to active
work at once in order that important legis-
lation may not be left till the last two or
three days of the session, thereby mourning
the risk of i'll advised and immature meas
ures. I urgently advise that the appropria-
ton committee begin their investigations
at once; that they report not later than the
thirty fifth day of the session, followed by
the passage of the bills at the earliest
practicable moment, to the end that the
appropriations may not be held up till the
last hours OF the session to be used as a
club to kill meritorious measures or aid
vicious ones.
The Railroads.
Without question the most necessary and
important piece of legislation to be passed
by the present legislature is statute regu-
lating the freight and passenger traffic Of
our railroads. The majority Of the legisla-
ture and the executive branch of this adj
ministration stand firmly pledged to the
people of South Dakota by the platform
adopted at Huron on July IA last to enact
the measure known In this state as the
''Wheeler bill" being copy of the Iowa
law, which has successfully withstood in
the courts every assault made upon it by
the counsel for the railroad corporations.
The demand for the passage of this law is
the legitimate fruit Of railroad abuses. The
rates paid by our farmers on products ex-
ported and merchandise imported are so
greatly in excess of rates paid in other states
for the same service that our producers are
deprived of fair profit on their labor. Our
cities and towns are so Disseminated
against in favor of outside jObbing points
that commercial growth in our midst Is i'm
possible. Inquiry at any railroad Office in
the state will prove that rates on corn to
all points in the central part of the state
are greater per bushel than the first cost of
the corn in the southern part of the state.
This entirely prohibits internal commerce
and forces the shipment of corn to the Chi
cago market when many times 1t could be
more proftably sold in the state. The coal
rate to Sioux City from the nearest mine, a
distance of 40 miles, is $1.76 per ton, while
the rate to Vermillion, only thirty three
miles further, is $3.50 per ton. This unjust
discrimination against the people of South
Dakota should teach every one the neces-
sity of restrictive measures and should
prompt the legislature to speedily redeem
the pledges of relief given the people.
In concluding this branch of the discussion,
therefore, pardon me for again urging the
immediate passage of the wheeler bill"
The people have charged us with the duty
and we should hasten to justify the con-
tidence which they have placed in US.
Liquor Regulation.
Next in importance to the enactment of a
suitable railroad law Is the passage of a
practical statute in restrain of the liquor
traffic. I am not disposed to make any
definite recommendation in favor of any
system of regulation. The matter is with
the legislature. 1t was not made test of
party faith at the late election, and there
are irreconsilable differences of opinion
among men Of all parties as to the best
methods to be employed. Every man is
free, therefore, to do that which his con-
science directs but it should be the constant
aim of each to give the matter prayerful
consideration and to formulate such law
as will meet the expectations of the major
ity and command the obedience Of all.
Educational Institutions.
The usefulness Of our institutions of
higher education has been impaired and
their good name well nigh ruined by the
scandals which have grown out Of their
Encouragement. No good can be done by
a further airing Of these various irregu-
larities, but every possible energy Of the
legislature and executive should now be
bent to the task of preventing recurrence
Of these disagreeable and DISASTROUS
troubles. The first step to be taken in the
work of reform is to absolutely divorce-ii
that be possible every one Of these insti-
tutions from partisan politics. That they
have been thus used in the past there can
be no denial made. THERE'S also asus-
picion, well founded I think, that sectari-
anism has crept into some of them. There
fore the effort to divorce them from poll
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