The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-14
THE INAUGURAL ADDRESS.

The chief fault OF Gov. Rogers address
is that it drags in the national Issues OF
the campaign. National political aues-
tons are not in the province OF state
legislature TO Determine, and their discus
sion by the governor is entirely out Of
place in a message to that body.
Some of the recommendations which he
makes. where they are disentanglsd from
the maze OF language in which he has
chosen to clothe them, are insenzble. 9th
ers are considerably to the contrary. His
homestead exemption scheme. about which
he spoke and wrote so much prior to TAX
ing Office, is dismissed with very few
words that every family should be able
70 live IN a free home. exempt
from taxation. and made free
from fear OF foreclosure and sale
for debit This is q subject to
which the governor claims to have given
much study and attention: and yet he
oyerlooks the perfectly obvious fact that II
men are not TO De permitted TO raise mon
ey By mortgage on lands which they pur-
pose TO occupy as homesteads. the number
OF homes vii be very much less In the
future than they have been In the past.
A great percentage Of the homes occupied
BY poor men IN this country have been
purchased by means OF partial payments.
the saving affected in rent going 10 meet
the future payments. Philadelphia, has
become a city OF homes largely through
the fundamentally of building and loan
societies. which have advanced money to
their stockholders. with which to buy or
suna homes. and have secured themselves
by mortgages.
A law forbidding the foreclosure OF q
mortgage on a homestead, practically for
bids the nortgaglng OF a homestead. with
out the opportunity TO borrow money In
this manner many q mans hopes TO own
home for himself viii have to be deferred
for many yssrs.
Whatever The merits OF his reconmen6a-
ton 70 furnish trss school books 20 school
children may be. there can be ittle Ques-
ton that ne has chosen 70 recommend a
sinSuisrly dgstastsfuI method FOR carry
ing that object into effect. His PROPOSE
ton to bring the convicted fslons in the
state panitsn;isry into competition with
TIE working printers In this state viii
hardly commend Itself to the union which
furnished him many o. bis most active
supporters. nor 20 kindred labor orgsniza-
tions vith which ira; union Is affiliated.
Neither are the taxpayers al present pre-
pared 20 incar any burdens for ths support
az pubic schools. other thaz those a.
present resting upon their shoulders By
reason Of tbs existing school lsw. which
sAe xoysrnor fsthsred IN rhs last leg1sla-
ture.
In othsr places, ths governor uses lar
Saaxs wtthou; any apparent knowlsige Of
rs meanings. AID discusses suatects of
which his knowledge is apparently tn
perfect lie says the "rsvenae laws now
o. tie statutes are grossly unequal IN heir
operation They throw the burden OF tas
government almost entirely upon property
holders q moderate means. while wealthy
corpo-atsors escape win nominal con-
trt5uocas - tie public treasury" As
mater CT fast, tAs revenue iaws CO this
state provide for sas assessment OF 81
tas prors~fv N this state \. is actual
cash walae II properly IS not So as-
sssss1 ths faux lles not wl,A RE law. bus
~zfA ne c-scsrs eAsrwe. wfsn shs s.ty
e enforcing e.
II sHe governor ha4 taken ,se tgo4sse 70
sxszsI=s s-s rsgors O. sAs s.a.s 21-asSr.