The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-01-27
IN THE MESSAGE.

Ae sot iorth iu DIS secouu annual mes
sage, His Excellency, CHARLES WARREN
LIPPIrT informs the people that the
financial condition OF the State is crafty
ing and indeed bis figures show that the
excess of receipts over the ordinary ex-
psnditures for tho past year were grester
than they have been in any year preceding,
with the notable exceptions OF 1898 and
1894.
The Governor moro than intimates
that the Board OF State House Commits.
sioners have in his opinion exceeded
their authority in contracting fora build
ing to cost sl,576,0 600 when 1t is author
lied to expend only million and a half,
especially in view OF the fact that the
contract now made will fell short Of COM
pleting the building and laying out the
approaches, by an estimated amount of
si,674.aSs. 1t was unnecessary, however,
for the Governor to go so far in his de-
ductions as to theories that the Armory
Commission and the board in charge of
the new jail will spend more money than
was originally estimated and without
authority.
1t appears that taxation and revenue are
still under consideration bot d report, II
not action, Is hoped for by the Governor
before the Assembly adjourns.
with extraordinary expenditures piling |
up, revenue short, and no means set forth |
for Increasing It'll appsars that the State |
institutions at Crsnston are all over
crowded and the burden on the State 10
support Its criminal and insane popula-
tion Is annually growing.
And money is needed or likely to be
needed among other things, for the fol-
lowing: A building at the Tennessee
Centennial exposition, the breachway at
Block Island, the census, for which
800, ,Ooo have already been appropriated,
for the Soldiers Home, $4,000; for a
memorial to Rhode Islanders who suffered
at Valley Forg', $1,000; 5000 or $1,000 for
the put blic librsries of the State; for the
use Of the state Board Of Agriculture.
SIS, 900 as heretofore.
AS was to be expected the Governor
calls attention to the fact that under the
Australian ballot law as IL is drawn in
our statute book, at the last election 5o47
citizens were practically disfranchised by I.
'efson OF effectively marked ballots. The
problem thus presented is evidently not
mo OF illiieracy or lack of ordinary in
diligence. Plainly the ballot law, as IL
I present exists, demands ovcrmuch OF n
are or of what may be called technical b
nowledge or skill, to be wholly fair and q
lst. The law ought to be amended and n
'udy of the defective ballots will prob =,
bly, suggest wherein the law needs cor ~
'ction to bring II within the capacity OF d
rsctically every citizen to cast the vote re
Iat the election laws of the State other
ise declsre him to be qualified for and to
i've the right to cast. It
In the progress of highway Improvement N
70 Governor recommends a wide tire al
and bill to that effect ought to an
rry. ra
The Governor hos been at pains to look
to the tradition and history of our y,
ate Flag and he finds that there is no no
cd reason for having the field of the of
'ndard blue In color. White is the cor pa
t color and white 1t ought to be again. ",
at our state Flag shall be what II ought
bo Is the wish OF every Loyal Rhode
ander and the Governor is to be COM
pded for going into this matter so AN
'scieniiously and treating it SO acmir-
y In his message.