The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1897-01-21
The Oficial Paper Of San Juan County
THURSDAY. JANUARY 2lst, 1897.
TWO MESSAGES.

ernOF, John ii. McGraW ana the HrSG
message of the new governor John X.
Rogers to the legislature afford an ex-
cellent opportunity forjudging the COM
parative merits of the two men in re-
lation to their fitness for the high office
of chief executive of this great young
state. The message of Gov. McGraw
is that of clear headed business man,
who believes in the application of bust
ness methods in the conduct of public
affairs. 1t is brief but comprehensive,
direct and positive, and contains recon-
mendations which if acted upon by
the legislature could not but result in
q much more economical and effective
administration of the state government.
He recommends economy in public ex-
penditures, the granting of power to
the governor to veto specific items in
appropriation bills; funding of out
standing Indebtedness to decrease the
interest charges; the creation of non
salaried forest commission, to super
wise an adequate forest preservation
patrol for the prevention of forest
fires, preservation of forests and pun
ishment of trespassers on public lands;
changes in assessment laws, to reduce
the cost of assessing; the adoption of a
collateral inheritance tax, and the
restoration of penalties for delinquency
in tax payment to their former figures;
regulation of railroad freights and fares
in a spirit of exact justice to transpor-
tation companies and their patrons;
the abolition of the board of state land
commissioners; laws for the leasing of
reserved harbor lands; the relief of
mortgagors by permitting them to re-
tain possession of their lands during
the period of redemption; law COM
polling citizens to serve as election Of
ficers without charge; the abolition of
municipal courts, and of fees and mile
age in criminal cases.
Governor Rogers message is long
and prosy, bombastic and dictatorial
in tone and full of the prejudice of
partlsanship. 1t is not without good
points but they are SO obscured by the
maze of language in which they are
closed that much of the force which
they might otherwise carry is lost.
The governor has yet much to learn
about affairs of state in general and
this state in particular. He will doubt
less devote himself to his task IN a
painstaking and conscientious manner
and do his best to render good service
to the people, and it is to be hoped that
as he comes to realize more fully the
duties and responsibilities of his office
his ideas may broaden and more con-
servative administration result than
his first message seems to promise. At
present his ideas seem to be more those
of a theorist and a dreamer than of an
alert and experienced man of affairs.
He expresses the opinion that ''every
family should be able to live in a free
home exempt from taxation to stipu-
lated amount, and made free from fear
of foreclosure aud sale for debt. When
once this has been arrived at the cause,
of human liberty will have taken a
distinct and positive forward STEP"
That is very nice Utopian idea and
will doubtless find much favor in the
minds of many people who have been
unable by reason of lack of ability,
inherant Discrimination to work, or
misfortune beyond their control, to
acquire or keep homes of their own.
But industrious and frugal men and
women who are glad to avail them
selves of present opportunities to &C
quire homes by means of partial pay
ments and the payment of reasonable
interest upon borrowed money would
not be SO likely to rejoice over the en-
actment of such law as the governor
suggests. Continuing further upon
this pet theory of his he says: "When-
ever our people have been sufficiently
educated by hardship and privation to
be ready for a really radical measure
of reform, they will by constitutional
amendments take that first and most
indispensable step which shall finally
secure to all mans natural and God
given right to a sufficient portion of
the earth's surface for self-support,
When this first and fundamental right
of man has been secured, he will be
free, and he never will be free until
this has been gained. Whether men
are yet ready for freedom I do not
know"
The governor need not worry upon
this point. He will find plenty of peo-
pie ready to whoop it up for free land
and freedom from taxation. Whoopee !!
Rah for Rogers.
GOVERNOR ROGERS, 'sfrom the best
IL >,