The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-07
Gov. BIoxhnm,s Message.

to the Florida legislature yesterday is a
carefully considered and strong paper. 1t
| gives evidence that the executive
| possesses a clear insight into the condi-
ton and needs of the state, and that it is
his purpose TO do whatsoever may be In
his power to bring about needed reforms
and TO encourage the healthy development
of the states resources. He finds good
material TO work upon. The states
finances are in excellent shape, her people
law-abiding and progressive, and her
farms fruitful, The states warrants are
at par, and are accepted at face value
in all parts Of her territory. She has no
floating debt and her treasury contains
a sufiiciency of money for all legitimate
expenses.
This gratifying condition will make the
work of the revenue committees df the
legislature comparatively plain sailing.
The committees will not have to look
around for new sources of income. And
just at this point the governor makes one
of the strong points of his message. 1t
is against a constant changing of the rev.
enue laws. It is a mistake, he says, to
enact a new revenue law at each session,
as has heretofore been done. The people
and the tax assessors and collectors no
sooner become familiar with the workings
of one law than 1t is repealed and another
law substituted for it. The result is con-
fusion, errors and more or less dissatis-
faction. Efforts SHOULD be exerted to the
end of enacting a revenue law that would
as nearly as possible be permanent With
such a law on the books all persons con-
cerned would know what to expect and
would govern themselves accordingly.
The governor makes another strong
point against lynching. He is radically
opposed to it, and declares his intention
of doing his utmost to put a stop to that
especial kind of laWlessness in Florida.
He directs attention to the fact that
lynchng is progressive, going from bad
to worse. Only a few years ago it was
never resorted to except for crimes against
women; now mobs take it upon them
selves to avenge with death such crimes
as arson, burglary, and even theft II
this sort of thing is permitted to go on
where will it end? What petty offenses
may not the mobs include in their list
of capital crimes? what man. whom the
law presumes to be innocent of crime I'M
I'll he has been proven guilty by due pro-
| cess in the courts, will be able to call his
life his own? The governor has a remedy
for the evil. His suggestion is that pro-
visions be made for the speedy trial by
special courts of heinous crimes, and that
the law with regard to assault be amend
There should be no individual redress of
wrong" says the governor, and he adds
this stronger sentence: There must be
no lynchng."
The evil of special legislation gets shot
from the executive. The majority of the
bills introduced at each session are of
this class. They interfere with the public
business and cost the state round sum
of money. There are general laws cover
ing-or supposed to cover-many of the
matters for which special legislation is
sought. If the general laws are not suf-
iciently broad to cover the objects of the
special bills says the governor, make
them so by amendment If there should
continue to be a demand for special bills,
make the persons interested in them pay
the cost of passing them; that is, charge
fees for them.
In discussing the convict question. Gov.
BloXham calls attention to one circum-
stance which should be of especial inter-
est to the legislators of Georgia, as well
as to those of Florida. He says five-sixths
of the convicts in Florida's state prison
are sentenced to less than two years, and
that two-thirds of them are sentenced to
one year or under. OF these short-term-
ers the very great majority are of "a race
not characterized as yet by a superior
capacity for invention or manufacturing
industries. It is doubtful, therefore. IL a
penitentiary could be managed on the plan
of northern pententiaries without
heavy burdens upon the peo-
| pie" He thinks the solution of
the convict problem is to be found in the
employment of the conviots upon state
farms, the building of good roads, etc
These are merely a few of the leading
features of the message, which is clear
cut and at the same time exhaustive. 1t
is document which the legislators will
be able to read with profit to both them
selves and the state.