The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1899-01-26
0jVEFjR STONES
EOCURAL ADDRESS

r,,h a full sense Of the responsible
accompanying the high office to
.,.h have been chosen by the peo-
=. with gratitude for the trust i'm
"a by them, and invoking Divine
"a assume the duties and undertake
=, obligations which 1 have sworn to
|, ia nv purpose. In SO far as I can.
a,scharge honestly and fearlessly
y. whole duty to the people of Penn
a',or,a l can accomplish little with
-, their cooperation and without the
~nnor, and cooperation Of their chosen
snrssentatives. 1t seems to me that
rs.t the state needs at this time Is
70 NJ a business administration than
, poltical one.
:, 10 not my desire to criticise the
.,,;on of legislative bodies in the past.
- ~ state officials. but l deem 1t my
,r,v 10 the people of the state and to
rvself to point out plainly the financial
.ordition Of our state and to recon-
..rd 10 the legislature such measures
:, .aem 10 be necessary to remedy 1t.
avn impressed with the idea that past
legislative bodies have had a greater
I,sIre 10 legislate for the counties and
.,hoo, districts Of the state than they
..v. had to legislate for the state, and
os,t legislatures have appropriated
more money for the coming fiscal years
,han the anticipated revenues, and this
nth the knowledge as contained In the
rnorts Of the state treasurers of ex-
,.,ing indebtedness due the counties
and school districts Of the state. AS n
,esut the state today is indebted to
,be school districts and counties and
normal schools over three and half
millions Of dollars over and above the
balance Of available cash In the treas
NV And we find this Indebtedness car
Ned into the estimate OF expeditures for
Inc coming fiscal year, while the esti-
mated revenue for the coming fiscal
rear is no more than sufficient to pay
he estimated current expenditures Of
he coming year exclusive of the in
tebtedness of three and a half millions
dollars accruing in former years.
Our state has been appropriating
arger sums for educational purposes
man any other state in the Union.
he net receipts Of the state available
or appropriations for 1898 were $l0.-
N2sS.2O, while the total appropria-
,ons for educational purposes for that
var alone were $6.S31,43s, being an
Appropriation Of Ga per cent Of the en-.
ir revenue Of the state for educational
urposes. New York appropriates only
Is per cent Of her revenue for educa-
donal purposes; Massachusetts, only !
)er cent; Ohio, 26 per cent; Illinois, 2e
|er cent; New Jersey, 13 per cent. This
Appropriation Of $6,831,43 includes
1900, 900 for the common schools Of the
tate; $9s, 900 for the salaries Of the
ounty superintendents; 1927 500 for
|rmal schools; $4,000 for soldiers or
)han schools; home for the training In
peech Of deaf children before they are
school age, at Bala. $16.250; Pennsyl-
nnia Institute for the Deaf and Dumb.
Philadelphia. .s120, 900: Pennsylvania Oral
Ichool for Deaf. 81. 800; Western Penn
ylvania Institution for Deaf and
bumb, Pittsburg, $50.400; Pennsylvania
Institution for the instruction Of the
Blind, Philadelphia. $4,000: Western
Pennsylvania Institution for Instruc-
on Of the Blind. Pittsburg, $24,670:
Pennsylvania Training School for the
eeble Minded, Elwyn, $S7,500; Western
Pennsylvania Institution for Feeble
ilnded, Polk, $1O7,150 Pennsylvania
fuseum and School of Industrial Art
hlladelphia, $4,000; Pennsylvc MIA
tate College, $43,666: Lehigh universi-
y, Bethlehem, $4,000; University OF
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, $150,0O0;
rilliamsport Training School, $1.5OO;
hiladelphia Museum, $4,000; Corn
lanter Indians, ,$4oO; Pennsylvania Nau-
cal schoolship. Philadelphia. $4,000.
find no evil in appropriating money
pr educational purposes with a liberal
and, but cannot approve and Justify
ppropriations that exceed the revenue
the state. We can afford to be liberal
nd see no direction in which liber-
ity can be better expended than In
ppport Of the common schools and the
sttutions enumerated above, but our
beralty should be limited by our reve-
pe. We have created sinking fund fol-
e extinguishment of the state debt
nd the sinking fund has increased
ntll our net debt over and above tho
hiking fund on Dec. 1 last was only
+g5SSl.93; while by our excess Of lib.
ality we have incurred floating debt
Pually as sacred, of a little over three
% half millions of dollars, which is
lnualy increasing at the rate Of from
e"O0O to $1,000, 900. with no provision
natever for its payment, and with NJ
ldent and apparent intention Of meet.
It. 1t Is not the fault of any one
an or OF any political party Of the
ae but rather grows out of that ex.
avagant disregard for plain business
hciples which should guide the state
well as individuals.
We can go no farther at the pace we
we been going. One Of three things
ua now be done. We must either In
Ease our revenue. reduce our expen.
sures, or borrow money. Pennsylvania
s never more prosperous than at thi.
me- Her people were never more con.
a'ed and satisfied. The state was nevel
'lch as 1t is today. More people are
poyed at fair wages who wish to b.
ployed than ever before. 1t seems t.
that everybody is prosperous but
state Of Pennsylvania. The PROPOSE
to borrow money to meet the de-
!. In the treasury under all these CON
IONS Is preposterous. 1t clearly wa,
yer intended by any one, and thu