North Park union., 1901-01-18
GOVERNOR ORMAN'S INAUGURAL
TELLS OF COLORAD0'S NEEDS,

ernor Orman's inaugural address:
To the Members OF the Senate ana
House Of Representatives. Compos-
ing the Thirteenth General Assem-
bly, of the State Of Colorado:
BY usage and custom. certain forms
and ceremonies have been established
for the induction into Office OF the ex-
ecutive officers of the state. and Us n
part of such ceremony. it becomes my
duty. as well as privilege, to make an
address to this honorable body In joint
session. In making this address. do
not understand that II is intended that
l shall furnish this honorable body
with a vast fund of information.
At the commencement Of this SEES
sion. my predecessor In office delivered
to you n message In which he called
attention to the condition of the vari-
Gus institutions OF the state, as wei as
the financial condition in which this
great state IL placed. He has also
made recommended tons for your con-
sideration upon such subjects as, in
his opinion, required legislation at
| your hands, and l am glad to say that
In many, II not all. OF those sugges-
tons / am heartily in accord.
1 Before entering upon the discharge
of the duties which the people of this
|
desire now to express to them my sin
cere thanks for the honor they have
conferred upon me- and having taken
| tka oath of Office in your presence, l
desire to say that 1t shall ever be my
| greatest aim to discharge the duty OF
| chief executive OF this state IN such
manner and with such regard for
the rights of the whole people, as shall
merit their approval and commendn-
ton, and l will, so far 40 within my
power, uphold the laws Of this COM
monwealth and see that they are main
tanned without fear or favor.
Upon you. members of the Thirteenth
General Assembly, rests the great re-
sponsibility OF making our laws. At
this time we need wise legislation. The
people look to you for the correction
| of any evils that may have crept into
our Legislation In times past. l sin
cerely trust that you may be guided In
your deliberations, and that your aim
may be the welfare OF the whole peo-
pie, and 1t will ever be my greatest
pleasure to cooperate with you to this
end.
| shall endeavor, while occupying the
position OF chief executive Of this state.
to conduct the affairs of state strictly
on business principles. The interests
OF the people demand It. 1t is neces-
sary, therefore, in order to overcome
the financial position in which we are
situated. that great economy be used
In every department of government.
The most momentous question for
your consideration is that of state fl
RANGES. His eXcellency, Governor
Thomas. has dealt with this question
In great detail. and has Informed you
OF the great difficulties he encountered
in his administration of the affairs OF
state to secure sufficient money with
which to keep the state institutions In
operation during the past biennial per
Tod. l believe he is to be congratu-
lated upon the course he has pursued.
We are all justly proud OF our educa-
tional, penal and reformatory institu-
tons. They rank among the best In
| the land.
on account Of the appropriation
made by the last Legislature not being
available for the use OF the state uni
versity, insane asylum and other insti-
tutions. his eXcellency was compelled
| to authorize the issuance OF vouchers,
aggregating nearly $150,OJ1, for the
| payment of which 1t will be necessary
for this Legislature to make provision,
and l trust that no delay will be
countenanced until such provision has
been made for their liquidation.
Colorado is the peer of any state in
the Union in her natural resources.
We are not dependent upon any one
| line of industry. We have Il diversity
of fields. Our agricultural wealth has
greatly increased during the past few
years; new gold mines have been dis
| covered: new coal fields have been eN-
| ,,ln oil of 1,ItS
greatly Increased, each adding In large
measure to our aggregate wealth, but
regardless of this great increase in our
material wealth the revenues OF our
state have not Increased, but have ra-
Their diminished.
Several years ago the wealth OF Colo
RADIO was estimated considerably more
than S1.OOO,OOO,OO0. We have had
years of material progress since that
| time. and yet we find that the COM
bined returns from all the county as
SCISSORS and the State Board of EQuali-
cation amounts only to S2l5.OOO,OOO at
the present time. 1t would appear from
the figures given that some one is max
ing grievous mistake us TO the value
| OF the taxable property within our Dor
ders. The law requires that all prop
erty shall he assessed Mt its full cash
value. If the law had been compiled
with heretofore, there would not now
be a financial crisis. There would
have been plenty of revenue Mt all
times to properly maintain our state in
stitutions-but with that we have not
to deal, for the fact remains that 1t has
not been done. We are not facing
| new condition. hut a state of affairs
that has existed for number of years,
and has constantly been growing in ex-
tent. The Supreme Court of this state
has repeatedly sent out its notes of
warning, but they have not been heed
ed: former governors have urged that
immediate action he taken to relieve
the situation, but their pleadings have
been In vain. Now there stands before
us task the solution Of which can no
longer be postponed. We are face to
face with the problem and heroic meas
ures must be taken.
Several months ago his eXcellency
| appointed revenue commission whose
| duty 1t was to draft revenue measures
to he presented to this honorable body
with the view Of enncting such reve-
nue. laws ms would relieve our embar-
rassment and place us upon ! sound
basis for the future. This commission
was composed of wellknOwn men of
this state. men Of integrity and ability,
who were not selected for their party
| affiliations, but with nm eye single to