The Lamar register., 1901-01-09

message 10 the Inlfteentn Geueral Ab
sembly, said in part:
"Gentlemen of the Thirteenth Gen
eral Assembly: 1t becomes my duty
under the constitution to inform yor
OF the condition of the state, and rec
ommend such measures as shall bt
deemed expedient for the public wei
fare. To do this fully and intelligent
ly, 1 must unduly tax your patience
and good nature; for our conditions
are far from satisfactory, and meas
ures for relief are imperative.
"You are the legatees of all the acts
and omissions of your predecessors
and must renyady the effects they have
occasioned. You have been chosen by
the people to exert your constitutional
powers for the salvation of their COM
monwealth. 1t is n task you can mel
ther evade nor postpone, one that you
can neither fail to perform nor poorly
reform. You must leglslate effective
ly; for public needs are urgent and
public demands have been too long
neglected.
During the present administration
the state capitol has been substantially
completed. The edifice represents a
cost of about S2,57S, ,4S4.7S, every dol
lar of which has been legitimately ex-
pended. 1 deem 1t n subject Of con-
graduation that from the day when
the first stone of its foundation was
laid down to that which witnessed the
last finishing touch upon its dome, no
taint or suspicion of jobbery or mis-
appropriation has ever rested upon Its
managers or builders. Such n record
Is grnnder than the majestic outlines
of its exterior, ,nobler than the exquisite
proportions of its galleries and colon
nades.
"Our fiscal affairs are in deplorable
condition. They demand and should
receive your first consideration, for the
treasury is empty and the general rev
cnues of the state are wholly made
quatc to the public needs. This condi-
tion is not novel one; 1t has existed
practically since our admission into
the Union. Its immediate gravity con-
sists in the fact that we have been
compelled to live beyond our means
until the limit has been reached. Our
credit is exhausted. and we are face
to face with the alternative Of relief or
bankruptcy. This result has long
been obvious. was long since foreseen,
and has long been predicted.
IN. his biennial message of two
years ago. Governor Adams empbasiz-
ed the significance of the auditors esti-
mate for the fiscal period just ended,
showing probable ,,.ceipts of Slips
346. MS against ,fobable expenditures
of S1,356. 752 81. being n probable def
cit Of S231 ,4O661. He drew vivid pic
ture of the public needs. our growing
wants. and expanding necessities. He
suggested economies on the one hand
and methods of securing needed reve-
nue. on the other. In my Inaugural
60 In V~xx.nlfth ASSnnIlNlv
supplemented his appeals ns best l
could, but no relief came from It's de-
llberations. Hence the administrative
pathway of the last two years has been
.strewn with everything but roses. 1t
has been n period of travail and trfbu-
lation, one whose problems and yicissi-
tudes have. taxed to the utmost the en-
ergy and the resources OF the execu-
tive. A deficiency was inevitable; how
to minimize 1t, to keep the state going
and to avoid the expense of an extra
legislative session We're the factors re-
quiriug solution. The thing was done,
but It cannot be duplicated.
.The receipts OF the general revenue
for the fiscal period just ended were
somewhat above the auditors esti-
mates and reached the sum of $1,26I.-
94O.14, while the. warrants issued
uEulHSt slltui ltiI uNloN
amounting, approximately, to 81. 143,-
A26.13. Notwithstanding the balance
shown by these figures to the credit
side of the ledger. credits were necessa-
rily authorized beyond appropriations
to the Asylum for the Insane, $4,000;
the Penitentiary, $25, 900; the Soldiers
and Sailors Home. $4,000; the Univer-
sity, $4,000. But for the relief OBJ
tained by the issuance of emergency
certificates to the extent mentioned,
these institutions could not have been
continuously maintained and have
been kept in fair condition only by
the exercise of constant and rigid
economy.
"The Denver Clearing House Asso-
citation, whose public spirit cannot be
too highly commended, advanced the
sum of $4,000 In. exchange for these
vouchers upon my assurance that the
Thirteenth General Assembly would
promptly recognize its claim and make
due provision for its early liquidation.
an assurance which l feel warranted
in believing wllli be honored both in
the letter and in the spirit. The board
of regents succeeded in raising funds
with which to meet the vouchers for
the University, and those who ad-
vanced them have the same claim to
your immediate consideration. But
for the commendable and generous &C.
tiop sof the parties mentioned, a
Especial session of the Twelfth General
Assembly would have been inevitable.
and while its deliberations would
have brought relief, the ex-
pense of the session would have been
considerable and an added burden to
the public treasury.
"AppropriatIOns-were enacted by the
Twelfth Assembly aggregatlg x472.-
555.25 in excess of ,reyenues rtceived.
These were all essential to, the pur-
poses intended, not one Of them being
in any wise superfiuous. They were