Durango semi-weekly herald., 1903-01-19

that, uninhuenced by political anil
tions or partisan predictions. in a
matters of legislation the best inte
r ests OF all the people OF this stat
e VIII be controlling and only sue
4 laws Will be enacted as are demande
e for tho promotion Of the welfare an
happiness of all the people. Nothin
short of this viii meet the approbatio
of your constituents, and merit TO
you the consciousness OF having faith
, fully discharged the duties for whicl
you were elected.
The close of the first quarter cen
tury of the history of the state marks
period of the greatest prosperity Ia
all industrial enterprises in which citi
zens of the state have been engaged
of material advancement along the
lines of moral. intellectual and social
Improvement, and is full of promise
for the future. And while It NAV be
true that certain localities. owing to
peculiar conditions. are NOT enjoying
the greatest degree of prosperity. vet
the state as a whole. during the past
two years. has advanced beyond the
Widest hopes OF the most saneuine
enthusiast. and has entered upon an
era of material development of our
immense latent resources which Will
place it in the front rank OF the great
commonwealths of the nation.
Too much praise cannot oe~ accord
ed to those of our own citizens who
have been and are directly instrumen.
tai in opening up and developing the
comparatively unknown and undevel-
oped empire of wealth within our Dor.
ders"
Ihe governor then referred to the
revenue law and said that while It
might not meet with the endorsement
OF all the people, and might be lack
ing in some particulars, at the same
time 1t would be best not to make any
changes in 1t at this session-that the
law should be given a fair trial and
then. If defects are Objectionable. they
can be remedied without injury to
anyone. but to again meddle with the |
collecting agencies would keep the |
business interests of the state in an |
unsettled condition
Governor Peabody then took up the |
indebtedness of the estate--particularly |
the Indebtedness created by the late |
to keep state institu. |
tlons going. The governor said the |
money thus advanced was not a valid |
claim against the state. and for the
legislature to provide payment would |
be unconstitutional and declared void |
by the courts. But he was in favor oil |
submitting constitutional amend
ment covering the indebtedness, along
with that OF what is known as excess
warrants. He said the honor and |
credit OF the state was at stake and |
he favored n commission to lnvesti. |
gate the true indebtedness and that |
the same be submitted to the people |
Tor payment. as the good name of the
state would suffer until such action |
was taken.
The governor discussed the suit of
the state of Kansas against Colorado
in connection with the waters OF the |
Arkansas river advocating that Colo
RADIO take steps to defend the suit to
the fullest extent, as the points In /
volved were of vital Importance to our
people, and that every section of the
state was interested.
Governor Peabody then gave consid.
erable attention to civil service In
state affairs, calling attention to the
fact that state employees did not rem
der service for which they were paid
hat 1t was not their fault, but the
lault OF their employer-that public
position should not be a public snap.
Employees should be required to give
service and put in the
same hours as required by mercantile
Institutions, and that by doing so ex.
ess employees could be dispensed with.
fhe governor could not see why 1t was
gecessary for the General Assembly to
have more employees than members.
He said Speaking for myself. and
he other oilicers-elect OF the executive
department, | assure you that it shall
be our endeavor to scee to it that the
Of the state" give the state
he same amount of competent service
that employees of mercantile and in
dustrial establishments give; and In
this connection | would suggest that
you only employ such clerks and as
sistants in the discharge Of your la
bors as may be absolutely necessary |
to perform the work In hand. There |
is no good reason why the legislature
should require as many cuerks and as.
sistants In the discharge of its duties
as there are members of both houses |
and the placing upon the pay roll OF a
single clerk or other assistant, simply |
for the purpose of giving personal |
or political friend Job" Ia entirely |
| believe that the people |
of this state demand and expect, In |
the administration of their affairs. In |
state, county and municipality.
change to the end that greater eff |
cheney be attained at reduction OF |
expense; they demand civil service be.
cause II will attain this end and re
store to them common right whereof |
they have been deprived by danger
Gus and privileged class. to-wit, those