The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1905-01-19
South Dakota Lawmakers Have Assembled
at the State Capitol.
GOVERNORS MESSAGE READ
Several important Reforms Are Suggested by Elrod and
The Inaugural Ball Was the Most Brilliant
Social Affair Ever Held in the State.

, The time has come when the rate
Of interest by contract should be lowered
from u per cent. IL Is a shame that any
citizen can BE- required 10 pay such n
rate. II il not fair tn the borrower,
! neither IL II consistent with sound bank
ing principles.
The constitution requires that n cen
sus shall he taken In the year 1905. aud
| io the end that IL may be done ccono.
! micnlly, consistent with efficiency, we
recommend that the secretary OF the
state historical society be made ex-oficio
superintendent of census, aud that said
| census be taken by the assessors OF the
| several towns, townships and cities with
In the state ~ the time Of the annual
assessment, and without extra COM
, pcnsation, under the supervision and
direction OF the said superintendent.
The people. by n large majority, voted
Co amend section IL, article Will, OF the
] constitution OF this state. This amend
mcnt relates TO the loaninE of the per.
! mancnt school funds. IL Is your duty
10 provide by law the method of deter
! mining the amount OF said lands which
shall be invested from time To time" etc.
Great care should be used in protecting
these funds and the statute required
should be enacted without unnecessary
delay.
A law should be- enacted whereby the
disease known as cattle mango" may
bc checked aud cured. 4 little proven
ton IL worth q great deal OF cure. IL is
our judgment that each tow lsiip should
be required TO put In n dipping plant,
when ordered TO do so by the board Of
commissioners. and that h same be
under the control OF the supervisors of
the town. aud that each person who has
cattle or sheep should be required 10 dip
the same in the presence Of n member OF
said board as often as IL deemed advis-
able: that the expense OF the construction
/ and maintenance Of the dipping plant
! shall be borne By the township. and that
on the ranges where there u no township
I organization. the law enacted OF this
subject should designate not only the time
and place. but also should superintcnd
the same and how the expense shall be
met.
The national government is doing
everything in It's power TO check aud
eradicate this disease. and as Il Is the
duty OF each interested state 10 do It's
part. our state. together with the u
ties and townships. should i~ntelligently
and effectively cooperate In the matter.
At the earliest date possible n Irvine
plant should be- established at the peni-
Tertiary. for three reasons: First, IL
would give useful employment TO the
prisoners: second. Il would reduce the
cost OF Irvine TO our farmers: and third.
with careful management. IL will put
money into the state treasury, instead OF
taking Il out. The board OF directors OF
the Kansas p~enitentiary say: THE Irvine
plant has been a success and with prop
or management will continue TO be: Il
Is no longer an experiment. and IL has
been demonstrated that n good quality
of binder Irvine can be successfully man
ufactured nj this institution and fur
nishcd to the customer ut a less price
than they can obtain IL for from outside
concerns. No taxpayer OF the state can
consistently object To the expense OF
establishing and operating the Irvine
plant" In the revenue OF the state would
warrant II. now, or in the near future.
We would nrgc you 10 make an appro-
priation for initiating this important
undertaking.
Recently IL was our pleasure To inspect
our ~pcnitcntiary, and IL Is simple justice
TO say that the order and discipline GER
tainly Is OF the highest order. Cleanli-
ness, which IL next to godlincss. was
much la evidence.
There n nv many prisoners therein who
might be ont on parole, and we recon-
mend that YOU provide for the indetermi-
uate sentence Of convicts. This pro-
vision Is giving splendid satisfaction in
other states.
We also urge that you provide for a
chaplain. The unfortunate men who are
confined In our pcnitcntiary need the daily
influence OF u clean, true, Christian man.
The power ~ n kind word spoken by a
good man M the right time cannot be
ov~crcstimatcd. In u word. we believe
that the p~cnitcntiary should be largely
governed by kindness. Employees and
guards can be kind and firm at the same
time.
In this connection. we want Il under
stood by the peopl, Of this state that We
will not. iu the language OF my worthy
predecessor. "usurp the functions Of the
courts and jurics: that the %pardoning
power will be- exercised strictly accord
Ing 10 the theory Of our system of juris.
prudence aud the spirit OF our constitu.
ton"
The main building Mt the soldiers
home Is badly out Of repair. and there are
many other repairs which need TO be
made In and about the home. IL is OF
the hrst importance hat an n%ppropria.
ton bc voted for these bcttcrments.
The old soldier who has no other home
should have all the rial comforts OF one
In our soldiers home. Ills bed should
be- as good aud rs clean A. yours or
mine, and his food should be wholesome
and adapted To his age and conditions
~ health. Let the old soldiers wei.
fare be tour hrst care.
Much progrrss has been made In build.
iEg mp 81 state militia. and Gen. \. j.
Conklin and all those who have aided
him are entitled 20 congratulations. Gen.
Conklin is asking for a $4,000 appro-
priation for the militia. We think this
Is too much by NJ least 81 1000.
South Dakota Is an agricultural state
and the state board OF agriculture should
be given a reasonable appropriation.
This legislature should provide for the
holding OF farmers institutes under the
supervision and iiresiion Of tine ssui-