Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-02-09

& GOOD roads would greatly enhance the
value of farm lands and products and make
country life more desirable aud delightful.
At once. as soon as existing contracts will
permit, the cchvicts in our penitentiary
should be utilized upon our public roads"
'rhp inangural address of Cover
nor Claude A. Swanson, delivered
before the Joint Assembly and to .
brilliant audience on Thursday last.
was enthusiastically received, and IS
regarded as a State paper Of great
strength aud moment. 1t deals with
nearly every question Of public in
terest in Virginia, aud makes num-
Der Of important recommendations 10
the Legislaiu e. The address was
delivered without reference to notes,
aud had evidently been given mature
eonsideraiionv-
Thete were numerous outbursis of
approval during the delivery of the
Governors address, which occupied
an hour and ten minutes. We ex-
tract the salient features as follows:
My FELLOW CITIZENS OF VIRGINIA:
To-day, in obedience to your man
date, | assume the important and re-
sponsible ofiice of chief executive Of
this State. Your sufrrages have coa-
fided to me for four years this high
trust. am deeply touched by the
evidence of kindness and partiali;y
displayed and profoundly sensible Of
of the honor and confidence bestowed
My gratitude can and will be best
evinced by dedicatiug myself abso-
lute'y to the service Of Virginia and
devoting all my energies of mind and
body TO the faithful and fearless dis
charge of the duties devolving upon
this office. = Irealize the many
disappointments which must arise
from my exercise of the appointing
power, and the soreness which will
follow. ] perceive that differences
on public questions and policies will
engender harsh, and frequently, false
and unfair criticism. | am fully
conscious that few are fortunate
enough TO meet pectations of high
executive Office, or leave with either
the popularity or reputation with
which they entered. But, these CON
siderations are neither discouraging
nor depressing to me. My most pos
tive purpose, my most earnest am
bition, is to exercise patriotically and
conscientiously this office in such a
manner as TO result in the betterment {
of Virginia. If the four years of nv
administration shall be marked by
the moral, educational and material
progress of my State, | shall be
perfectly satisfied and feel that |
have been fully compensated for a
lifetime Of earnest work and endeayor.
= My experience in our Fed
eral Congress has taught me that the
best results of legislation, the best
administration of government, are
obtained when the executive aud leg
islative fully concur and cordially
cooperate. | shall +.
communicate with the General AS
sembly frequently and fully. shall
depend upon the earnest cooperation
Of its members to create in Virginia
u new era of progress and prosperity,
and 10 keep her various State institu-
tions efficient and absolutely free
from favoritism. incompetency or
corruption. invite its members to
make suggestions TO me freely and
advise me regarding matters 10 which
they or their section are interested.
Eschew fractional Differences.
TIE time has come when
Virginia should forget factional DIFF
ferences, cease partisan politics, a, d
devote all of her energies to the de-
velopment of her resources, to the
moral and educational elevation Of
her people, to internal improvement
and progress. There is a Virginia of
the past resplenGeut with the heroic
achievements of great and glorious
people; there Is a Virginia OF the
present crowned with possibilities
that can snrpass the splendors of the
proud past and make all that has
gone before in her history but the
prelude 10 greater destiny.
No state in this Union has richer or
more varied resources than Virginia.
Her mild, warm equable climate fur
nishes a refuge alike to those
scorcbed by the suns of the South
or CHILLED by the winds of the
North. There isnot an agricultural
product known to the temperate zone
that cannot be profitabIy, aud is not
successfully raised in Virginia. In
extreme Southside Virginia are seen
great white fields of cotton, as rich
in beauty and luxuriant in growth as
can be found in North Carolina o,
Georgia. la Piedmont and Southern
Virginia are produced the great crops
of tobacco, which largely contribute
TO the worlds supply. The magaiii
cent Valley of Virginia. raising greal
crops of wheat. corn, oats and hay, il
almost unspeakable in her prodipal
ity of production. The besutifu
hilltops aud mountains of South
west aud Northern Virginia, Will
their spontaneous and perennia
\ growth Of blue grass, have browsin.
on them herds OF cattle and sheep