The Forrest City times., 1907-01-18
GOVERNORS MESSAGE
EPiTOME OF A MOST VIGOROUS DOCUMENT DELIVERED TO THE ARKANSAS lEGISlA- TURF UPON ITS ORGAN.
 RATION.
DENIES DRAMATICALLY ANY JUST FOUNDATION FOR REPORT
 OF PROBABLE DEFICIT.
To the Members Of the Thirty -sirth General Assembly,

Te The Members of The 1hUty -stTfh General Assembly:
 The six years which have had the honor to serve the people of this State as their Governor have been stormy ones. full of work and agitation. promised the people of the State, at the beginning, that if they would give me this high and responsible position. that I would give back to them the ermine of office as spotless and unsulied as the day l received 1t and l am here to day. through you, their chosen represen- tativss. to fuldll that promise. And while l have many political enemies who. while
 the heat of the battle was on, would say
 and do many things in dsparagement of
 my administration as your chief executive, yet natter myself today that there is not
 one of them who would honestly and sin
 cersly say that the administration of public
 affairs during my incumbeney in office has
 been otherwise than clean and honest. I
 have disagreed with many people on many | political questions. but that disagreement
 has been from principle, and has been in
 duenced by no motive other than the best | interest of our common State That have
 made mistakes I shall not attempt to deny.
 But these mistakes have been largely made
 In the interest of humanity and what l
 conceived to be a merciful administration
 of justice.
 In retiring. gentlemen-from the Cover
 nor's office-I want to reiterate many of the l things that l have said to your predeces- sors, and warn you of some of the dangers and pitfalls that will be set before you
 under the cloak and guise of great solcitude for the welfare of our people. The first sub 1ect to which desire to call your attention is our
 PRESENT ANTITRUST LAW.
 This subject has been threshed out In three campaigns, before two legislatures, | and through the courts, until every detail | of 1t has become thoroughly known to the people generally. The courts have upheld the law in It's most vital features and to- day in my judgment, If properly enforced | by the law officers of the State, It stands without model for the suppression of the great trust evil. The law however has | not been enforced in the spirit in which It was written and because of thls failure | on the part of those having In charge its enforcement, its enemies seek to destroy 1t. I warn you now, gentlemen, at the very beginning of your official duties not to lay hand upon this law, or change one line, 0ne word one syllable or one letter, but to exact of your public officials It's strict and faithful enforcement.
 STATE HOUSE LEGISLATION.
 Another question of great importance that will be brought before your honorable body will be an effort to obtain additional appropriations for the completion of the new State Capitol. It would be useless for me to reiterate at any length the objec- tions which I have urged to this scheme heretofore, but would be untrue to myself and unfaithful to the trust imposed on me If l did not say to you In parting that this has been the most grievous burden that has been placed upon my administration. It has been fraught with more dishonesty. fraud and corruption than any scheme that has been forced upon an unwilling people since I have had anything to do with pub. lie affairs. The whole project was conceived in iniquty and brought forth in sin, and every step since its beginning has been tainted with the slime of its own corrup ton. until at the last meeting of your honorable body its braZen head was so con. spicuous that the commonest wayfaring l man might see and understand its terrible | influence upon that legislature " 1 say 1 to you, gentlemen, shun any further appro- | priation while thls present scheme is In | vogue you would shun pestilence. Shun | 1t for the good name of your State, shun | 1t for the good name of your children, your | friends and yourself.
 STATE CONVICT FARM AND PENITENTIARY SYSTEM.
 l The next subject to which desire to call | your attention. gentlemen, Is the purchase of the convict farm, whick was made dur Ing my first term of office. the State agree ing to pay S14o, 100000 for a tract of iand in Lincoln county, which l have always contended was practically worthless and valueless whch has been source of an noyance and without profit, and which ia absolutely unfit from every standpoint fo, the labor of convicts. You will be asked to pass a law, gentlemen. authorizing the board to pay the accrued interest upon this debt as well as that which is yet n hpCOmA holders n If. gations have come squarely up against this proposition of ldw-that the State does not pay interest on any of its obligations un. less there Is law in existence at the time of the making of the contract authorizing this payment And say to you. gentlemen. today. that you are not authorized either by law or morals, to pass any kind of an Act that will help these gentlemen out of their dilemma.
 FELLoW-sERvANT BILL.
 In each and every message tsat I hars had the honor to deliver to the egislature of this State. l have insisted that they should pass what in law is known q fellow servant bill. which is for the pro. lection of employees of corporations against the negligence and earelessness of their co-laborers and l insist now, in the light of recent events in our State. the number of accidents upon railway trains, and the great number of lives sacrificed by these great corporations, that no man. who truly has at heart the interest of one of our most worthy class of citizens, can. for a moment 1 honestly contend that such a law should l not be enacted
 INNOCENT RATE BILL.
 While OF the subject of railroads. gen. | tlemen, ! desire to ask and Insist that you | pass a bill limiting the fare on passenger l trains to flat rate of two cents per mile. | It is well known to all that this | question is absolutely in your power, linn | tied only by the proposition that you could l not make the railroads carry passengers | at a price that would not return to them a | faiF profit upon their investment.