The Tupelo journal., 1908-01-17
GOVERNORS MESSAGE

GOVERNORS MESSAGE
jackson, Miss.-Gov. Vardaman today
sent his farewell message to the Mis-
sissippi legislature. 1t was the longest
document ever submitted to the law
making body in this state, consisting
Of nearly 10000 words. The governor,
after a careful review of the states
financial condition, recommends liberal
appropriations for state educational and
eleemosynary institutions; state assist
ance in establishing a system OF rural
high schools; normal and training
schools for teachers; q memorial to con-
gross, either for the repeal of the
Fifteenth and modification of the Four
teenth amendments or the calling of a
national convention; division of school
fund between races, and industrial edu-
cation only for the negro; child labor
law; industrial schools for delinquent
boys and girls; adoption of statutory
and constitutional prohibition; governor
and attorney general should be members
of railroad commission, and enlargement
of powers of attorney general; constitu-
tional amendment providing for elective
judiciary; statute making attempt at
criminal assault punishable by death;
summary removal of public officials
guilty of drunkenness in office; sale of
the old capitol grounds; more liberal
treatment of national guard; abolition
of county convict leasing systems; lib
eral appropriation for INDECENT Exon
federates; creation of office of state
o~culist; separate sleeping and dining
cars for races; reduction of legal rate of
interest to s per cent; Endorsement of
state board of health plan for suppress
sion of tuberculosis.
The message is in part as follows:
To the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives-lt is a source of profound
qualification to me that on the meeting
of the legislature of the state / am able
to announce to the members thereof
that the affairs of the commonwealth are
in admirable form, and the general con-
dition of the people most prosperous and
encouraging. The numerical preponder-
ance of the negro race in our state-a
race inherently immoral, ignorant and
superstitious, with a congenital ten
dency to crime, incapable unalterably
of understanding the meaning of free
government, devoid of those qualities
of mind and body necessary to self con
trol-and being unable to control them
selves, are therefore unfit for the gov
eminent of others-vested by aw with
equal political rights with the white
man, it is but natural to expect that
such conditions should be attended with
disorder and lawlessness. But under
the wise administration of the affairs
of the state, the vigorous enforcement
of the law, I thank God that l can re-
port to you a condition which gives
hope for a still better and a more har-
monious state of affairs than we have
enjoyed in the immediate past.
Financial Condition.
The report of the treasurer reveals a
most encouraging and satisfactory con-
dition of the states finances. 1t shows
the total payable bonded Indebtedness
of the state to be about $1,25O,OO0 in
round numbers. The indebtedness to
the various school funds for which the
state ~obligates itself to pay 6 per cent
interest is 1886, 1888. The assessed
value Of taxable property as shown by
the report of the treasurer is $685.
$4,000.
Public Education.
State education has become as much
a part of the functions of government
as determining the rights of man, or
the preservation of the liberties of the
people. At this time it is the question
of consuming public interest, and the
end to which a large per cent of the
government revenues are devoted. There
are few commonwealth in this republic
that devote as large a per cent of the
revenues derived from taxation to edu-
cational purposes as Mississippi. In
its broader and better sense, the term
education means more, embraces more
lis fraught with greater good to the
republic-than all the other questions
with which the just powers from the
consent of the governed, that govern
ment is enlightened, Just in it's law
enduring in quality, in the proportion
that the best part of mans nature is
developed and his mind and morals are
interviewer in the fabric of the state.
But there are fads in education, and a
lot of essentials are engrafted upon
educational system which often onsume
the revenues of the state without bring
ing any substantial returns.
The State Penitentiary.
The attention of the legislature is
directed to the reports of the board of
trustees and superintendent, which show
a very healthy financial condition. One
of the most gratifying achievements of
my administration is the improvement
of the management of the p~enitentiary.
The leasing system has been abolished,
and the personal pecuniary interest in
the products of the convict's toll of the
men who have charge of the convicts,
has been forever eliminated by law.
Favoritism and every semblance of graft
have been completely %extirpated. Great
improvement is apparent everywhere
under the new board, and 1 trust that
the system may continue to improve
as the years go by.
Treatment of the Insane.
One of the most beautiful fruits of
the better and deeper civilization is the
loving care and attention given by the
government to the unfortunate mem
bers OF society. Every deformed human
body, every distorted human soul, are
the legitimate result of some error or
mistake for which the creature in whom
the error is manifested or bodied forth
in no way be responsible. The one SUI
preme test of the superiority of our
civilization to the civilization which ex-
listed in another age of the worlds his
tory is shown in the care which is be-
slowed upon the afflicted-the weak
and helpless members of society, There
is no class of the unfortunate members
of society that appeals to me so much
as the insane.