The commonwealth., 1908-01-17

Jacksen. Miss ~ Gov. Eardaman today
sent his farewell message to the Mis-.
siasippi legislature. II was the longest
document ever submitted to the law
making body in this state, consisting
Of nearly 10000 words. The governor,
after careful review Of the states
financial condition, recommends liberal
appropriations for state educational and
eieemosynary institutions; state assist
ance in establishing system of rural
K high schools; normal and training
schools for teachers; memorial to con.
gress, either for the repeal of the
Fifteenth and modification of the Four
teenth amendments or the calling of
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; consttu- |
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 t
treatment of national guard; abolition i
OF county convict leasing systems; lib l
,eral appropriation for INDECENT ex-Con- q
federates; creation of office of state G
oculist separate sleeping and dining 7
cars for races; reduction of legal rate of \
interest to s per cent; Endorsement Of I
state board of health plan for suppres 8
sion of tuberculosis. a
The message is in part as follows: d
To the Senate and House of Repre-. B
eentatives--It is source of profound t
qualification to me that on the meeting a
of the legislature of the state am able {
to announce to the members thereof v
that the affairs of the commonwealth are t
in admirable form, and the general con. v
dition of the people most prosperous and s.
encouraging. The numerical preponder. t
ance Of the negro race in our state-a v
race inherently immoral, ignorant and s
superstitious, with congenital ten.
dsncy to crime, incapable unalteraby
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 y y
selves, are therefore unfit for the gov :;
ernment of others--vested by law with :.
equal political rights with the white =
man, it is but natural to expect that !, u
such conditions should be attended with a, a.
disorder and lawlessness But under !, u
the wise administration Of the affairs y
of the state, the vigorous enforcement " !.
of the law, thank God that l can re. -
port to you condition which gives VI VI
hope for still better and more har- 10
monious state of affairs than we have
enjoyed in the immediate past.
4 Financial Condition. II
] The report of the treasurer reveals re
most encouraging and satisfactory con- W
dition of the states finances. 1t shows co
the total payable bonded Indebtedness of
of the state to be about St,250000 in DIG
round numbers. The Indebtedness to ne
the various school funds for which the eli
state obligates itself to pay per cent ds
value Of taxable property as shown by Sc
the report of the treasurer is $373,- TT
$4,000. We
Public Education. fu
! State education has become as much tn
part of the functions of government ko
as determining the rights Of man, or in
the preservation of the liberties of the tn
people At this time 1t is the question ex
of consuming public interest, and the
end to which large per cent of the
government revenues are devoted. There oo
are few commonwealths in this republic "a
that devote as large per cent Of the =.
revenues derived from taxation to edu 40
cational purposes as Mississippi. In IL,
its broader and better sense, the term II,
| 80
lis fraught with greater good to the No,
all the other questions Pe' po
with which the Just powers from the of
conseht Oh tne governed, thac govern thl
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. str
But there are fads in education, and l
lot Of non-essentials are engrafted upon sta
system which often consume col
the revenues of the state without bring bui
Ing any substantial returns. con
The State Penitentiary. ua, m,
The attention of the legislature is VIII
directed to the reports of the board of sar
trustees and superintendent, which show Thi
! very healthy financial condition. One wit
If the most gratifying achievements of tur
ny administration is the Improvement qua
If the management of the penitentiary. of
The leasing system has been abolished, inv
Ind the personal pecuniary interest in of
he products of the convict's toll of the aga
men who have charge of the convicts, tori
las been forever eliminated by law. stat
'avoritism and every semblance of graft
iave been completely extirpated. Great i,
Improvement is apparent everywhere
ne svstem ,nav cort;nua 10 ;n,nrovs diei
3 the years go by. lnel l9eI
Treatment Of the Insane. legi
One of the most beautiful fruits of this
he better and deeper civilization is the hon
owing care and attention given by the thei
government to the unfortunate mem now
srs OF society Every deformed human part
ody, every distorted human soul, are l al
he legitimate result of some error or not
Mistake for which the creature in whom kint
he error is manifested or bodied forth dier
a no way be responsible. The one su- this
rene test of the superiority of our supt
utilization to the civilization which ex-
tied in another age of the worlds his r.
Dry is shown in the care which. Is be- batt
lowed upon the afrlcted-the weak viii
nd helpless members of society. There dav1
j no class Of the unfortunate members Fr;d
society that appeals to me so much alta
) the insane. fore
Protset the Child. may
The greatest blessing that a beneh
MT providence can bestow upon state n,
70 strong men, vigorous in mind and sho,,
odv and uure yirtu0us women with ~