The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1909-01-05
VESSEY TO THE
LEGISLATURE
Inaugural Address Of the New
Governor.
MANY PROBLEMS TO SOLVE

Recommends Law Designating De-
posltories for State Funds, Guar
anty of Bank Deposits, Improve
ment Of Primary Election Law,
State immigration Department, Good
Roads Legislation, Increase in Men,
bership of Supreme Court, Resuia-
ton Of Trusts and Revision of the
Insurance Code.
| In his inaugural address to the leg
| islature Governor Vessey said:
To the Senators and Representatives
and to the People of South Dakota:
In addressing you upon this occa-
sion ! wish, first of all, to extend to
you my most hearty congratulations.
| / congratulate you upon the high
standard of your citizenship, upon the
unequalled prosperity of our people
and upon the high place our young
commonwealth has attained in the
sisterhood of states. For years South
| Dakota has stood first In the Union
In the production of agricultural
wealth per capita and the increasing
| immigration, together with the open
ing up of new tracts of virgin soil to
settlers, has increased our hold upon
this pre-eminent position. Our people
are lovers of law and order, haters of
evil and lovers Of right. They have
been steadily purifying our politics
and at the last general election made
themselves heard upon at least one
great moral question. In no uncer-
tain way they spoke upon the question
and the divorce evil, which lay like
blight upon the fair name of our
state, was corrected and it's advocates
| rebuked
| Whenever the will of the people has
found full and free expression it has
always been for the right and for
better citizenship.
Carry Out Platform Promises.
4 1t is your duty, as a legislature
largely Republican, to carry into ef-
fective legislation every principle ad-
vocated in our party platform and
Il
the Republican party has made to the
people of the state.
There will come before the present
Legislature many problems to solve
that are not party issues, but which
will be for the best interests of the
citizenship of the state. / trust all
such measures will have the thought
full consideration and support of all
the members of both branches of this
Legislature.
| The retiring governor, from an In
Itimate and accurate knowledge of our
state affairs, has laid before you in
Idetail the condition of the state and
the needs, as he sees them, of the
various departments. His recommen-
dations are supplemented by the re-
Iports of the departments, so that you
have before you more complete and
accurate information than 1t would be
possible for me, standing upon the
threshold of official duties, to give
within the limits of this address.
Penal and Charitable Institutions.
The affairs of our penal and char
table institutions have been ably and
honestly administered. The money
Iexpended In enlarging and improving
Them has been utilized to the fullest
extent and with the best possible re-
suits With our advance along all
lines of modern thought and a clearer
appreciation of the brotherhood OF
man have come, of necessity, new
IfIaoc IN oJ,r frpapf pf fhnSl
whom circumstances have brought
under the discipline of our penal laws.
The old punitive idea has been large
lily outgrown and In its place has come
the reformative purpose in dealing
with this class. Our laws are adapt
ed to the old conditions and do not
give sufficient opportunity for the ex-
ercise of the best influences in this
direction / recommend that you give
careful attention to the subject of the
Iindeterminate sentence and the use
of parole in dealing with our convict
ed criminalD for the purpose Of adapt
ling their use fully to our laws and
1.-THE present condition of the state
Ipenal Institutions.
Our educational institutions are Pc
culiarly a matter for patriotic pride.
IYear by year they have enlarged their
borders and strengthened their inf1u-
ence. Their usefulness has constant
lily increased until today they have
within their walls the largest number
Of young men and women, future citi-
liens of the commonwealth, that they
have had in the history of the state.
lust as the care of the unfortunate
is a charge upon our Christian citizen
ship, so the free and liberal support OF
our educational institutions Is the
highest duty Of our patriotism urge
upon you q continuance of the wise
and liberal policies of the past, care
full outstanding of their munifcent en-