Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-01-19
GOVERNOR BRUMBAUGHS INAUGURAL
ADDRESS STRONG AND EPIGRAMMATIC:
VIGOROUSLY URGES HIS PLATFORM

I ture and the Executive which, if wise,
both shall surely heed. If we give the
people the laws they have demanded
and we have promised, we shall per-
form a distinctly valuable service to
the Commonwealth. If we fail to do
this we must bear the consequences.
L pledge myself to an unselfish serv-
ice to the whole people of Pennsyl-
vania, and ask your aid and active
support both in securing good laws
and. in enforcing those now on the
statute books.
The State Over-Lawed
We have been over-lawed. We have
gone too far upon the theory that leg
islation is the cure of our social. eco
nomic and political ills. We have ac-
tually made legal criminals when, as
matter of duty. we should have ad-
dressed ourselves TO the vastly moro
worthy task of educating our people
into an increasing love for liberty. re-
spect for law and devotion to our
American civilization. We should
never make a law that in its opera
tion will work harm to the many and
good only to the selfish or potential
few 1t is the business of government
to make it easy to do right and diff
cult to do wrong. We need few addi-
uonal laws. We could well afford to
repeal many more than we enact 1
trust, therefore. that we may all plan
together to reduce enactments to
minimum, to reject all laws that do
not hold the assurance of good to the
many and so to facilitate legislation
as to give to the people the few vital
enactments they need and deserve. AS
speedily as may be, this we should do,
and when this is done the Legislature
should adjourn.
For the moral and the economic well
fa.. 80 l. .11 s,fp t,1
surely and steadily. Our laws should
be not only regulators of procedure,
but educators of the public conscience.
our great assets are not material, but
spiritual A government that enriches
life and widens a peoples vision will
endure. No other is worthy of the
name. IF we address ourselves anew
to this holy experiment we shall easily
add unto 1t all essential material good.
l am not unmindful that the quality
of administration is the first concern
and duty of the Governor. This | shall
keep daily in mind. But [ also submit
that it is vital to the welfare of the
people that the laws administered be
of the sort that will insure to our
people peace. safety and happiness"
To secure such laws and no others is
my duty quite as much as it is your
duty. | take this occasion to urge
upon you the Importance of certain
well-defined wishes and admitted needs
of our people.
Local Option
/ urge upon you, gentlemen of the
Legislature, the enactment of a County
Local Option law. The people of this
Comm have a perfect right to
decide for themselves whether or not
intoxicating liquors shall be sold IN
their several counties. This issue is.
before you. You must meet it, and
meet it openly and fairly. / gave
solemn assurance to the people that /
favored such law. Your Governor
now asks you to join with him in its
enactment. Every consideration of
moment favors such procedure. The
sooner we do so the better. Let this
veXed question be taken from partisan
control and given directly to the peo-
pie. They will solve it better than we
can. The selection of judges in the
several districts should no longer hinge
upon this question. 1t has already
worked harm to the judiciary and has
lessened the regard of our people for
the integrity and capacity of the final
legal guardians of the peoples sacred
rights. 1t is a dominant issue in the
public mind. The party that has given
this great State it's industrial and edu-
cational development has now the
sacred opportunity of giving the State
a great moral uplift. [ trust we shall
not fail the people on this issue. I
repeat l am unequivocably for county
local option.
Highways
The people who are the producers in
Pennsylvania have a perfect right to
insist upon better transportation facili-
ties, both by land and by water. We
add substantial good to our people
when we make it easy to transport a
miXimum load at a minimum cost
from farm and factory to the best
markets and market stations. Four
years ago under the apprehension
that the people would approve a $50,-
100000 loan for roads, the State took
over more than 5000 miles of high
ways. To this, at the last session of
the Legislature, additions were made.
We now have under State control 10,-
200 miles of highways. The loan was
not approved. The roads were taken
over. This was mistake. The cur
rent revenues Will not properly care
for these roads. They are becoming
Increasingly unsatisfa ctory. Unless
largely increased revenues are pro-
vided it would be wise to admit this
mistake AMI begin again upon the road
problem. We must have now a road
policy that Will meet reasonable ac-
ceptance and permit of a continuous
treatment for many years to come. The
people need, and must have at once,
better transportation facilities.
The State should find revenues ade-
quate to the construction of a few
great highways, routed between the
great centers of population. These
should be well built, and when built
placed under the care of capable su-
pervisors whose duty 1t should be to
keep them daily in good repair. 1t is