The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1915-04-14


elk months IL Il were organized and
conducted Hike the business Of Ken
lucky Our state Is an enormous busi-
ness enterprise that receives and
4 spends more than 1000, 900 annually.
This money comes from the taxpay-
ers, and they have a right to demand
that every dollar paid by them for the
maintenance of the government rem
der a dollars worth Of patriotic ser
vice, and that every person elected
or appointed to government posi-
ton render honest labor and do full
days work. The people have never
objected and never will object to pay
Ing for good service and good govern
ment, provided they get good service
and good government II am elect
ed governor. my first message to the
general assembly will deal largely
with the business conditions OF the
state and will recommend that the
states financial system be reorgal-
lied. waste and extravaganza be elm
mated and the taxpayer protected,
and an equitable, just and progress
give system of taxation and business
established. L am going to use
every power I have to have the debt
Of the state paid of and her business
put In shape so she can meet her obli-
cations when they fall due. shall
work for a more efficient administra-
ton of the affairs of the state, and
shall stand for the right kind OF econ
omy in all public matters. | am un-
alterably opposed to any Increase in
the tax rate. | believe with the prop
er business management we can solve
our fiscal problems without any in
crease In the tax rate. I shall use my
influence in having a law passed that
will call from its hiding place intangi-
BILE property. that is largely owned by
the rich and is escaping taxation, and
force it to bear it's part Of the ex-
pense of maintaining the government
Many, many other wrongs exist and
will continue to exist until the busi-
ness of the state is reorganized. III
am elected governor l shall recon-
mend that no appropriations be made
except in cases of emergencies, until
the present financial condition OF the
state is corrected and 1t is in posi-
ton to pay her appropriations when
they fall due. I shall recommend
abolishing every useless Office, and
the right kind Of economy in every
department OF the government.
When | was a child | used a min
now hook, a thread and a worm and
fished in a hole of water about two
feet deep that was under the roots OF
sycamore tree that stood by the
bank of a creek. A person may fish
In this hole of water all his life and
he will never catch anything but min
nows, because only minnows inhabit
II. II he does not go to the larger
waters he will never know the differ
ence that comes from the feeble tug
of a minnow and the thrilling pull of
five pound bass. | fear sometimes
that Kentucky has fished too much in
minnow holes instead OF putting out
boldly upon the great sea OF life and
feeling the spiritual and Industrial
swells that come from a larger states
manship. We have sometimes dab
bled in the shoals when we should
have been out upon the great blue
deep. We have played secret and
petty politics in secret and dark
places in the interest Of the few,
when we should have been working
for the many and transacting the
business Of the commonwealth. We
have been satisfied with inadequate
educational advantages for our chill
dren when we should have demanded
the best We have In many instances
robbed the soil of It's fertility, de-
stroyed the timber and polluted the
streams instead of conserving them.
We have too often neglected our agri-
cultural interests, and as a result
many nubbins and small crops grow
where big ears and large crops should
grow. We have been satisfied with
muddy roads and willing to pay the
enormous mud tax when we should
have had good roads. We have ship
ped our coal into other states to run
their machinery, when we should
have been using 1t for home indus
tries. We have been shipping raw
material into other commemorative
10 be made into finished articles, to
be shipped back to us and sold at an
enormous profit, when we should
have been making these finished arti-
cles ourselves and shipping them
into other states. In fact, we have
done too much fishing in minnow
holes and have not had enough OF the
thrill pleasure and profit that comes
from a larger effort.
Nature has made Kentucky good
ly land, lavished upon her gifts with
q prodigal hand, bestowed within her
borders natural resources which
make her land sanguine in promise
and productivity. mighty in Industrial
opportunity and imperial In the ma
jesty of her soil Her area is almost
as large as England. She is one-fifth
as large as the German empire and
four times as large as Belgium. II her
population were as dense as Belgium,
there would be within our area 25,-
900, 900; or as dense as Germany,
there would be 12.000,000; or II as
thickly settled as England. 10000, 900
souls. She has great agricultural
area, marvellous coal fields, much iron
ore, valuable oil and gas reservoirs,
inexhaustible supplies of limestone,
clay and cement material, and within
her area 1000 miles OF navigable riv-
ers, upon whose waves the transpor-
tation craft OF an empire might find
it's way into the worlds market.
Indeed, Kentucky is land of opti-
mism. The golden gates of opportu-
nifty swing wide open. II is land OF