Year: 1860

ne people VI Iowa nave piaceu III


your hands, for the time being, the law


making power of the State, aud therefore


they look to you, that, during the time


you hold this trust, such policy shall be


pursued and such laws enacted, as will


tend to promote the honor and the well
fare of the State. + ~4 ..~"..-.. ..."


The Office to which I have been elect.
ed, and the responsibilities which L have


assumed, associate me with You to GER
tain extent in this work. by imposing


upon me, among other duties, that OF


communicating to you such Information,


as will aid you in the performance of your


duties, and recommending to you such


measures as 10 my opinion will, if adopt


ed by you, advance the public welfare.


Under government like ours, where


the people are the source of all political


power, the laws are necessarily a fair re-
tiex of the intellig gence and morals of the
people; and therefore it becomes of the
first importance that the standard of in
tell gence and morality should be raised


as high us possible. In this view it has


been the settled policy Of the State to
foster and encourage in all suitable ways,


the education of the youths of the State,


SO tina. when ct more advanced period


of life, they take part in the direction


and control of pubic affairs, they can do
SO understandingly, and with an intell-


gent regard to the public welfare. Tn.


der our constitution the subject of cdu-


cation has been almost wholly withdrawn


from you, and placed in the hands of a


board specially constituted for that pur-


pose, leaving with you, however, the
power Of revising and amending their
action. This board has Just closed a
session 1T which they have made such
changes in and amendments TO the
school laws as they deemed expedient
aud proper, and in my opinion it would
be prudent for you to interfere with their
action only in case you shall find, upon
examination, an overpowcring necessity
for SO doing.


Not only is it highly important that
the voice Of our people, as expressed
through the balot-box, shah be enlicht-
ened and intelligent, but it is imperative.
ly necessary that the utterines of that
voice be corrcctl " and honestly reported
In a government like ours, without priv
iIegcd classes, and where the laws affect
ali alike, need not fear that maiori-


t. of our people will deliberately pursue
a policy intended to operate injuriously
upon the pablic welfare, because BY so
doing they would be acting contrary to
their own best interests We. therefore,
feel at al! times safe in submitting quiet
y and checrfuily to the will Of the ma.
joritr tairly aud constitutioually express
ed, confident that if at any time, from
any cauSe, the people are led into error,
they have the sagacity speedily to detect
end the honesty promptly to correct the
error But if, through fraud or violence,
the ballot box shall cease to report to Us
correctly and honestly the will of the
majority, if corrupt and interested men
arc enabled to substitute their will for
that cf the people, then the assurance of
safety derived to us from the honesty,
the Intelligence, and the interests of the
people, DO longer exists-our confidence
- VA -o'tAH'h1pI 10 ioSt. aud We lCCi
that We are at the mercy Of dishonest
men who seek the control of our affairs,
for the purpose of promoting their own
private interests rather than the public
good. We cannot, therefore, guard with
too much care. the sanctity and purity
of the ballot box. Ia NY opinion, there
is no measure so well calculated to effect
this object, as carefully prepared and
well guarded registry law aud respect
fully rec .mmend that measure to YOUR
consideration 1t may be objected by
some that the operation Of such law is
burdensome to the electors. | am salts
fed that the supposed difficulty in this
respect, is much over-estima,ed, and
even were it not, cannot conceive that
any elector who properly appreciates the
value of the privilege he enjoys as such
will deem burdensome any reasonable
amount of time and attention that it may
be necessary for him to bcstow, in order
to prevent his honest vote from being
destroyed by fraudulent one.


rhe institution for the care of the in.
sane, aud for the education of the mute
and blind. will, | doubt not, receive
from you prompt and cheerful attention
and support. Established as they have
been, in answer to the requirements of
those better feelings of our nature, wi ich
prompt US to protect the weak and sue
cor the unfortunate, you may rely with
cor fdencc upon the approval by our peo.
pie, of all reasonable and proper efforts
on your part to make them useful and
efficient means for carrying out the no.
BILE purposes for which they were created


| would also recommend TO your favor
able consideration, the State University,
at Iowa City. It is based upon a grant
made by the Congress of the United
States to this State, for the support of
such an institution, and, having accepted
the grant, we are bound by proper
sense OF State pride. by our duty proper
ly to execute the trust confided to us,
aud by the interests of education. in
which are involved the best interests of
the State to render the institution such
an one as will be creditable to the State.


The condition and affairs Of the pcni.
tentiary, located at Ft. Madison, will
necessarily engage your careful and scri.
Gus attention. The safety of society re-
quires that the building be such as will
afford proper facilities for the safe con-
fnenent Of those vicious persons whose
liberty is dangerous to the lives and
property Of peaceful and law abiding cit