Year: 1874




cred to our city readers last Saturday
and will accompany the present issue to
our mail subscribers. L being the first
public utterancs of ;'Rerormer," and
Granger Governor it calls for espec-
ial attention, but fails, in our opinion, to
give any light on the subject of Reform
The message is well written, though in
dicating different authors in its varying
style. The Gov. recommends economy
and retrencbment, but does not indicate
here it ought to be applied, as there
has no money been squandered or mis-
applied by the Republican Administra-
tion and il there were chance now, there
are SO many hungry mouths to be filled
by the new Administration, that econo-
my and retrenchment cannot beseriouslv
thought of. He proposes collecting taxes
twice year, which would only doubls
expenses and be Of no benefit to the tag
payer; but we second his suggestion that
all State officers be paid fixed salary
and that all fees be paid over into the
State Treasury we doubt, however, that
the present Legislature will adopt any
such measure.


The first positive recommendation in
the message is, that the reception of a
| free pass or any other grasuity by State
Scffclal from any corporation be prohibi-
ted by law. As The principal railroads
have resolved not to gran: tree passes,
this proposition seems to be very feasi-
BILE oc execution now. but if the Cover
nor would have witnessed the scramble
for recommendation to obtain passes
here and elsewhere, he would have little
faith in the anxiety of the present mem
bsrs of our Legislature to pass such a
law.


Regarding temperance legislation, the
message speaks very glibly about person
al liberty, interest, rights, etc., but ends
only with recommendation that the ex-
listing law be so amended as to dispense
with the obnoxious features. This dou-
BILE meaning will neither satisfy the
drunkard makers nor the temperance
men.


In regard to railroads the Governor
doubts the power or propriety of Con-
gress to interfere with their management
but comedies the same to the State. His
suggestions in regard to legislative re-
straint upon railroad management con-
tain nothing new, but some of them are
practical, while others, if enacted, would
only work loss and injustice to individ-
uals and to the State. There is no dan
ger, however, for the railroads to be re.
strained In any effectual manner by the
present Legislature, AID the Governor
knows this better than many of those
who helped to elect him for that very
purpose.


The finest written, most eloquent, for
cible and truthful passage is near the
close OF the message, where it says:


'"The influence of your action and ex-
ample are not wholly limited to your i'm
mediate eonst' lency, but in an impor-
tant degree Possesses a national aspect.
1t Is tor us to determine whether the
purposes of government are superior to
the purposes of party; whether honesty
and intelligence or personal avarice and
importantly constitute qualifications for
offlce-whether legislatures shall intelli-
gently reflect the popular will or become
the instruments of the impertinent, the
lmportunate. the mercenary, and the cor
rupt political organizations. 1t is true
that political organizations are necessary
to the triumph of right over wrong, bat
let US also remember that development
and progress are ordained by the law of
God; that all parties that are blind to
this decree must decay and die that a
political partlsanship which renders the
public good subservient to the success Of
party, Or which requires electors. under
any circumstances, to elevate vice and
ignorance to public station as party OBJ
legation, is 20 be deplored and condemn
ed; and that the greatest reward of po.
itlcal service is the consciousness of hay
ing faithfully discharged a public duty.
No political party which fails to recog
nize these principles Of action is worthy
of toleration.


Did the Governor think Of it. when he
read this to the Legislative Assembly
that he was pronouncing his own doom
and that of his party? That nothing
but political partisanship has been
the leading principle oe his own and the
action of his party leaders? that the
party that disregards the principles
which he lays down will decay and
die?"