Year: 1877

| counties OF the State.


| In 1860 the stationary bill was $963, IS, in
1874 it reached the astonishing sum OF $11,-
| 218.86, and indeed, think it has been on
the increase since that date. Not having
the proper documents at hand am not
able to give you at this time comparative
statement of the expenses attending the
management of other State institutions and
interests. can only say, that in my judg-
ment, an unnecessary and burdensome ex-
pense is entailed upon the people, whi ch
| should be removed. Many new offices have
also been built up for which, apparently. no
necessity exists. 1t is needless to refer to
them as they will readily occur to you.
When I had the honor to be installed as
Chief Executive my only escort, to the
State capital many miles away, save soli
| tary friend, was binding snow drifts and
nv cline of march, bee line over fehces
and snow banks. 1t cost nothing to inaug-
urate my honored predecessors, or my la
mented successor Olden-tae great "war
Governor of New Jersey" from 1860 to 63,
three years of war. But we observe that in
1872 that ceremony cost an unprecedented
sum, So, 524 SO. The salary of the office
during my incumbency was 81, 800, with an
item in the incidental bill of 5000 or $500
for clerk hire, whilst now that depart
ment takes not much less than $4,000
yearly from the Treasury. 1t may be az
gued that all this increase is not due to
Democratic responsibility, and to certain
extent this may be true, but it is not true as
stated in resolution of the Democratic
Convention, that it is due to "Republican
| legislation for most Of the extravagances
have been the result of direct recommends
tions from Democratic Governors during the
last nine years, and during that time they
have been possessed of the restraining power
of veto, which has in no case been exercised,
partial as Democracy is to the use of that
arbitrary power. Furthermore the Demo-
cratic party had during the last session of
the Legislature entire possession Of both
branches, and the people heard of no meas
| ure for their relief 1t is needless for me to
say to the people of New Jersey that l fa
vor an economical administration of affairs
of State. My messages and practices vindi-
cate me in that regard, and have the sat
isfaction to quote from my last annual pa
per, although the others contain the same
strain of recommendation: 1 then said,
page of my annual message for 1860:
GA State debt is most unpalatable nov
city to our citizens and they manifest an
earnest solcitude for retrenchment, and an
entire cancellation of all obligations. We
should carefully husband our resources, and
steadily refuse any and all appropriations
which are not imperatively required; we
shall thus not only effect an extinction of
our liabilities, but also initiate habits of
economy which will ever inure to the pub
lie good.


eff your view of retrenchment be con-
current with mine, I beg to suggest to you
that twenty thousand dollars may be saved
annually, by obliging each county to pay
the bills of 'taxed COSTS for the prosecu-
tion and transportation of State prisoners
tried at its Courts, and by compelling each
county to pay for the entire support OF its
benefciaries at the Lunatic Asylum, by
which latter the State would be relieved Of
the payment of seventy five cents per week
tax for each county patient to whom it is
now subjected, and which amounts in the
aggregate to nearly nine thousand dollars
year. The printing Of unnecessarily vol
luminous public documents, containing much
non-essential matter, the cost of clerical
service to the Legislature, and many items
in the incidental bill, are sources of expense
which might be advantageously curtailed.
The entire abolition of fees and perquisites
and the substitution of liberal salaries for
all officers of State, Execu tive, Legislative
and Judicial, would be also highly condu-
| Give to the public interest. If these sug
| gestions are deemed sufficiently worthy of
your consideration to impel you to their
adoption. the expenses Of the State will be
reduced by not less than twenty-five per
cent. each year, and these will be fully met
by our annually accruing receipts"
1t is the part of good government to ad-
minister economically. If elected, it will
| be my chief endeavor to bring back our
State, as nearly as is possible, to the frugal
| standard of other days. The annual re-
ceipts into the State Treasury from various
sources should suffice to cover all State ex-
penses, and free as from direct taxation for
its support.


The Riparian property of the State, con-
sisting of thousands of acres of submerged
land under the waters of New York Bay,
as we'll as the Hudson, Raritan and Della
ware rivers ard bays, with our oyster privi-
leges, are an estate of incalculable value,
which, if properly managed, would contrib
ute fund capable of defraying all our State
expenses, provide most literally for all edu-
| ,,+;o..-1 .-.--Ss, onaDle us to omit the
ta0o mill tar levied for public schools.


The public school system should be Off
cered at less expense, and the school money
be kept inviolate from all sectarian infu-
ences or control.


| Prosperity consequent to the war seemed
to Justify an advance of interest to seven
per cent; the collapse from that plethoric


condition requires an immediate return to
rate not exceeding six per cent Capital
should be content to share the burden of
stringent times with productive labor.


The present unequal tax law requires es-
sential modification to adapt it to the doc


trine of equality, and which underlies Re-


publican government


The administration of the law designed


for the protection of the people is oppress-
i've in the extreme by reason of the great
expense attending litigation. especially in


the foreclosure of Mortgages in the Court


of Chancery. That Court does not benefit


the people of New Jersey in proportion to


the cost which its proceedings involve, AMI


some emiaaently radical relief is demanded