Year: 1877

Il
honor conferred and in the hope that may be abe 10
discharge the trust ntecntly and TO the satisfaction
Of the entire people of the state.


In meeting you at this first Winter session OF the AS
sembly and within six months of the close of previous
spring session. assume that little additional legislation
will at the present time be found necessary The season
Of the year which you the members
of the LEGISLATURE less occupied than at other with
their private business This will furnish them the op
portunty OF occupying themselves more lndustriousy
with the affairs Of the State. As result venture 10
hone that the term of our annual sttngs may be here
after shortened and that the business OF the SESSIONS
NAV be conducted with dispatch at the beginning
and above ALL with less precipitation at the close
Tardiness in legislation may be venia fault: exper
ence has shown that deadly SIM for 1t is the
parent merely of unwise enactments, but oil all man
ner OF legislative frauds and jobberes


The people OF the United States have just passeC
through one of those political which determines
the succession OF their rulers. Ii involved the largest
possibcs stakes TO political ambition There was IN IL
much OF license and excess on the part OF party eaers
not little of passion and prejudice on the part OF party
followers and little, perhaps OF scrule ana hohor
on the part Of both. Yet, though the campaign was
waged with an ardor which at times mounted to White
heat moro than 100000 OF citizens cast their Noes
quietly and peaccably, and no popular tunut arose "
shock the reign of law and order verdict so lrah-
Quiy rendered by the people of 3S different states
scattered from the Atlantic to the Pacific, is singular
proof Of that sepose and regard for law which charac
terlzes our people, and without which popular govern
ment impC ssibe, and if it not impossible woud
be a curse.


lit he urged that in two three of the States stand
ing armies were thought necessary to preserve order
only serves to show that when the people of the states
are left free to govern themselves by rulers OF their ow
choice they are content cheerful and law abiding ana
that danger of revolt exists there and there on whee
government Of fraud is maintained 10y external iorce
The people Of the United States, under honest laws non
J,,iui arn
people in the world They accustomed by education
and habit to respect the law simply because is law
and do NOT need before their eyes, as some othcr
peoples do its visible symbols in the shape OF swords
and shOuderstraps But perhaps it must be confessed
and the confession may be made without shame-that
with government founded on fraud force and usurpa
ton they have less patience ard exercise less forear
ance than any other people on the globe


THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.


And this last consideration ind me 10 suggest that
the complications resulting from the late elections IN re-
spect to Presidential electoral returns make new a
neal and still stronger than before, TO the patience,
reason and sober judgment Of the people 1t is most I'M
fortunate that the result of the nations suffrage Is IN
yoved in the dOings Of returning board whose past
history proof OF utter moral ncOmpetency Tor honest
work and whose recent dongs are tainted with the deep
est snspcons of fraud The Chief Magistrate OF the Re
pubic has well id: Either party can afford TO be
disapponted in the result The country cannot afford to
have the result tainted by the suspicion OF Illegal OF false
returns"


These are words OF wh0lesOmeness and OF great mora
pith Half the Of mankind have grown out OF dis
puted successons power One has just closed in Spain
aud the blood OF another is not yet dry i'll Mexico We
are face TO face with legal question depending on the
ipterpr tation OF ambiguous phrase i'll the COnstu
ton-a question requiring the impartiay OF the judicial
mind and unfit for the pettiioggeres and cupdls OF
the partisan mind. On Just such question as ths
government guided by passion and not by reason can
Revo
avalanche which topples with the weight OF mans loot
Is not high time then, that good men OF all parties III
stead Of remaining shut up in party camps and Ill the
bgotes of party politics should in the OF suc
dangerous possiblties make truce with each other ana
common in the interest of peace law ana 4rderf
Let not in time Of peril mistake pdrsash lor p
triotsm passion for courage, nor party f9r country.
Among nations which govern themselves, II the Jaw Is
Nronr the people change it il fraudulently admins
tered under legal FORMS they cange the administrators
Revolution is the last necessity OF nations ana Is cie
except when orbeardnce has ceased to be virtue Bnt
let it be forgotten that revolution is not aWs te
uprising of the people against the ruler 1t Is the nsnr
rection Of force against the law ms on te par o iie
people sometimes duty the part of the ruler II Is
ALWAYS not only revolution but treason and lnfauy.


Let Us hope that, under good providence anu ~ "a
higher and better guidance than now seems possible 10
our party aud divided cOunscls we may emerge
from the pers which encompass us without shocK 10
the cOuntrys peace or damage 10 the gOody herSe oI
fathers Win great plisG n NAY 70 "W our and
greater prce of blood their The Republic has
saved Itself from It's encmirs; can 1t save Itself irO It's
nTseIyes TO This eni IT viii not do to that
might of standing army makes right Assumption ION
must not be all side and fOrhearance all OH the
other II there not enough Of sense left among party
leaders for lust and reasonable concession, there is folly
enough for anarchy ana reV0lntlOh.


ELECTION FRAUDS.


ITbe message then discusses the elective fran
ebise The evil of buying and selling votes has, the
Governor saws been increasing of late from year
TO year and he recommends with emphasis and
urgency" the passage of statute i'll aid OF Section 6
Article VI the Constitution of this State or II nee
essarv a constitutional amendment providing that
every elector, presenting himself to vote, shaii,
whenever thereto required by any other elector,
make oath before competent authority, uhder the
mains and penalties of perjury that he has not since
the passage Of such law, directly or indirectly or by
anv form whatever of evasion. committed any Of the
several acts forbidden by Sections u and - OF
Cbapter 9 of the Statutes and that in default of so
dong his vote shall be denied him. Those acts are
to offer or receive anything by way of gift or re-
ward for giving. or refusing to give, vote at an
electors. town, or city meeting; or promise pro-
oure or in any way confer any gratuity reward, or
nreferment for any given, or influence, or at
influence any electoT to stay away from such
meeting or who shall vote offer to any electOr to
vote apy ticket so marked colored that IT can be
identified when folded" They also provide against
influencing voters by promising or refusing employ
ment


PROPERTY RIGHTS OF MARRIED WOMEN.


There has been FOR the last few years III this State
much slipshod and fragmcntary legislation i'll respect
10 the propertyrigts of married women. The old com
mon law assumed the subugatOn OF the wife, ana
stripped OF the better part Of lcr rights OF person
and nearly all her rights OF property Ills matter OF
astonishment that Christian nations sbonld have been
willing for eighteen centuries Ohod the mothers Of their


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