Year: 1873

Governor Geary's last message is also
his best and his longest. In parts it is
unnecessarily proIix; but its earuestness
excuses its prolixity, and it is well en-
titled to all the space we give it this
morning and to the patient and thought
ful consideration of our readers. The
greater portion of its many recommends
tons is founded upon sound. convincing
arguments and facts, and, if we cannot
always accept its authors deductions there
to the Legislature should command the
attention of that body Very many of
them are suggestions Of importance, which
if practically consumn mated, would result
10 the enhanced prosperity of the Com
monwesth.


The financial exhibit set forth in the
message is sufficiently full to be explicit,
and explicit enough to be exceedingly
satisfactory. The total payments of the
debt of the State made during Governor
Geary's two terms of office have amount
Ell to very nearly nine millions OF dollars,
showing An annual average extiuguish
ment of one aud halt millions OF dol
lars On November 80. lSI2, the ostensi
bic debt was butts little over twenty seven
millions; the real debt unprovIdei for
after deducting assets aud cash, was
sixteen and half millions, which could
be dischrged within the next ten years
If the policy Of extingushment which
ch lracterized the retiring Governors ad
ministration is carried out by his sue
cessors But, if it is essential to pay it
so rapidly, it would be paid at much
earlier date, for the reason that the re
sources oil the Treasury will each succeed
ing year be largely in excess of the neces
sary expenditures of the government and
of preceding years We are not assured
however, that it is necessary to extinguish
the debt absolutely because debt, whether
borne by men or States has Il tendency
to make both weigh all expenditures care
fully. Beside, it would, we think, be
wiser to discharge our Indebtedness with
moderate haste, in order TO relieve as much
as possible the orerburlened tax pay
ers Indeed, the strongest aud most
striking feature of the message is a
recomme ndatiou to the Legislature to lit
from the shoulders of our vast industries
upon which the very life of this great
manufacturing Commonwealth rests, the
onerous taxes which they are compelled
to bear. when they are conducted, as is
often the case, by Incorporated companies
in teld of by individually The Governor
very happily illustrates the monstrous
wrong that is done the State in cramp
ing its enterprises, and, at the same time
the injustice wrought against leGai com
binatioas of capital, by citing a hypo
thetical case of twenty persons, each
subscribing five thousand dollars to the
stock of a company organized for any
legitimate business object. This company
is compelled. under, the preposteroas
corporation laws Of the State, To pay
three or four distinct taxes, amounting
in all to nearly ten per cent of It's profits,
while any individual citizen pursuing
precisely the same business, with
similar capital, is absolutely exempt
FROM every one of the levies made upon
the corporation. There can be but one
result from such mistaken legislation, viz :,
tn deter any but men of the largest means
from entering into important business
enterprises to develop the resources of
the State. Other Commemorative en-
courage combinations of capital while we
discourage them. Bat the injustice OF
such discrimination against meu of small
capital, to say nothing of its want OF
wisdom, should he enough tn condemn it


This last message reiterates the Cover
nor's recommendation upon the subject of
geological aud mineralosical survey of
the State, suggesting that the results of
such survey combined be demonstrated
upon a State map, which map, accurately
representing by colors aud other means,
the various areas occupying by the differ
ent geological formations, the Governor
thinks would be an invaluable source OF
information to capitalists OF every coun
try concerning the incalculable mineral
wealth of Pennsylvania.


The sBureau of Labor Statistics and
Of Agriculture" while fulfilling the pnr
poses of its creation so far as to Justify
its continuance, has not fully developed
its usefulness on accoant oil too limited