Ligonier Banner., Volume 25, Number 40, Ligonier, Noble County, 15 January 1891 — Page 2

e 0¥ Hovey to th Of Governor Hovey to the ~ General Assembl i ) ) ® The Present Election Law - s Contains Some Valu- - able Provisions, And Others That Are Very Objectionable. , The Governor Opposes the Custom ~ of Assessing Candidates . for Office. : Favors a Law Providing for the Establiskment of a Board of Railroad Commissioners. - G Ll e ! e Believes the Text-Books of the Schools: should Ise Placed in the Hands of . : the Pupils Free of Cost—Other Important Suggestions ; Made to the Legislature, : 1 . © Gentlemen of the Senate and House of Representatives:—As directed by the Constitution, it is mny duty to give you such informationas I ‘may deem necessary in regard to the condition of the State, and to recommend such, measures of legislation as I may judge expedient: | THE ELECTION LAW. : The act concerning eleotions, passed at the last session, in my opinion, contains some valuable provisions, and some that are very objec--tionable. In approving thatlaw I used the following language: s ' ‘“*‘Approved beeause it may tend to purify our electious, but I am afraid it will be found in practice, intricate, cbscure and expensive, Without the enactment of a registration law, as demanded by our Constitution, our eiections wlll remain open te corruption and fravag't :

I did not, at that time consider the question as to the constitutionality of any of its provisions. - :

It has been seriously doubted by the Governors of Noew York and New Jersey whether conflning the elector to the “public ballot,” and to nominations made by political parties, before the election, is constitutional. The right to vote for any man for any office in this State, whether the person voted for was nominated or not, has never been controverted from the organization of the State in 1816 until the . passage of the present election law, which makes the right to vote subservient to a prior-selection or election by conventions that nominate all the candidates. The conventions must first ‘elect or nominate the candidates, and then the elector may be permitted to vote, if he votes at all, for such candidates as have been nominated and no one clse. This robs the,elector of his constitutional right, and is neither Démocratic nor Republican in prineiple, and mightlead to very grave conseguences. * Whether the objection to the ‘‘public ballot” is well taken or not, it will not be difficult to obviate it by amending the law and making the ballot free as always has been. '

1f possible, our elect}bns'should be made less expensive. The cost of the last is enormous, not falling short of §BOO,OOO.

The assessment of candidates for office by poJitical committees, which has prevailed in muany States for the Jast twenty years, is infamous, and it is genecrally believed that a large portion of the money contributed is not used for legitimate purposes. Where such practices are resorted to, few except the wealthy have any chance of nominations to office, as those who are unwilling or unable to pay would seldom be selected by those who attend conventions, You can not lay your hands too -heavily on such offenders. and I recommend that such practices be made eriminal. The cr me of bribery and of bailot corruption became so great in the State of New York that on the 4th of April, 1890, the Geéneral Assembly of that State passed alaw making bribery an infamous crime, and also vrovided that ‘‘every candidate who is voted for 4t any public,clecti\zn held within this State. shall withiu ten days after such election, file an’ itemized statement showingin detail all the money contributed or expended by him, direcily or indirectly by himself or through any other person, in- aid: of his e}éction. Such sie.cment shall give the names ‘of the various persons who received such moneys, the specific aature of edeh itew, and the purpose for which it was expended or contributed.” Such statement must be sworn to and the affidavit must show ‘‘that the statement thus made is in gll respects true, and that the same # a full and detailed statement of all moneys so coitribuied or expended by him, directly orin«ircetly, by himself or through any other persou, in aid of his election.” A failure to file such statement subjects the offender to punishment of fine, imprisonment, disfranchisement for five yoars, und a forfeiture of office. in our last election a great many hundreds of tickets were thrown out, and not counted, on azccount of imperfect stamping by the electors. In Connecticut, the tickets are not stamped, but enclosed m a stamped envelope, with the election. clerk’s initials marked.upop them. It is sulnnitted, whether this would not be an im-

provenient on our system, and whethier the cost of our g!ections under the present law can not be greatly decrcased. .

FEES AND SALARIES. - There is a great dissatisfaction by all parties and all ciasses in the State inregard to our laws relating to fees and salaries. Some of our coun. ty oflicers are paid too much, and soiiie, of our superior officers are paid too little. It looks strange to see some of our! clerks, sheriffs, auditors and prosecuting attorneys receiving from $5,000 to $20,000 a year, and the judges of our Circult Courts §2,500, and the judges of the Supreme Court only $5,000 per. annum. If all'salariecs now paid .to the scveral Stateofficers could be added to th- legal fees coilected by the State and county officers, the amount would male » fund that would liberally pay every officer in the State, and in my opinion, leave at least $lOO,OOO to be paid into the treasury of the State 'With the salaries attached to all our offices, and the fees paid into the treasury there would be no inducement to collect ‘‘constructive fzes,”’ or more plainly speaking, there would He no inducement to carry out the wholesale extortion now practiced in some counties in Ihe State. T earnestly recommend that all feo bills of officers, and all account( against decedent estales shall be required to be itemized and sworn to belore they are allowed by the courts. ;s :

This reform is needed now. To allow the prosent office-holders to exact these exorbitant fees until their guccessors are elected is but to continue this unjust burden upon the people. The law is plain. All officers take their offices with the burdens. subject to be changed by the Legislature, except those whose saldaries can not be changed during their terms, as ‘provided in our Constitution, Any other view of, the fee and salary law is a deception and a sham. It will never be changed if we depend upon a s iding seale to meet the future, two or four years khence. i ‘ ! . OHE WORLD'S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION,

The Worid's Columbian Exposition. or Worid’s Frir, the buildings for which will be dedieated at Chicago, 111, in October, 1892, will probubly ¢xcel any exhibition of a similar charaeler 4o be found in the pages of history. Lreat preparations are being made by the several Staies of the Union and foreizn nations, to exhbibit their products and live stock to the beat advantage. T'o malie o respectable representation of the wealti and resources of our State will require an ontiny.of 4 eonsi‘erable amount of money. Tho lomsletuves of several States are proposing to uppropriate from one hundred thousand to one half a milifon dollars for the erection of buitlinga and collection of exhibits. Indiana, 4n hoy orent wealth ino mines, mineral!s, manufoetones, pgricuiturg and live stock, should not lae bilind her sister States in presenting her wondariul rosources, b il

1 shall recominend no partieular amount that yau should appropriat 8, but leave that to ‘your Bbaiter indements, knowing that your great interest in the honor, pride and sdvaneement of ‘our Blute wiil guide you 10 the proper conciuCRICIY, e i .

ArE GETIYSBURG nAmpmrmnn ARSOCTATION, - Al the loyal Btates. whose troops wers en-

gaged in the battle of Gettysburg, have erected ' monuments to mark the position of their troops in the battle, and have, with the exception of Indiana, purchased the grounds upon which they are erected. The monuments for the soldiers of Indiana are placed upon grounds purchased by other States. The Gettysburg Battlefleld Association, through Colonel John M. Vanderslice, requests aif nfiproprlation of $4,000 or $5,000 to pay for the ground upon which said monuments are erected, where many of our heroic soldiers fought and fell in defense of the Union. Money would not be spent in vaiu if every field of battle, where our armies were victorious. could be set apart with monuments as objeet lessons of loyalty for future generations. STATE PRISON NORTH. : The Directors’ report of the Northern prison, for the year ending October 81, 1840, shows a daily average of 751 prisoners, and the total receipts and earnings for the year $118,315.12. The new improvements made during the year amount to 8518,465.44.% _ These improvements may have been needed and benzfcial, but most of them have beevn made by order of the directors of the prison. No appropriations have ever been made by law for their construction) and the money has been expended without the shadow of legal authority, and in direct conflict with section 6,141, R. S. 1881, which provides: . . ““All moneys due the institution shall be paid to the warden, who shall pay over the same to the Treasurer of State, at the close of each quarter of the year; and such moneys shall be certified into the Treasury as other moneys are. A full and detailed statement of all such moneys received and paid over to thve I'reasurer of State shall be madag out by the warden at the close of each quarter of the year, and deposited with the Auditor of State. All accounts for claims against the penitentiary for salaries, provisions, clothing, mmedicines, repairs, buildings, fuel, etc., shall be drawn on the order of the warden, countersigned by at least one of the directors, and presented to the Auditor of State, who shall examine and adjust the same; and, if found correct, shall issue his warxant. payable at the State Treasury, for the sum which shall be found due, specifying in each bill the date of its isgue, the name of the person to whom payable 'and the appropriation from which it is to be paid."” The Warden's report shows there was a balance of cash in his hands November, 1839, of $22,667_.¥52; and on the 81st of Oectober, 1890, of $17,916.53. By what authority ‘could the Warden hold cash balances in his hands which should have been promptly paid at the end of each quarter to the Treasurer of State. - : The reports of the directors and Warden clearly show that they have been wholiy disregarding the law in.the management of the financial affairs of the prison. On the 13th of July, 1889, I called the attention of the Warden by letter and regquested that his accounts ‘ should comply with the law. I have been more | particular on this point from the fact that the State has been in litigation with a former War- ' den of the Southern prison on a large alleged defalcation, which took place in 1857. He kept his accounts in the same way that the accounts have been) kept by the Northern prison. i £

Under Section 6141, not one dollar.of the earnings of the prison should bs spent by the Warden. Every cent collected by him on the Liébor of the prison should be paid intojthe hands of the Treasurer of the State. The expenses of the prison should be paid out of the moneys appropriated by the Legislature, and from no other source. The Warden has no legal right to look to, or use, any other fund, and shculd confine himself within that limit.

In the report of the Board of State Charities, the Committee on Prisons and Reformatory Institutions, page 39, says: : -

*The most serious, criticism on the management of the Northern Prison arises out of what is known as the slop contract. For many years past, long beforo the present Warden was appointed, it has been the custom to increase the Warden's compensation (which was justly considered to be insufficient) by giving to him, or Belling to him at a nominal priee, the slop or waste food. What the value of this may be is unknown: probably the popular estimate, which places it at several thousand dollars annually, is very much exaggerated. The Warden, w.ho has been asked by this Board to estimate Its value. declares himscif unable to do so. But whether the value be much or little, the plan of giving any officer a perquisite is a very injudieious one, and this particular perquisite is especially so.”! * # &« ¢“T'he prisoners are all aware of the slop contract. They greatiy overestimate its value, and they imagine that their diet is chosen bgghe Warden so as to inerease his profits, by fiing them food which will be largely wasted. That [is o say, they believe they are defrauded in that which comes closer to them than anything blse for the benefit of the Warden. Tliseffect on the xainds of the priaoners is the cliief evil pf the slop contract, an evil compared with which the trifling momey loss to the State is not, to be compared. This Board would recommend, as has been said in a previous part of this report, that the salaries of the principal efficers of ownr prisons be iacreased, and that verquisites of any and every kind be absolutely forbidden.”.

It will be) seen that besides the impolicy of making such a contrac% with the Warden, it is emphatically forbidéeh. Our stotutes which provide that “'No contractshall b 2 made wherein any of the Directora or officers of the Institution are interested.” !By sectiom 6140, R. S. 1881. i : :

I take pleasure in saying that tie Bodrd of State Charities were greatly pleasgd with the management of the prisen and its inmates, and I have no doubt, in that regard, the afficers are deserving of the highest commendation for the manner in which it is conducted. :

This, however, should net give them a license to overlook and disregard the law, ang take upon themselves the full management of the institution as though it really belenged'to them. In view of the facts, and the history of State prisons in this State, I recommend that an act be passed making it a misdemeanor, with penalties, for the officers of any of our State institutions to make contracts with each’ other relating te the property or business of such institutions, and also making it a misdemeanor for any officer whe has the financial control:or management of any institution to fail in making out his accounts according to. law. Some provisions of this kind areimperatively demanded, as there are no penalties prescribed by the statute,and asnolegal proceedings could reach such evils without great delay and expense to the State. : ! . PRISON SOUTH. = I wrote to the Warden of the State Prison South, at the same time I wrote to the Warden of the State Prison North. -Captain Patton, the Warden of the Prison South,since that time, has fully complied with the law in regard to the earniags of the prison, paid the same:to the Treasurer of the State, and has drawn all payments by warrants of the Auditor from the funds-appropriated by law for that institution. There is no financial safety in transacting the business of the prisons in any other manner. About $1,200 per annum have been saved by the present Warden from the slops of the Prison South. i l . - The salaries of the wardens are not commensurate with their duties, responsibilities and la- | bors and they should réceive at least $2,500' per ‘ annum, : : { i BOARD OF STATE CHARITIES. | The Board of State Charities was organized under the act of February 28, 1889, and a non- ‘ partisan board. consisting of John Elder, Elijah B. Martindale, Mrs. C. W. Fairbanks, Oscar C. McCulloch, Timothy Nicholson and Mrs. Margaret ¥. Peelle. were duly appointed as members of said board; and on the Ist of March, 1889, Alexander Johnson was. appointed secretary of same. : : : TOWNSHIP TRUSTEES. . The almost unlimited power of.township trustees, under section 6008, R. 8. 1881, in making contracts should be curtailed. This section gives the trustees the right to make contracts to the amount of all cashon hand, and to anticigate all taxes assessed agoinst his township, for the year in which the debt is contracted. 1 recommend that said seetion be amended so {hat all contracts, whose aggregate amount shall be in excess of one bundred dollars, shall not be made by a trustee until he procures an order from the board of commissioners of the county 1n which such township is situated, authorizing him to make such contract. ; T : COMMON BCHOOLS. i The cost of commoh school books has been greatly reduced. in consequence of the contract made by thé State, under the act of March, 2, 1889, e i o - OQur common '.schoo&s are now open to all classes, and only need that the text-books used gshould be made free to all pupils, a 8 recommended in my message to the last General Assembly. : I recommend that an act be passed, to place in the hands of every pupil, rich or poor, free ot all costs, the text-bpoks necessary for use in our common schools, 4 : It is mockery to say that our schools are free, as long as our pupils are compelled to pay for any part of a common school education. . APPORITONMENT. : i . In compliance with the act of Congress, In- | diana will be eatitled to elect thirteen members of ths House of Representatives of the United States, and districts will have to be established, in which such Represeucatives are to

be elected. The State should also be district©ed, and the counties designatnd, in which elees tions will be hoiden, to elect Stute Senators and Representatives. Our government was established upon the fundamental principle that a majority should rule, and I trust such an zpportionment may be made, that this great constitutional right may be fully and fairly sustained. : RAILROAD COMMISSIONERS. ' There is a great necessity for the enactment of a law providing for the establishment of a Board of Railroad Commissioners for the State, who may have the general supervision of all railroads operated in the State, with power to inquire inio all questions of neglect or violation of the law by said roads, with reference to business and publie safety. Such commissioners should also be authorized to make all necessary investigations, to ascertain the amount of business done by said roads, and their value for taxation. Many of the States of the Unmion have enacted laws on this subject, with mest beneficial results, and I commend the same to your careful consideration. ROADS AND AIGHWAYS. . There is nothing more imperative!y needed in this State than good, passable roads ond highways. I'or months, in h\any counties. our roads are absolutely impassable with loaded teams. This not only affects tlfe farmer, but every town and city in this State. It depreciatesthe value of lands, and causes the farmer, his hands and his teams to remain idle for many weeks in the year, and oftentimes deprives him of thc best markets for his produce. Our Legislators have been fully aware of the importance of this subject, and hiuve made many cfforts to remedy the evil, but so far with no great success.. The labor which may be called out annnally, and the amount of money paid for road taxes by the several counties, would keep our highways in a far better condition, if that labor and tax were intelligently used and expended. That the labor is not called out as it should be, and that our roads are worked by men who do not understand such labor, can not be denied. i

For the year ending Oclober 81. 1890, a road tax of §1,022,111.78 was collected and used in the rospective counties of the State. Besides this large amount, there were 864,417 persons who were liable to work on the roads from two to four days in each year. Estimating that each performed three days’ labor, worth &I.2sper day. and the value of their labor would amount to $1,266,158; cash collected on assessment $l,022,111.78, total, £2,388,269.78. This, on an average, would allow an expenditure of money and labor of mearly $26,000 in each county inthe State.

*Can any of you, gentlemen, assure me that one-half of that sum has been fairly expended in your counties on roads? ° . : It seems;to me that some system should be adopted threugh which this large amount of money and lavor could be made of some practical good .to the people of the State. Would it not be advisable to establish a Board of Bridges and Highways. and have intellicent civil engineers appointed for every county in the State to take charge of our highways and bridges? If such board and engineers should cost the State 820,000 a year, they would still have over $2,000,000, which could surely be used to greater advantage to the State than by the presentinefficient system controlied by Road Surveyors. _ Where the topography of the county will permit, gravel or McAdamized roads, practically near the center, running north and south and east and west to the most commercial points, would become channels through which the produce of the country could easily be carried to market, at all seasons of thie year and in all kinds of weather. Where there is a sufficient incline on the road bed to carry off water, tiling has been used to great advantage.

SOLDIERS’ AND SAILOHS' MONUMENT.

’ Owing to reasons which are fully explained | by the contractor for the super-structure of the State Soldiers’ and Sallors’ Monument, in the - Annual Report of the Board of Commissioners, he has been unab'e to complete his work upon that structure the past year, and announces that it will require until the first duy of next " August to do so. Nothing is lost. however, from this cause, as the deoorations for this great work of art require time for their conception and treatment, if they are expected topos*sess that merit which will give fame to Indiana a 8 possessing the finest monument in America. It also insures greater perfection in the materials and mechanical work, as.can readily be seen by compawing it, as far as it has progressed, with structures of like character that have: been hastened to completion withou¥ due vregard to these necessary requirements in isecuring beauty and permanency. The Commisgioners wisely determined to adhere %0 the dimensions of the original design, thus insuring'a monumment of sueh impressive grandear that i will become a great attraction, and aid in briaging the most enlightened and culturec® people of otherlands to our State either as tourists or‘for residence: and from the first they have dilizently ssughnt forthe best materials and workmanship; rather than attempting to comple'e the strugiure witle the fund originally pinced in their hands, by the employment of that which is inferior, because of its seeming chearness. In doing this they Rave relied upon the ratelligeuce, .patriotism and liberality of the pecple to sustain them in malking the monument resily great; and they ought not to be disappointed. The artistic and inventive world has had its attention drawn to this workin an unusual degree. and if it is completed according to the plans of the Commissioners it will mark a new exa in the development of our State, and be a source o? pride to every citizen. The present appropriation will complete the shaft and the terrace at the base; and in tlat condition it will surpass all other monuments in this country; bt the fountainsi and cascades, the great groups-of “War’' and ‘Paace.” and other statuary batow oughit to be added now. and I trust there will be no: hesitavcy in farnishing the necessary money. It _would be an unwise economy to withhold@’it. A further sum is alse required for a new pedestal on which to fittingly place the sthtae of the late Governor @. P. Morton.

The members of the board ané the secrctary have visited theseveral insane asylums,.State prisens North and South, benevolent institutions, poor asylums, orphans’ homes, jails.-ané reformatory institntions in the State. The small amount of the appropriation sfifour: thousand dollars p2r annum has been econom: ically used, resulting, in my opinion, in great. good to the State. . The disintevested services of thaboard sitould receive the highest commendation. Thewhave labored' earnestly, . honestly amd {faithfully, without fee or'zeward, and deservothe thanks of the good people of the State. SUPREME COURT. My wiews have not changed in ragard: ta the Judieiary singe my message in 1889, I then said:. : “Orr-Constitution provides that ‘justics siall be administered freely and witheut purchase. completely and without denial; speediiy and without delay.” Under existing laws, this:highsounding provigion is an empty hoast. Many cases are pow pending in the Supreme: Court which were filed@ more than five years ago, and it is to-be feared that some have been appealed to that cour% for the sole purpose: of dslay. This delay arises from no fault of the judges of the court, but from their inatility e fully investigate the numerous cases whieh are brought before them. Ido not bslieve that the muiltiplieatien of judges in the Supreme Court would tend to the furtherance eof justice. No case should be 'passed upon without the full consideration of every judge wupen the bench. This would be impossible if the numiber of judges should he greatly incromsed.” While the.increase of the members would inecrease the number of written opinions by the eourt,the censultation by many justices would drlay final jadgments, .and probably result in fewer de_eisions. Besides, dissenting opinions, which always tend to weaken the authority of a decided case, would be far more freguent. My opin--len still is, that the establishment of intermediate appellate courts, with exelusive jurisdiction, within certain limits, with five justices, one for each of the five supreme judicial districts, would so lessen the decket of the Suppreme Court, that it could keep up with all the cases that might beappealed. 'These justices might itinerate, and meet at stated periods, n the respectivé districts. : ‘ldo not believe that twenty Judges, in ene Court, could perform the same labor, and leave satisfactory resulits. i . STATE INSTITUTIONS. : Our benevolent reformatory and charitable institutions,and Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Orphuns’ Home, will expect the usual appropriaticns for their support and maintenance. : The unfortunate afiair that rezulted in the death of Henry Blunt, in the Insane Asylum at Richmond last October, will demand at your hands a careful investigation of the management of that institution, and such action as may be deemed just and right under the facts that may be developed. . i . : WHITE CAPS. - : As the Governor has neither the means nor the authority to interfere in the arres: or trial of that class of criminals known as ‘‘White Caps,” until the law is openly and foreibly defied, T recommend that . the Board of County Commissioners be uuthorized to pay from the dog tax fund, in the r respective counties, sueh sums of money as may be necessary to ‘appre- | hend and bring to justice all such criminals as | Ty be found within thele respective gougties.

FINANCES. The financial condition of the State is ful:; and ably presented in the report of the Audiic: of State. The most important part for 3you: consideration may be condensed as folica: The total net receipts to the gexmeral fund from all sources during the present fiscal year were $1,448,151.45. The income of the State within the next three years, at the present rate of taxation, is likely not to vary much, if any, from the above sum. The actual sum necessary to run the State government for the fizcal year, 1891, is estimated a$ £2,000,000. o this should be added the unpaid appropriations of former years, to-wit, $205,222.83—making a total of $2.205,232.33. If specific appropriations are passed by the General Assembly this session the same should be added to the above sum of $2,205,232.53. Taking the aliove figures, not inciuding specific appropriations that may be passed by the Legislature, as a basis, the deficit over apd above the net receipts for the year 1881 would be $757,080.88. -The estimated necessary expenses of the State governmert for the year 1892 is $1.873,020, and for 1893 $1.998.090, whrich would leave a deficit at the end of each :ar respectively of $2¢939 and $549,939, to which deficiencies should be added any additional appriations that may be made by the Legislature for those years. - Immediate provisiors, in my cpinion, should be made for the relief of the Treasury, the importance of which can readily be seen, as a continuation ofthe increase of the State debt becomes g necessity, unless your honorable body enacts such laws as may increase the receipts of the State equal to the necessary expenditures and appropriations. : _Atthe time of the passage of the act of March 8, 1889, authorizing the refunding of the debt of cthe State due the school fund, there were outstanding school fund, bonds Nos. 1,2, 3. 4,3, amounting to £3,904.783.22, upon .which the State was paying interest at the rate of 6 per cent. pexr annum, amounting to §234.256 09.

- There were issued under anthority of said act bonds to the amount of 8,905,000, upon which the State is paying 8 per cent. per aznum, amounting te $117.150.90. being an annual saving of in'erest to the State of $117,136.09, The refunding bonds issued as. above brought a premium of §62,196.38, which was turned into the general fund of the State Treasury, and the amount paid the school fund, §3,904,783.22, was distributed to the several counties of the State as provided by the act. The funding of these bonds has not only lessened the annual expenditures of the State, but has added to the funds in the hands of our county officers, to be loaned by them to the people of the State at reason~ able interest. . Bince 1877 a sufficient revenue has not been raised to pay the expenses of the State, and every year has added to our indebtadness, until to-day the State debt bhas reached the enormous sum of §.510.615.12, with a still increasing indebtedness, unless some relief can be obtained by legislation. With the same system that has heretofore prevailed, we will still have to ‘borrow money to sustain our institutions and expenses of the State, with an annual defcit of about $500,000. Surely the day of borrowing for such purposes should cease. We havenori htto mortgage our future revenue, to be paid by those who may eome after us. There are various modes of raising revenue in the States, but the the most simple mode has been generally adopted in this State—that of capitation, or | poll tax, tax on value of lands and personaity—whilst in other States different systems have “ prevailed. In New York, New Jersey, Connec- 1 ticut,Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and other States, | scarcely any part of the tax for State purposes, | is collected on lands. The farmer is left almost untouched, and the principal State revenue is coliected from eorporations and ra lroads. In these States, corporatfons umt railroads alone wili nearly average the full :meunt of our en- ] tire State revenue. INew Yoiic coilects from i her railroads and corporaticrs 81,192,59).73; l while'the State of New Jersey coiiects, $1,210,192.30: and the state of Connecticut collects $1,246,064.40. -

Govesnor Bulkiey, of Comnecticut, in his message of 1889 states that ‘'l'he T'reasurer believes that without embarrassment to the finances the rate of State taxation cax be redueed to one mill and Itas so estimated.”” = The contrast in tlie amount collected on railroads in Csnnecticu? and Indiana is very striking. 'Connecticut i round mumbers has 1,018 miles of rai¥way and receives a revenue from it of $671,820. Indiana has 5,961.58mi1e5, of railway and receives only &:8715.21. Wiscomsin . hus 7.720 miles ofrailway which nearly pays all the expenses of the State, and her lands are not taxed for State purposes. In levying taxes on corporaticns @nd railroesls, the barden does not fall exclusively oh them, but it is divided and disseminated among the'class of people wha transact and debusiness with them.

As our reverue lawsnow impos® nearly twothirds: of the amounts csilected Dy the tax gatherers of the State upon land owners, the assessment of 13%0 being #s¢s 254,157, on lands, lots in cities axd towns, with theirimprove. ments, and only $231,513,788 c¢n personal property it is butright that our law-makers shculdlook te a more just distridution of the burden,.

It must not be cverlooked that our land owne ers were taxed on ail their personality besides. The farmer can’ ¢yver nothing; his lands, hig oreps, his teams, and all of his persgnalty arc taxed, nor can they be offset ingiving inrhis taxables against his in¥ebtedness. Not so with the capitalists, the broker and th 3 money lender; with them nothing ‘8 visible, unless their oathg under the fear of God and the law diselose theix trezsures. In this Swate there is no doudt that a large part of the: personal property which should be subjected to equal taxation: is-unas-sessed. :

Licenses for varic®s enterprises have been freely resorted to by almost every State; and it is suggested that the- heaviest should e demanded from sourcesswhich are the !east bene« ficial o the best interests of the State. Luxur« ies, and vanities and vices, if they must be tolervated, should be heuvily taxed.

For many years the State has only levied).for Sfi;ate purposes, one Gsilar and twenty ecents on the appraised value of one thousand dollars, whilst the counties, cities and towns:and townships, reached in some instances as high ag twenty d@ollars on the thousand, in addition ta the State tax, makizg.:over two and-one half per cent. per annum cx the value ofithe progerty assessed and taxeds

It wenrld not be diffiznit to selects: objects. of luxury and pleasure upon which assufficient license or tax could be eagily levicd to pay all the expenses of our ckaritable and: benevolent institutions, without resort ng to the bard earned savings of our land owners andlaborers. In Engipnd and several of our States, a tax on ‘‘coilateral inheritances,” yields very largs revenues. In Pennsylvania, in 1883, the income from tzat source amaunted to $1,878,433.71, and the tax from notaries public amounted to $3 328 In our present financial condition, you willibe compelled to raise ouritaxes to at least: twentyfive cents to one hurdred dollars, err adopt the system of other States by raising a sufficient revenue from corporitions and liceness;: ard ar we are now paying $278,275 interest on our State d/ bt ‘annually, » sinking fund should be providied to liquidateour present great imdebt edness. :

In default of thes® recommendations.it will be necessary to pass-an act, autherizing the officers of State to horrow more mensy for future expenses. .

: Gentlemen. the problem is ia: your bhands, anc: I trust you mayp find a way to:solve it by just.iegislation. ‘ -

AnylN P. Hovey,; Governor.

—lt is related of a clergyman, the happy father of a charming dauglter, that, while przparing his Sabbath discourse, he wag suddenly zalled from his desk, leaving unfinished this sentence. “I never see a young man of splendid physique andithe promise of a glerious manhood almost realized but my heart is filled with: rapture and delight.” His daughter happening to enter the study, saw the sermon and read the words. Sitting down, she wrote underneath, “My sentiments, papa, exactly.”

- —School Inspector (examining a elass) “Now, nuy little mam, tell me what five and one make?” No answer from the boy. Imspector again—‘‘Suppose, now, 1 gave you five rabbits, and then another rabbit; how many rabbits would you have?” Small bey—“ Seven!” Inspector—*Seven! Hew do you make that out?” Small boy—‘‘Because I've gota rabbit o' my ain at hame.”

—*You ought to take a mud bath for your trouble,” said the doctor. *“I got one on Broadway yesterday,” said the patient. ‘‘A furniture van crossing a loose car track did the business. Et I can’t see that it’shelped e any "~ Harper’'s Bazar. ; :

—The ostrich, the largest of birds, has not been inaptly described as a fsathered camel or the giraffe amorg birds. : . :

TOO MANY RULERS. Nebraska Suffering from a Surplus of Governors — Governor Thayer Refuses to Surgender the Olpco to the NewlyElected Governor Boyd, ‘and Powers, the Alliance Candidate, Takes the Oath of Office In Hope That Something May Tuarn Up. . ; LincoLN, Neb., Jan. 10.—Powers, the Alliance candidate, took the oath of pitice at 1 o'clock’ p. m. . Friday, and it lis sald that the Legislature will recognize him as Governor. Ex-Governor Thayer still holds the executive office’and 'Governor RBeyd has taken offices in another part of the building.. All the mnew Stute officers have been recognized except the Governor. Tom Major was installed as Lieutenant Governor and president of the Senate under protest. Governor Boyd has the Governor’s seat and has been recognized by all the new State officers as Governor, and they will report to him. Governor Boyd will appoint and swear ina new staff and take command of the militia, when, it is stated, Company D, now on duty, will, under their new commander’s orders, retire to their barracks. Ex-Governor Thayer will then be asked to retire, and if he refuses it is most probable that Governor Boyd will put him out of the office by force. : j Thayer has filed a petition in the Supreme Court, alleging that Boyd is an alien and not eligible to the ofiice, and praying that he be restrained from the duties of the office. The court has adjourned but as their opinion bas already been handed down, these proceedings amount to nothing. The constitution gives the Governor power to declare the Legislature adjourned if he so desires. It is now rumored that Governor Boyd will adjourn the Legislature if they do not proceed regularly to business. Governor Thayer also petitioned the Supreme Court for a writ of quo warranto to determine the position of Governor Boyd. The court answered informally that no decision would be made until next Tuesday. As tothe jurisdiction of the court Governor Thayer makes the following explanation:

“To WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: My position is exactly this: "There is a general conviction that Mr. Boyd is not a citizen of this State; that, although he has lived here for many yeurs, he owes allegiance to a foreign power. I desire this matter to be tested before the Supreme Court, for it is a judicial question. If he is a citizen it is a very casy matter for him to prove the fact. If he ig not a citizen that fact should be established. Artlcle 5, section 2, of the State constitution of Nebraska i 3 in the following words: ‘Persons eligible—No person shall be eligible to the oiflee of Governor or LieutenantGovernor who shall not have: attained the age of 30 years and been for twe years next preceding his electiom a citizen of the United States and of this State.’ Language can not make the provision @hy stronger. I have sworn to support the constitution, ana it is my duty to prevent, so far as it is in my dower, a person who owes allegiance to a foreign government from becoming Governor of Nebraska. If the proper tribunal should decide, upon investigation, that Mr. Boyd is eligible to the positicn, I will immediately transfer the office to him, I am advised by high legal authority that it is my duty to defend theconstitution. JORN M. THAYER.”

Governor Boyd has nothing to say about his case except that he knows he is a citizen, has beer legally elected and quaiified and intends to act at all hazards. YHe issued a requisition for a prisoner to-day and performed other official acts: His friends claim thut even if Mr. Boyd was not legally naturalized he is a citizen of the United States because he was a citizen of the Territory of Nebraska, and .that when the State was admitted into the Uniow all of its citizens were invested with full citizenship. Others say that it is the design of Mr. Boyd to take the office and keep tle case in'the courts during the greater part of his term: . In the Howse an uproar was caused Friday afternmoon by a motion to appoint a comniittee to wait on: the Governor and asi for his message. Amendments directing the committee to wait upon Governor Thayer, Governor Boyd and GoyernorPowers were proposed in rapid succession, and this maiter had not reachéd a: focus at the time'of adjournment. - The Legislature and Supreme Court are moving but slowly toward asolution of the difficulty, and in the meantime all kinds of conflicts of authority ave taking place. The situation is vrique. and pew developments. of a more or less sensational nature are taking place Lourly. The old Governor fortified himself in his office Thursday, sleeping there: at night under- guard of 2 company of militia and anumber of special officers. He held the fort without opposition:and Friday morning thebeard of publiszlands and buildings met and assigned Governor Boydiquarters i another part of the building. He immediately assumed possession, ap~ pointed J. G. Higgins, of Grand Island, private secrefary and beganaeting as Governor. : -

The first conflict of anthority took place Friday affernoon when a telegram was received by a member of the Legislature amd transmitted to Govemmor Boyd tathe effect that an Indian outbreak would take place inthe northevn part of the State and asking that the militia now at the front be placed to repel an attack. Governor Boyd ordered Adjutert-General Cole to make preparations:to check an oatbreak, but General Cole refused to obey, saying that he would take orders only from Governor Thayer. The office of Adju-tant-Generak was at onca: declared: vaeant and soon afterward Governor Boyd appointed General Victor Vifquain to the position: The State forces on the frontier now have twio commanders and it is irzpossible to tell whick tkhey will obey.. . . . THE DEAR PRINCE. TaE Princess of Wales is forty-nine years old:and wears a: number six shoe. ~ TeE Prince of Wales has a. cabinet containiag copies of every style of photograph: ever taken of himself. THE private corvespondence of the Prince of Wales is something-enormous. He is said to receive four times as many letters a day as does the President of the United States. Peruaprs it is not generally known that the Prince of Wales is a collector of dogs. He is very fond of the canine tribe, and, among others, possesses some dogs with black tongues. s TrHE Sandringham parties given by the Prince of Wales are of two kinds. @Grave and reverend personages are invited from Saturday until Monday, while royalties and members of the Marlborough house ‘‘set” come from Monday until Saturday. ' Tre English dinner-hour has been getting later during the whole of the present century. When the Queenmarried it was seven o’clock. She now dines at nine. The Prince of Wales’ effart to turning it back to half past seven is supplemented by an appeal for dancing to begin at nine, to be finished at

A HARD WINTER IN EUROPE. Great Sufi'eringfiteported ‘from Almoit - Every Country on the Continent—Many Perish from Cold and Hunger. :

LoxpoxN, Jan. 10. —lt is now the seventh week of the prevalence of frost throughout the United Kingdom, with no signs of abatement of the severity of the weather. From John' O'Groat’s house to Land’s End the country is wrapped in snow, and canals and streets are ice-bound- Even a number of tidal rivers .are frozen fast. For duration of the frost period this is the greatest winter of the eentury, and in point of severity the winters of 1313 and 18# alone exceed it. The Thames below Richmond remains partially frozen and is covered with ice floes which are impeding navigation. Above Teddington the ice on the Thames is eight ~inches thick. = Carriers’ vans can = traverse the river's frozen . surface from . Sutton Court- to Abington. Skaters have a free stretch for many miles abové and below Oxford. Numerous deaths have resulted from the extreme cold, several of them at the very gates of work-houses, where ‘groups of poor people were waiting for shelter: Midland nevyspapers declare that thousands of. persons are in a cendition of semi-starva-tion, many laborers being compulsorily idle, without fires or food. Mayors of cities with the aid of local boards are directing an organized distribution of bread and coal and are :starting relief kitchens, still they fail to reach a host of cases of distress. Numerous instances occur of coroners’ inquests on the bodies of people found dead: in bed where the verdict is that death resulted from cold and hunger. = o In every country on the continent there is suffering because of the severe weather. The coasts of Belgium, Holland and North Germany are bloeked with ice. In the Scheldt river navigation is nearly at a standstill on account: of theice. At the North German port of Cuxhaven twenty-nine steamships are ice-bgund. Pilots there are unable to communicate with vessels on account of the ice- floes, thus making the harbog inaccessible. Several vessels were struck by immense masses of the floating ice and their hulls were so badly damaged that the boats rapidly filled with water and soon went to the bottom. In every instance their - crews were saved from death only with great difficulty. At Hamburg navigation is greatly impeded by the immense blscks of ice which fill the river. The board of navigation is making every effort to keep the river open and is emploving three of the strongest tugs that could be secured as ice-breakers. LHL

At Antwerp 10,000 workmen -have been thrown out of employment owing to the unusually severe. weather. The misery caused among the poorer classes in consequence is widespread amd intense. L - e

Dispatches:from the German ports of Tubeck, ' Stettin and Winemunde ‘all tell of the inaccessibility of their lzarbors on account of the ice, and say that navigation has ceased, that -there is much snow and that no open water is visible. In Berlin the temperatire is at 16 degrees balow zero, Fahrenhejs. The Harz railway is snow-blocked, and the mails usually conveyed by its trains are now transported in sleighs. =

All Bavaria is covered with snow, and in the country between the Danube: and the Alps the snow is eighteen inches deep. In certain localities along the Rhine snow-drifts are piled seventeen feet high, threatening inundations wWhen they thaw. ‘ o s e - In Northern Ttaly smow began'to fall on Wednesday and did not cease until Iriday. The inhabitants of that region are suffering acutely, such weather being entirely unknovwn to them, and it is feared that numbers of people have perished in the storm.. G A telegram from Madrid reports heavy snow-falls in Spain and says communication with all the provimces of Spain is difficult. It also reports the prevalence of intensely celd weather in Valencia, where orange groves have been swept by the storm, entailing heavy losses to the owzers. o At Marseilles the hospitals are gorged with sufferers from' various affections caused by the cold weather. Dock laborers there have: lighted along the gquays great fires at which to warm themselves during working hours. Two express trains bound for Trieste are ‘smowed up, and_ it is not known - whether relief has been sent .to the passengers. At Klagenfurth, in Austria, a freight train ~has. been buried out of sight by an avalanclre.. 'The bora wind contiiines to blow. ' At Trieste the wheels of the locomotives freeze to the rails, and the population of the city is helpless so far as ,getting supplies is comeerned. No reports have been received from Alpine districts for two days. There are fears of a sudden thaw, which will flood the rivers. o , G

A violent storm, accompanied by hail and snow and extending a long distance inland, is reported frem the scaport of Algiers, in North Africa. . The report is coupled with the assurance that nothing like suck a severity of weather was ever known in that region beforc. . Advices from: Paris say that the Seine is blocked with ice near Rouen and that the Rhone is frozen above Lyons. Telegrams from Arras and Nimes say that much suffer: ing is being caused at these places by the intensely cold weather and that. a number of persons have been 'found frozen to death., ‘ o

THROUGH THE ICE.

Two Brothers Drowaed at Cassville, Wis : —The Mother's. Narrow Escape. .

CASSVILLE, Wis., Jan. 10.—Two little brothers, Joseph and: Willie. Barren, aged 10 and 12 years:'@ respectively, were drowned in . the Mississippi Thursday evening. They had just returned from school and went out on the ice to play. They had been gone only a few minutes when their mother heard their screams for help. Running to their assistance she also. broke in, and but for the timely presence of a man who lives near by she, too, would have been drowned. - BLOWN 1O PIRGES, = & One Killed and Two Fatally Injured by an Explosion in the California Powder Mills, SAN FraNcisco, Jan. 10—An explosion occurred in the mills of the California powder works at Powing Station Thurs- 1 day night. Six white men and two Chinese were at work in the mills at 51;11«:—3,,4 time. One of the Chinamen was literally blown to pieces. Fred Larsen, one of the whites, was severely burned about’ the arms and body. He will probably die. C. J. Campbell was burned and mutilated about the head and body. His injuries are fatal.. The lost {0 the mills is estimated at $3,500. ¢

.~... FIRMS [N TROUBLE. © A Number of Business Men in Varlous . States Who Have Met with Reverses. PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 7.—The old and well-known firm of George Deß. Keim & Co., manufacturers of horse blankets, carriage robes, etc., and wholesale dealers in saddlery ware at 610 and 612 Market street, is temporarily embarrassed and has called a meeting of creditors to be held next Friday. The news of the failure of the firm to meet its ' obligations was' a surprise to the trade. The embarrassment of the house is said to be principally due to its inability to take care of a large amount of paper of the New York manufacturing firm' of Welch & Lee, which was driven to the wall last month. It is estimated that the firm’s indebtedness exclusive of its contingent liabilities will amount- to about $lOO,000. The company’s assets, it is believed, will be small.

MANSFIELD, 0., Jan. 7.—Edwin Mansfleld has been appointed receiver for the Buckeye Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Shelby. The face value of the company’s assets are estimated to be about $395,000, of which there is an assessment liability upon the ccntingent liability policies of $350,000, and $45,000 on premium mnotes. The real assets depend entirely upon how much the receiver will be able to realize on these amounts. The liabili: ties are estimated at $20,000, principally unpaid losses. The dry-goods house of P. L. Harrison has been closed by the sheriff. Liabilities and assets estimated at $15,000 and $20,000 respectively. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Ja,nffi 7.-—The Peninsular Farniture Company has filed mortgages aggregating $30,000, covering everything in sight. The company was organized seven years ago with &10,000 capital, and 'manfactured a cheap line of bedroom furniture; Kaxnsas Crry, Mo., Jan 7.—A more thorough investigation into the affairs of Bernard Donnelly, the capitalist who was declared insane recéntly, and for wwhose estate a guardian was appointed, shows that his liabilitics are considerably over $lOO,OOO. Claims to the amount oi $90,000 have -been presented, . $50.000 of which -is due to poor persons who had intrusted their savings to. Mr. Donnelly for investment, talking no securities for their deposits so. great was their faith in his integrity.. The indebtedness to the Troost estate, of which he was trustee, is said to be about $30,000 and to two other: estates $5,000 each. No assets have _beenr found by Mr. Donnelly’s guardian excepting some real estate which is heavily mortgaged. - ‘

NEW YORK, Jan. 7.—Decker, Howell & Co., the Big firm of brolkers which failed for %$12,600,000 on the day of the North River Baniz crash, resumed business Tuesday. ‘MoONTREAL, Can., Jan. 7.—The wholesale millinery house of J. A. Patterson & Co. has made an assignment. Liabilities 'are estimated at $125,000. The Bank of Montreal Bolds $115,000 of tHe firm’s “paper, . but ‘is secured. . The creditors. are mostly English, French and German firms.. No estimate of the assets can yet be made. -

. MoNTREAL, Que., Jan. 7.—The Government statement of failures in Canada for the last year shows a total of 11,000, with labilities amounting to $189;000,000. This is the largest total sinee 1878, the year of the panie. . . BosToN, Jan. 7.—Nathan Schloss, tobaeconist, 167 Hanover street, has assigned. liabilities about $40,000. Lowell Bros. & Co., prodace dealers, also assigned. Liabilities of the firm are not given. -Outside speculations are supposed to be the cause of the firm’'s embarrassment. : _ : - Cuicaco, Jan. 7.—l# ivas stated in sourt that'the African missionary fund of $11,780 ‘raised by Bishop Taylor, of Africa, in this country,.is tied up by the failun. sof Kean & Co.’s bank in this 3ity and is in danger of being lost. AN INDUSTRIAL CONGRESS. Master Workman Powdorly Issues a Call ; for a National Cenierence. PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 7.—General Masser Workman Powderty has issued a eiréular letter to the industriall organizations of the United States asking their co-operation in a National reform industrial conference to he held in Washington February 23, March 25 or July 29, 1891, the date to be fixed by vote. The conference is to formulate “‘a political platform such as industrialists ecould favor at 'the polls.” In the circular Mxr. Powderly embodies the report of ~the committee: .on political action which was presented at the 'last general assembly of the Knights of Labor, and which recorded the desire of the orderthat the platfo¥m be built upon the principles of tge Knights’ preamble, the principal of which are the preservation of public lands for actual settlers, the establishment of a National monetary system without the intervention oi banks and the Governmental operation of all telegraph, telephone and railroad lines.

Likely to Succeed Judge Brown.

WAsHINGTON, Jan. 7.—lt is as good as settled that Henry H. Swan, of Detroit, will be the judge who succeeds Judge Henry B. Brown on the district bench for the Eastern district of Michigan. That court has jurisdiction over: a large portion of the lake and river admiralty practice;, and the successorship: of Judge Brown: is, therefore, a matter of importance in the maritime interests. of the.entire laltes. Both of the Michigan Senators have reccmmended Mr: Swan to the President.

Severe Snew-Storms in Europe.

BERLIN, Jan. 7.—A snow-storm, phenomenal in its severity, prevails throughout Nerth Germany. Reports from various sections are to fhe effect that the railroads are blocked on all the northern lines and that in many instances the trains are imbedded: in the snow, causing c:)nsid’emb]iie . suffering to those who have been * forced to travel during the storm., An express train from Berlin to Aix-la-Chapelle is snow-bound near Magde~ burg. A train on the Berlin Central rail way is also stalled in the snow. Railway traffic in Mecklenburg and Brunswick is more or less impeded by the snow. " Fatal Collision on the “Pan-Handle.” . CosmocToN, 0., Jan. 7. — At K 5:30 o'clock Tuesday evening the westbound Pan-Handle passenger train ran into two hand cars containing twentytwo workmen about a mile east of town. John Curran and Robert Davis, of Steubenville, were instantly killed. Captain Burgess, of Allegheny, received injuries from which he can not possibly recover. = iy ~ Lived Ome Hundred and Ten Years. ~ Loxpox, Jan.: 7.—The monk known ‘as Father Pasquale has died in the ‘Casertini monastery at Naples, aged 110 T e