Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 January 1889 — GOV. HOVEY’S INAUGURAL [ARTICLE]

GOV. HOVEY’S INAUGURAL

\ At 1:30 o’clock, Monday, Speaker Nibflick called the House of Representatives just lone enough for a recess to be agreed upon, to continue until after the inauguration ceremonies at English’s Opera Housfe, The Legislators then formed a line, by a band. The solonsof the first in dignified array, and the younger and more frisky Representatives strung out in the rear. Several hundred awe-struck spectators hung on the flank of the column without breath enough left foi'U cheer. The Opera House was packed after the Legislators had taken the seats reserved for them, General Harrison occupying a box. Without delaw Chairman Niblack called the “joint meeting” to order, and the audience rose while Dr. James McLeod asked divine blessing upon the administration jfcst now beginning. Chief Justice Elliont, of the Supreme Court, then administered the oath oT office in solemn tones land the Speaker announced that he scad the pleasure of introducing the G< veraor of Indiana. Governor Hovey < ien proceeded to read his address, a'”* ollows: Gentlemen of the Senate and e of Representatives: In conformity the direction of our Constitution and t om which 'has prevailed, since the >n of our State Government, it has befn gjr y duty to give you such information as jB M deem necessary in regard to the conditis A the State, and to recommend such measures c legislation as I judge to be expedient. In our late National and State e ctions we have passed through a political ordfcal of the .most intense and exciting character; d|ie which might have endangered tne perpetuity! of other forms of government, but we havw passed through it peaceably under all the excitement. Slowly, but surely, we are convincing aie world that man is capable of self-governtnent and it is only necessary that we should follow in the footsteps of our fathers, and emulate their {prudence, forbearance, economy and patriotismjto insure the perpetuity of our free institutions. Let us labor earnestly and honestly for the tonsummation of that great end. ’ \ •the purity op tiie ballot bok. As the Government rests upon the will of the people, every means should be taken tef accurately and honestly ascertain the evidencl of that will. The elective franchise, through thVmedium of a free and fair ballot and full count, isrielieved to be the best mode of reaching that end, and should be carefully guarded. In the lay: election charges of fraud and corruption havb been freely made by the contending partiesi and, while we are not authorized to sit in jndkment as to the particular acts or cases, we can nol shut our eyes to the facts. There is reason to. bdfieve that the ballot has been polluted, not only in this State, but in many of the other States of »the Union, and by botli political'parties, until intthe eyes of many respectable men it seems to beYno lopger regarded as a crime. This can not cqntiuue and increase i f we hope to perpetuate onr free institutions. If it does a moneyed aristifcracy will soon control the destinies of our Nation, and that liberty which we noV so highfcprize will be lost to us'forever. The who would buy the vote of his poor and needy! neighbor, is far more corrupt and vile than his! victim, and will only wait his chance to sell the! liberties of his country at a higher price. As a 1 rule, he wlio buys a vote will sell his own. For the purpose of correcting to some extent the evils which now exist, I would recommend that our election laws be revised in order to prevent, as far as possible, all frauds and bribery. I would call your attention particularly to the consideration of the necessity of legislation in regard to several matters not embraced in our election! laws. 1. It is the duty of the General Assembly under the Doth Section of our Constitution “to provide for the registration of all persons entitled to vote.” This amendment has been in force since March 14,1881, but no law has yet been enacted, and has been disregarded. I I recommend that provision he made for a full and fair registration of nil legal voters,! where the rights of each elector can he investigated -be- ; fore the day of election. Any person who shall hire or prevent any elector from being duly registered should be subjected to fine and imprisonment. 2. Limit the number of electors to each, election precinct, so as not to exceed 300 voters. 3. Provide that every precinct shall be surrounded and protected by some kind of barriers or guard-rails, which will prevent all persons, except the person voting, from approaching nearer than forty or fifty- feet from the inspectors, judgea and clerks of the election, and make the infraction of this rule a misdemeanor, punishable by fine. t 4. Provide that the buying or offering to buy the vote of any elector, directly or indirectly, or by any subterfuge, or evasion, or pretense, or by hiring any person to work at the polls for the election of any candidate, shall be criminal, with punishment of disfranchisement for life to the briber and bribed, and for a second offense, after Conviction, let the penalty be not less than two years in the State Prison. Men. who will thus pollute and corrupt the ballot arc not worthy of exercising the elective franchise, and should never be trusted. I suggest that it might be policy to exempt witnesses from punishment in bribery eases in which they may be implicated. It will be almost' impossible to convict the guilty briber without suen exemption. 5 Make it unlawful and criminal for any political convention or committee to demand, exact, or receive any assessment or contribution from any candidate for office, and provide the penalty of disfranchisement for life to the member or members of such convention or committee who may demand or attempt to enforce such assessment or contribution. No office should be placed beyond the reach of the poorest man in the State. Nominations now are said to have their price, like the Roman purple of ancient days, and it fs our duty if possible to put an end to such corruption. ,6. Make it unlawful with heavy fine and imprisonment for any person to challange a legal voter at the polls. Let the challanger beware, and, as he imputes an attempted crime against the elector who offers to vote, let him before he malkes the challange be assured that he himself is not the criminal. Many-legal voters hav® been driven from the pollgbv unjustifiable and illegal challanges. The challange at the polls is one of the most successful devices of the bully and “bulidoser” and should be prohibited under a penalty. As auxiliary to the proposed amendments, I would suggest that a separate act be passed, requiring every officer elected in the State to take an additional oath of office to the oath now prescribed by law, declaring that he has not directly or indirectly, given, promised, advanced or paid any money, or given or conveyed any other article of value to any person or persons to aid, assist of procure his election or appointment, and providing that should such oath be false that the convicted offender shall He disfranchised and rendered incapable of holding an office of trust or profit under the State-, an shall also be nnswerable to the criminal laws of the State for perjury. Senators and Representatives, let me most earnestly urge upon you the protection of the ballot bOx, which Is the ark of the convenant of our free institutions. - LIQUOR LAWS. Obsolete laws and statutes which are so far in advance of the ago, or so far behind, it as to lie wholly disobeyed and disregarded, should without the least hesitation be repealed. Laws that are never enforced are like dead wood upon a living tree; they are not only useless, but tend to weaken and bnng our statutes into disrepute _ and contempt. Our people should realize that every act of the General Assembly has been made to be enforced, and not to be paraded on our statutes as a threat which will never be exe- 1 ' euted. There are now laws in our statutes which come •within the purview of these observations. Our B resent laws in regard to the sale of intoxicating quore are disregarded ih many parts of the'State. In some localities large numbers of the people , are decidedly opposed to the licensing of the sale of intoxicating liquors, while in others no prohibitory law could ne enforced. It seems to me It would be wise to so frame our laws as to "meet both conditions. I believe a local option for the sale or prohibition of-ardent spirits would be constitutional, and it would be wise to.permit the people to choose which system they prefer in each county, city or incorporated town in the State. Our institutions are founded upon the democratic theory that a majority should rule, and I submit that the question of local option should be left to the Voice of the people, and than all laws passed for the purpose of regulating the sale of intoxicating liquors should be rigidly enforced. I recommend that the license to be granted for the sale of such liquors should not be less than S2OO nor more than 1,000 fn the discretion of the Board of County Commissioners. MONOPOLIES, TRUSTS AND COMBINES. AH monopolies, combines and It rusts formed for the purpose of increasing the price or cost of the necessaries of life should DC declared unlawful. The adulteration of articles of food in common usfe should be forbidden under penalties, and, the sales made unlawful,.so that the Courts would refuse to enforce them. The mixture of coffee with chicory; sugar with glucose; butter with oleomargarine, lard, tallow and oils, and the admixture of coal oil, benzine, paraffine, and

other adulterating article should be prohibited and the sale forbidden, unless the relative quantity of each article composing the compound is clearly stated by the vender. Such gales havcbeen condemned and in many instances pun., ished by the civilized nations of the world for centuries past. The currents of commerce are now running deeply In the channels of deception and fraud, and should be checked by every means in our power. ROADS AND HIGHWAYS. The construction of gravel or macadamized roads between the cities, towns, villages and commercial centers of the State Is of the very greatest importance. In every year many of the main thoroughfares are mud locked, so that it becomes almost impossible to pass over them with on empty vehicle. Such obstructions are not only an inconvenience to the public, but are Oftentimes the cause of great lcyia to our fanners, as they cannot convey their produce to market in a proper manner at the most convenient and profitable times. With our river and railroad systems, which may be regarded as the great arteries of travel and transit, good country roads would act as the veins which would give to the great body of commerce, the most healthy action. In the States and counties where such roads have been constructed, farms are worth much more than better lands in this State, where the rich clay soil and change of seasons often render our roads nearly impassahle. The revenue to be derived from the sale of in- • toxicating liquors and ardent spirits, and from the dog-tax might be very properly used for the construction of such roads. Large sums of 1 money are now, under our present road system, expended and wasted which might be of great benefit if the roads could be worked under some general supervisor who understood practical engineering. Bridges, culverts, ditches and embankments are now constructed in many localities at great Co6t which are almost worthless, and even the earth roads are worked, in many instances exhausting the road tax, without much practical benefit. It might be worthy of your consideration whether convict labor, instead of competing with bur mechanical industries,could not be utilized in the construction of gravel and macadamized roads. I believe it can bk safely said that the farming lands of this State with good roads, passable at all seasons, would be worth at least 20 per cent, more than their present value. - COMMON SCHOOLS. The enormous amount annually paidforschool books has created great dissatisfaction out the State. Some plan, if possible, should be adopted by which the price of such books could be brought within a reasonable limit. On un average the cost to each pulpil could be safely stated to reach $3 per annum. Onr average daily attendance of pupils in 1888 was 408,775. This would show an outlay by parents and guardians for that year amounting to $1,226,325. Two plans have been adopted by different States to curb such vast expenditure for text books: (1) The publication of books by the State. (2) Free text books, bought by the State or school districts,'and loaned to the pupils. The first method has been eonaemed as impracticable and costly, while the second, where it has been tried, has received the highest commendation of State Superintendents and professional teachers. By this free text-book system the cost of books for each pupil in Michigan is estimated at 50 cents per annum, in Maine 26% cents, in Vermont about 33 cents, in Wisconsin not one-third of former cost. The arguments made in favor of free text books may be stated as follows: The cost is greatly below that of any other method yet adopted. More prompt attendance and regularity of pupils. It makes the schools free Indeed, and equalizes the children of the rich and poor, as all are supplied alike. It teaches pupils the responsibility and care of property, and enables them to obtain a better education. The amounts overpaid by parents and guardians under our present system would greatly exceed the taxes which would have to be leviedto purchase all the books required in our schools under the free text book system. The people l would be the gainers over the taxation, by more Ithan twice tliesum required to purchase all the ’hooks under the proposed system, and could well afford to pay the additional tax that would be required for that purpose. YThe cities of New York and Philadelphia, and tile States of Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Michigan, lowa, Maine and Vermont have adopted or tried this system. In New York City, it has been practically tried for forty years, and in Philadelphia for seventy years. Taking a high average\|inder this system, say 40 cents per pupil, the entire cost in Indiana for the year 1888 would only'fiave amounted to $163,510 as against the probable cost of sl,' 6,325, which would give an actual annual gain to the people of this State of $1,662,815, or $l6O to every pupil. If the system 6houldeoston the average $1 to the pupil, it would still leave a gain to the parent and guardian for that year of $817,550. With free text books a great burden would be taken from the poor, who are unable to spare the amount required to purchase their books at the very exorbitant prices they are now compelled to pay or leave their children uneducated. Experts and booksellers inform me that the prices paid for school books in this State yield from 300 to 500 per cent, above the actual cost of production. Something should he done to reduce the cost to a reasonable, price and lift from parents and guardians these very heavy burdens. The expense of our common school system should be greatly curtailed in the future, as nearly every county in the State is provided with excellent school houses, now numbering 9,882. Our school prope-ty, independent of all funds, may be estimated at nearly $15,0000,000. Thiscondition, with the ever increasing fund derived from fines and forfeitures, will, it is believed, admit of the income from the license on the sale of ardent spirits and from the dog tax, being transferred and profitably used by the State lor gravel and macadamized roads. 1 commend the subject to your deliberate and mature consideration, and I will heartily cooperate in any measure that may lessen the present exorbitant prices. Some confusion and inequality lias arisen in reporting the number ot pupils in each county as having attended the common schools. As the distribution of the funds depends upon the number thus reported, I would suggest that each superintendent or teacher, in reporting the numbers, be required to give the name of each pupil who has attended during that period, and in no case'count the name more than once. SUPREME COURT. Our Constitution provides that “justice shall be administered freely, and without purchase: completely, and without denial; speedily, and without delay.” Under existing laws this highsounding provision iB an empty boast. Many cases are now pending in she ’ Supreme Court which were filed more than five years ago, and it is to be feared that some have been appealed to that court for the sole purpose el delav. This delay arises from no fault of the Judies of the cotirt, but from their inability to fully investigate the numerous cases which are broifeht before them. I do not believe that the. multiplication of Judges in the Supreme Court would teikl to the furtherance of justice. No case should he passed upon without the full consideration As every Judge upon the Bench. This would be impossible if the number of Judges should b« greatly increased, and I can conceive of only two methods by -which the present evil can be avoided1. The creation of intermediate, appellate courts, with exclusive jurisdiction uithin certain limits, or ■: 2. By assistance being liberally given to each Judge If each Judge could have as his amistant a man learned in the law. who could' read the records, examine .the authorities ami i«¥e notes and report to the Judge, the labor?would be greatly lessened, and at every term more than twice the number of eases, could be easily disposed of. Many cases, which are noil taken to the court;merely for delay, could' < pe quickly acted upon, and others could be brought rapidly forward. The services of such men could not be had without'liberal salaries, and car* should be Observed In making the selection. While either mode would be a decided improvement on our present inefficient system, I incline to the opinion that intermediate appellate courts would prove the most satisfactory. No reasonable expense should be considered, if the evil can be overcome by legislation. BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS. For the sake of humanity, I most earnestly recommend that such laws be passed at this session as will command the best talent of the State to control our benevolent institutions, and that they be placed beyond the reach of all partisan control. It iR a shame that such Institutions should be the source of gain or political power to any party. . Since 1865 the United States has arißei from the wreck and ruin of themost terrible Var to be found in Gie pages of history, and has rushed with the strides of a giant to the front rafik of the proud nations of the earth. To-day, In nil that constitutes true power, wealth and greatness our nation is without a peer. It has been estimated by Mr. M". Mulhall, F. a 8., anther of the Progress of the World, in his late address before the British Association at Bath, England, that in every one of the three sources of power—man, horse and steam—the United States exceeds the leading nations of Europe. . In the great sisterhood the State of Indiana is not surpassed, If equaled, in natural advantages by any other State In the Union. Within itearea it contains a very large average of rich agricultural lands, with a most congenial elfm%te. With its rivers and railroads, it has an eaSy and rapid access to the principal markets, and its broad fields of coal, natural gsranff minerals will soon develope manfaetorieswith Which few other localities will be ahle to compete. God in His mercy has showered His blessings on the State, and with humility and gratitute we should labor to develope our gread resources. Much caul be done by legislation, and the voice of the people of Indiana has called upon yon to perform that noble and impouant . doty. • I The Connecticut Legislature elected, Thursday, the Republican State officers.