ADDRESS HIS EXCELLENCY WILLIAM B. WASHBURN, TO THE TWO BRANCHES Legislature of Massachusetts. JANUABY 5, 1872. BOSTON: WRIGHT & POTTER, STATE PRINTERS, 79 MILK STKKK.T (COUNER OK FEDKBAL). 1872. UCSB LfBRARY SENATE... ...No. 1. ADDRESS Mis Excellence TO THE TWO BRANCHES LEGISLATURE OF MASSACHUSETTS, JANUARY 5, 1872. BOSTON: WRIGHT & POTTER, STATE PRINTERS, 79 MILK STREET (CORNER OF FEDERAL). 1872. ADDRESS. Gentlemen of the Senate and of the House of Representatives : The people, in accordance with the constitution and laws, have committed the varied interests of the Commonwealth to our care for the coming year. Many of us assume the responsibilities of the several positions to which we have been elected with little or no practical experience in the special work we shall be required to perform; but all of us, I doubt not, are ready to begin with an honest purpose and a firm resolve to give whatever is possible of energy and ability to the acceptable discharge of our duties. Grateful to Him who has permitted us to enter upon this new year under such bright auspices, our multiform industries crowned with success, a plentiful harvest garnered in the barns of the husbandmen, health and happi- 4 GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. [Jan. ness generally prevailing among all classes of citizens, peace and prosperity not only within our own borders but in nearly every portion of the land, let us not forget to seek His guidance for the future, and endeavor so to acquit ourselves in these tasks that we may have His approbation. THE STATE FINANCES. The financial condition of the Commonwealth, always a matter of special interest to her citizens, indicates continued advancement in local prosperity and strength, as well as in the more extended spheres of public growth and relation. Maintain- ing, as heretofore, an unimpaired credit at home and abroad, the result of wise policy and official integrity, the practice of economy and retrench- ment will demand rigid adherence in the present and future, as it has in the past. Mutual and har- monious cooperation, stimulated by watchful and jealous regard for the public weal, should command earnest and loyal service in every legislative and executive capacity. Such necessity will ever exist, especially in connection with the monetary interests of the State, the present condition of which is briefly set forth in the results herewith sub- mitted : 1872.] SENATE No, 1. 5 Of the funded liabilities outstand- ing January 1, 1870, amounting to $27,128,164 00 The following, have been liqui- dated : Western Railroad loan, $761,816 00 Eastern Railroad loan, 50,000 00 Union Fund loan, . 184,800 00 Massachusetts "War Fund loan, . 953,500 00 1,950,116 00 Balance remaining, . . $25,178,048 00 During the year, additions have been made by new issues of scrip, viz. : For the Troy and Greenfield Railroad and Hoosac Tun- nel, . . $3,452,37200 For the Massachusetts War Fund loan, . 999,944 00 4,452,316 00 Making the total, . . . $29,630,364 00 6 GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. [Jan. Of the unfunded liabilities, amount- ing to . . $1,142,717 93 There has been can- celled, . . 1,082,717 93 Balance remaining, $60,000 00 Making the total present liabilities, exclusive of small unpaid bal- ances, $29,690,364 00 Represented under their summary classification, the following exhibit appears: Present Funded Debt. Railroad loans, . $12,124,47600 War loans, . 16,434,888 00 Ordinary loans, . 1,071,00000 $29,630,364 00 Present Unfunded Debt. Loan to W. & F. Shanly (conditional) , 60,000 00 Total funded and unfunded debt, $29,690,364 00 It will be observed that while the unfunded lia- bilities have been nearly cancelled, the net increase of the funded debt has been $2,502,200. This 1872.] SENATE No. 1. 7 increase accrues mainly from the negotiation of a further instalment of the loan authorized under the Acts of 1868 and 1869, in aid of the Troy and Greenfield Railroad and Hoosac Tunnel. The remainder of this scrip, upwards of $2,000,000, is also in process of negotiation abroad. The new issue of scrip on account of the Massa- chusetts War Fund loan has been made in accord- ance with the provisions of chapter 91 of the Acts of 1869, which authorized the Treasurer and Re- ceiver-General, under the direction of the Governor and Council, to retire such portion of this five- twenty loan as might be deemed advisable, substi- tuting therefor the new scrip. Both of these new issues of scrip (five per cent, sterling) have been negotiated on favorable terms, and are redeemable in twenty years from date. Of the proceeds of the Troy and Greenfield and Hoosac Tunnel loan, about $2,000,000 remain in hand for accruing emergencies. Of the three remaining railroad loans, the Nor- wich and Worcester, the Boston, Hartford and Erie, and the Troy and Greenfield and Hoosac Tunnel, the redemption of the first, amounting to $400,000, is fully provided for by the sinking fund established for that purpose, the corporation 8 GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. [Jan. paying its interest. The redemption of the Boston, Hartford and Erie loan ($3,599,024) is also be- lieved to be secured by its appropriate sinking fund and its probable accumulations. The reim- bursement of any portion of the interest on this loan, now amounting to more than $200,000 annu- ally, including premium and cost of exchange, is still contingent upon the proceeds of the " Berdell Mortgage Bonds," of which the Commonwealth retains possession. The loan in aid of the Troy and Greenfield Railroad and Hoosac Tunnel, assumed by the Commonwealth, and now increased to $8,125,452, and maturing from 1888 to 1894, has no other security than the franchise of the property and a sinking fund of nearly $700,000, its income in 1871 amounting to $36,963. The several sinking funds as now established amount to $13,000,000, including the present mar- ket value of their investments. With this provision of nearly forty-four per cent, of outstanding loans already secured in available cash assets, having an average annual income accumulation of a million of dollars, together with large and certain additions to be realized from the sales of public lands and from other productive resources, it becomes at once apparent that the Commonwealth is well prepared 1872.] SENATE No. 1. 9 for the prompt liquidation at maturity of all her existing liabilities without resort to taxation. Even should a deficit occur in any of the sinking funds, a remedy would easily be found in the .proper legis- lative sanction for a transfer of accruing excess from other funds. During the present year, $550,000 more of the present funded debt will mature, viz.: Of the State Almshouse loan, $100,000; of the loan of 1861 for funding the public debt, $100,000 the last of that loan; and of the Union Fund loan, $350,000. The payment of the remaining balance of the loan of 1861, here referred to, will extin- guish the last item in the funded debt of the State for which no sinking fund or other special provis- ion exists. The other sums enumerated will be paid from their appropriate sinking funds. Financial Estimates for 1872. From the most reliable data now accessible, the ordinary revenues of the present year may be esti- mated at . . . . $2,300,000 00 This amount, with the cash on hand applicable therewith, may give the treasury . . . . $3,000,000 00 2 10 GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. [Jan. The most intelligent estimate of the ordinary expenses of the year, now possible, amounts to nearly $4,400,000 00 These estimates, however, do not include any provision for special grants by the Legislature, nor for any temporary emergencies liable to occur. It will be apparent, therefore, that the deficit to be provided for by a State tax will vary from one and a half to two millions of dollars. THE WAR DEBT. With the exception of railroad loans and a com- paratively small fraction of liability on account of the ordinary expenses of the government, the pres- ent outstanding war debt ($16,434,888), covering the entire balance of the funded loans, matures in various amounts extending over a period of twenty- two years, the last falling due in 1894. Of this amount, only $3,400,000, the remainder of the Union Fund loan, will mature during the present decade, the largest instalment, nearly half, becoming pay- able in 1878, and the balance in smaller sums, com- mencing with the present year. Of course it is 1872.] SENATE No. 1. 11 well understood that full provision is already secured for the liquidation of the whole. It will be remembered that the Union Fund loan was created for the payment of war expenses chargeable to the United States. The aggregate amount so charged, exclusive of expenditures for coast defences, . was $3,752,928.96, of which $3,669,455.11, or ninety-eight per cent., has been already reimbursed. Of the remainder, now in process of adjustment under the supervision of Col. Gardiner Tufts, who has collected several in- stalments of the original claim, nearly the* entire sum has been already allowed. In addition to this claim, nearly a quarter .of a million of dollars, expended for coast defences, will probably be realized at an early day. THE PUBLIC LANDS. It is now more than twenty years since, by her legislative and executive authority, the Common- wealth assumed the special and responsible task of protecting her legitimate interests in her own pub- lic lands. The proceeds of sales from that por- tion embraced within the limits of the Back Bay have thus far amounted to nearly $3,600,000; while the total expenses of filling, grading 12 GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. [Jan. and other improvements have been nearly $1,- 550,000, exclusive of the compensation and ex- penses of the commissioners, which, added, would make the entire cost nearly $1,600,000, or less than forty-five per cent. This has been paid from the moiety of proceeds of sales applicable by law to that purpose, leaving besides a handsome surplus available with the other moiety for the financial purposes of the Commonwealth. Of the lands filled and graded, upwards of 296,000 square feet were given by the Legislature to the city of Bos- ton arfd the Institute of Technology ; and of the two millions of dollars netted in cash to the trea- sury, nearly a quarter of a million has been appro- priated in aid of various educational and scientific institutions. Under legislative authority, the re- mainder has been transferred to several of the trust and sinking funds, chiefly for the redemption of the funded debt, towards which large and timely contribution has thus been rendered. The filling and preparation of the remaining lands in this locality will probably be completed during the present year, thus securing the advan- tage of fortuitous demand. The sales of the past year, amounting to upwards of $600,000, have been efiected under such favorable conditions, as 1872.] SENATE No. 1. 13 to warrant the anticipation of a net income of nearly or quite a million and a half more from the lands remaining to be sold. Under the provis- ions of law, this income will accrue to the Massa- chusetts War Loan Sinking Fund, now rapidly accumulating the amount necessary for the re- demption of the loan for which it stands pledged. The relations of the Commonwealth to its navi- gable waters, and to the tide-lands both above and below the line of littoral proprietorship, are so important, so manifold, and so often involve questions requiring a technical investigation, that in 1866 they were placed in charge of the Board of Harbor Commissioners. Through its Advisory Council, composed of eminent engineers and men of science at the head of various bureaus in the United States service, this Board is brought into relations with the general government in a man- ner most favorable to harmonious and cooperative action on the part of the State and the nation. The subject in charge of this Board, of most general interest to the people of the Common- wealth, is the improvement of the State flats in South Boston. In 1869 about twenty-five acres thereof were sold to the Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad Company for $545,505, the Com- 14 GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. [Jan. monwealth taking a mortgage back for the pur- chase-money, and the company stipulating that it would, in three years, enclose them with a wall, and fill them, as required by law, with material taken from the harbor. In the same year fifty acres lying beyond and adjoining the tract sold to the Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad Company, were sold to the Boston and Albany Railroad Company for f 435,GQO, to be paid in three years, the flats to be enclosed and filled in six years, and the title to remain in the State until the flats were filled. In consequence of the failure of the Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad Company, the work begun on its flats was suspended in the latter part of the year 1870, but it was not until the fourteenth day of December last that, through a sale under its mortgage, the State "* resumed its title so as to be in a situation to make a new disposition of them. What that disposition shall be, you may properly consider, having reference not only to the con- dition of the. public treasury and the necessities and convenience of Boston, but also to the policy heretofore pursued in respect to our harbors and tide-lands, and the fact that the adjoining flats are being filled by the corporate owners thereof. 1872.] SENATE No. 1. 15 THE LIQUOE LAW. No other subject of State legislation has so occupied the attention of the people and so forced itself upon the consideration of the General Court for the past forty years, as the use and sale of intoxicating liquors. Each successive Legislature has given much time and effort to the solution of the problem presented, but it is fair to say that results entirely satisfactory to the body of our citizens have not yet been reached. The depth and intensity of the interest they feel in the matter are unmistakably manifested. The long discussion of the subject has not been in vain. It has served to keep the public mind alive to the importance of the issue, and has brought us into substantial concord of judg- ment on many specific points. We are gener- ally agreed that intemperance causes more crime, poverty and suffering than all other vices com- bined ; and it seems to be conceded that the people of the Commonwealth, as a whole, are opposed to the sale of distilled spirits as a bever- age. The discussion now going on among them has reference chiefly to the sale of cider and malt liquors. Many who acknowledge that public senti- 16 GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. [Jan. ment is hostile to the sale of distilled spirits deny that it goes so far as to condemn the traffic in cider and malt liquors. The well-being of the Com- monwealth, I am sure, is no more dear to me than to you ; you cannot be unmindful of the most fruit- ful source of sin and misery within our borders. The legislator who is required to provide means for the support of our penal and reformatory insti- tutions, and thereby to increase the burden of taxation upon his constituents, should be eagerly anxious to ascertain, and if possible remove, the great cause rendering these institutions a necessity. We rescue the weak and fallen by acting on them inwardly or outwardly. We must either re- move the temptation to intemperance or give them strength to withstand its direful force. We must increase the power of resistance or diminish the pressure to be resisted. Neither of these means of influence can be omitted without detriment to the public weal. He who has strength of will, power of self-control, energy of spirit to meet the tempta- tions thrown in his path, is always armed, always safe. But, unfortunately, there are many who lack these features of character, the moral courage and steadfastness which act as a shield against assaults from without. Hence the necessity of 1872.] SENATE No. 1. 17 removing as far as possible the temptation by preventing the sale of ardent spirits. It has been truly said that what it is wrong to use as a beverage it is wrong to sell as such. "What the highest good of the community requires us to expel, no member of the community has the right to supply. Belief in the principle thus an- nounced has, to a greater or less extent, governed the action of our General Court upon this subject for the last twenty years. All our laws regulating or prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors have been based on the idea that it is the duty of the State to protect its citizens from the assaults of the enemy. The assault may be open and violent or secret and noiseless. It may bring a mere physical evil which, though severe, the lapse of time will remove, or, what is far more to be dreaded, a moral evil which saps the very founda- tions of society, spreads contagion far and wide, and even transmits itself to posterity. The State has so often asserted and reasserted its belief in prohibition, through repeated legislation, that if anything is to be taken as settled, its policy oh this question ought to be regarded as determined. No law, however perfect, is of any value unless it can be enforced. A defective law, thoroughly 18 GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. [Jan. and impartially executed, is preferable to a more stringent one, poorly or partially administered. I have no hesitancy in saying that, in my judgment, the prohibitory law repealed four years ago was the best and most effective we have ever had for the suppression of the liquor traffic. I would like to see it restored in all its power and integrity to our statute books, and rigidly enforced over every foot of soil in the Commonwealth. Let this be done and crime and pauperism would be reduced fifty per cent., a great burden of taxation would be removed from all classes of citizens, a new impetus would be given to every branch of legitimate in- dustry, a heavy weight would be lifted from the hearts and hands of our laboring people, and a most important step taken toward their permanent elevation and improvement. It may be said that public opinion was opposed to this law, and no law can be sustained and made to operate advanta- geously unless it receives the hearty support of the people. This is unquestionably true. But may not the people, for some cause, at times be persuaded, under the pressure of the hour, to do what they are satisfied, on calm reflection, was a mistake? Ref- ormations do not move backward, though for the moment they may appear to do so. The present 1872.] SENATE No. 1. 19 law. is claimed by its friends to be better than any upon the subject which has been adopted by our sister States. But it must be remembered that we have always occupied advanced ground in regard to this question. "We are not to be satisfied with our situation simply because other communities may be in a worse condition. Our constant aim should be to make the law as nearly perfect as possible. And whatever the law for the time be- ing, we ought to be careful that it does not become a dead letter. There is an opinion somewhat prevalent that the Executive, if so disposed, has full power to enforce the law now on our statute books. "Would to God his arm were long enough and strong enough to close up once and forever every liquor shop in the entire Commonwealth so effectually that it would be necessary, for those who patronize such places, to go beyond our bounds to get their supply of intoxicating drink by whatever name designated! But we live under a republican form of govern- ment; the one-man power is not in accordance with either the theory or the spirit of our institutions; and the tendency of legislation in most of our States for the last few years has been, to take power from the Executive and leave him nothing but the dig- 20 GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. [Jan. nity of his office. Of this I do not complain. But it is difficult to sec why responsibility should be in- creased as authority is diminished. I am honestly and conscientiously in favor of the rigid and im- partial enforcement of the liquor law. My duty being to see that the laws are faithfully executed, I could make no exception in the case of this particular law. But were it otherwise, the lesson taught by our recent canvass would force me to a strict and careful observance of its provisions. All parties distinctly declared in favor of its enforce- ment, the violators in order that it might be made so odious as to lead to its repeal; the true temper- ance men in order that the tide of desolation sweep- ing over the State may be stayed. I see no reason why this general desire should not be gratified. But may there not be a mistaken idea in the public mind as to the extent of the Governor's authority in respect to the question at issue? The State con- stabulary is supposed by many persons to be under his direct control, and responsible to him for the faithful performance of duty. This is a grave error. An officer of that force may become wholly ineffi- cient, or may discharge the functions of his position in such a manner as to render the law needlessly odious, yet the Executive is without authority to 1872.] SENATE No. 1. 21 remove him. The board of commissioners very good men for aught I know have the sole power to create and destroy every member of this arm of the government. And if any member of the board is found unfit for the place he holds, or is unfaithful in the discharge of its duties, there is no provision in the law for his removal. In fact the Executive has nothing but advisory power in respect to the enforcement of this law. I am quite willing to give the advice it authorizes me to give, but not willing to be held responsible for authority the Executive does not possess. Should you deem it expedient to retain the pres- ent law, substantially as it is, on the statute books, there are certain amendments I would suggest for your consideration. Under its provisions there is a commissioner to buy liquors and sell them to town agents. The State pays the incidental expense of carrying on the business, seven per cent, on the capital invested, and an annual salary of four thou- sand dollars to the commissioner. There is also an assayer and inspector, with a yearly salary of three thousand dollars, whose duty it is to assay the liquors of the commissioner and such samples as the constables take from the town agents. The com- missioner is required to charge five per cent, above 22 GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. [Jan. cost for liquors sold, and to pay the receipts from this percentage into the State treasury, and it was expected that the aggregate would meet the ex- penses of the agency. But manufacturers may sell domestic liquors for certain purposes in quantities not less than thirty gallons; while druggists are also authorized to sell in most of our towns for specified purposes, and are not required to buy of the commissioner. Hence it results that the busi- ness of the State agency has been carried on at a loss to the Commonwealth, during the past year, of about eleven thousand dollars. As druggists and the commissioner purchase their liquors of import- ers, I suggest that town agents be allowed to do the same, and that . the commissionership be dis- pensed with, or that druggists be required to buy their supplies of liquor of the commissioner. Should you think it advisable to continue the office of State agent, I recommend that the provisions of the old law be revived, and that the commissioner receive no salary from the State, but be allowed to charge a small fixed percentage above cost on his sales, and that he be required to pay the compensation of the assay er, to the end that there shall be no expense to the Commonwealth. I am satisfied a responsible man could be found to take the office 1872.] SENATE No. 1. 23 under this arrangement, who would give satisfac- tory security for the faithful performance of his duties, and conduct the affairs of the agency on sound and approved business principles. Perhaps it might be well to require druggists and town agents to pay the fees for assaying the liquors in their hands. With an earnest desire that whatever action is had may conduce to the best interests of the State and the happiness of our people, I submit the matter to your enlightened judgment. THE STATE POLICE. The report of Major Edward J. Jones, the Con- stable of the Commonwealth, with accompanying statistics exhibiting in detail the operations of his force for the past year, as also the report of the Police Commissioners, will be laid before you in due form. The great majority of the members of the constabulary are known to be efficient officers, faithful and conscientious in the discharge of duty, whether engaged in the enforcement of a particular law, in the pursuit and arrest of reckless and des- perate offenders, or in the more general work of preserving peace and suppressing crime. There is no excuse for the employment of any but good men on this force. The compensation is ample 24 GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. [Jan. to command such as can be relied upon in every emergency. The force is altogether too small for the proper performance of the duty required of it. No reasonable mind ought to expect that seventy men can promptly reach every violator of the law, among a population of nearly one and a half millions, scattered over such an area as that of our State. If it is desired that the force shall really be effective, it ought at least to be increased to its former strength of one hundred and forty persons. If the liquor nuisances of the State are to be thoroughly broken up, steps must be taken to make the business unprofitable as well as dishonor- able. We shall not be able to report satisfactory progress while prosecutions are so rare as hereto- fore. The execution of the law must be made certain and swift. To this end the mere handful of men in the constabulary is wholly inadequate. The aggregate of receipts last year by the State and counties from this branch of the public service, over and above expenditures, was upwards of $100,000, showing that in a pecuniary point of view there is no valid reason why the force should not be placed on an efficient basis. 1872.] SENATE No. 1. 25 WOMAN SUFFRAGE. The tendency of the age seems to be toward an extension of the elective franchise. Until recently, many men in this country, because of their color or condition, were denied the privilege of voting. Now, however, nearly every male citizen who has arrived at the years of manhood enjoys the right to the ballot. There were those who thought the proposed extension of suffrage dangerous to society, and therefore opposed it; while others yielded their assent reluctantly, believing the step a necessity to the prevention of a greater evil. The result has proved the wisdom of the measure. Ought suffrage to be still further extended? Would society" be benefited by giving it to woman? In her present sphere she is doing a work winch we may truly say is invaluable. Her influence upon the community in which she moves, gentle, but far more powerful for good than man's, should never be dispensed with, and cannot safely be weakened. If she takes the ballot and enters into our political strifes will she necessarily be dragged down from the lofty station she now occupies as a moral and refining force in the Com- monwealth? Numbers of those in whose judg- 26 GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. [Jan. ment I have great confidence are of the opinion that she will not only be able to maintain her present position, but do much to purify the ballot- box, clear the political atmosphere, and soften the asperities of political strife. Certainly any change holding out reasonable promise of being able to effect these reforms is entitled to our candid con- sideration. While I have many misgivings in reference to this subject, and am of the opinion that if the decision of the question were left to the women themselves, a large majority of those in this State would declare against the change, I am free to con- fess that there are some moral issues, vital to the well-being of the Commonwealth, and in the solu- tion of which woman has a deeper interest than man, upon which I should like to have her views expressed in a more direct and effective manner than is possible under our laws as they now stand. Her special mission t9 mould the character of the young and prepare them lor the conflicts of the world, renders her peculiarly solicitous that snares and temptations may be removed from the path of life. Therefore, if the distinctive principles of the present liquor law are to be retained on our statute books, I would suggest the eminent 1872.] SENATE No. 1. 27 propriety of so amending that act as to permit women to vote on the question of allowing ale or beer to be sold in the city or town within which they reside. In this way alone can we get a full expression of the public will on a matter of the highest concern to the State and its citizens. Such a course would give both the advocates and oppo- nents of woman suffrage an opportunity to judge of its practical workings, and thereby the Com- monwealth would be aided in its endeavor to reach the wisest possible adjustment of the pending issue. THE LABOR QUESTION". I commend to your candid and cordial con- sideration the varied interests of those who are denominated the laboring portion of our citizens. The question of practical concern is not so much whether the condition of this class is better or worse here than in other sections of the country, as whether that condition is satisfactory, whether it is what it might be made by honest and resolute endeavor, what it should be made by those who have the well-being of the Commonwealth deeply at heart. To this question I am sure no one will venture an affirmative reply. Neither is it of 28 GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. [Jan. paramount importance to determine whether the situation of this large body of persons is better or worse than it was formerly. Our view. should be forward and not backward. Many seem to hold the opinion that if the working men and working women, as they are commonly designated, receive constant employ- ment and arc adequately remunerated; if they gain the needful bread and meat in exchange for their labor; if they have comfortable homes and enough for the decent support of themselves and their families, it is their duty to be therewith content. But this is a narrow judgment of the matter in issue. They ought not only to perform their daily tasks faithfully, but be so circumstanced that they will perform them cheerfully. In so far as lies within our power, we ought to remove every just cause of complaint. Every human being should have higher and nobler aspirations than merely to provide food and clothing for the body. This should never content him. The head of a family ought to have time for study, thought, reading, recreation, innocent pleasure; he properly desires to give his children a better education than he had, and furnish them advantages superior to those he himself enjoyed. 1872.] SENATE No. 1. 29 The fact that there is unrest and dissatisfaction when man is confined to unremitting toil, is one of the brightest and most healthy omens of the times. It is an indication that his better nature is strug- gling for emancipation; it is a hopeful sign of finer and nobler manhood in the future. Such efforts for improvement should never- be discour- aged, but always encouraged. That there ever have been and ever will be grades of society, is true enough; the statesman should seek to dimin- ish the distance between the extremes by elevating the lower. It has been said, that as soon as the materials for the construction of society were brought together they proceeded forthwith to arrange themselves in layers, the stronger, more nimble and more cunning of the living constitu- ents climbing to the higher places, and forcing upon those below the office of upholding them in their elevation. As the pyramid was originally built, so it remains in its general design. Within the heaving mass of multitudinous life individual atoms are constantly changing places, but without destroying, however much disturbing, the primi- tive distribution into layers. These are still dis- posed one above the other, in a gradually diminish- ing series. 30 GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. [Jan. It is so natural to feel that what always has been must always be, that we are too apt to content ourselves with things as we find them. But this is the dictate neither of wisdom nor of prudence. Standing still is not the province of society; it must either advance or retrograde. Especially under such a government as ours, is change almost a normal condition and an inherent neces- sity. The pyramid continues to uplift itself as an entirety; but atoms in the bottom layer of to-day may be in the top layer of to-morrow. Hence one reason why it becomes us to fairly and honestly examine the condition of the laboring classes, upon whom the whole superstructure of the social organism rests. Because they are a part of ourselves, it devolves upon us to relieve them, as far as possible, from the grievances to which they are subjected. Their existence is not separate from the existence of the State; what tends to their welfare is calculated to promote the general welfare ; in the last analysis their interest is identi- cal with the interest of the upper classes; the least addition to their comfort is a gain to the whole community; and if their case is considered in the right spirit there is no good cause for antagonistic feeling. 1872.] SENATE-NO, i. si The question raised by them and in their behalf can never be adjusted by the two extremes, those anxious to secure the greatest possible amount of pay for the least possible work, and those anxious to obtain the greatest possible amount of work for the least possible pay. ^or will relief come with the determination how many hours shall consti- tute a legal day's work. For no period can be fixed which should be applicable alike to all. The ingenious, skilled laborer who uses mind as well as muscle, cannot apply himself the same number of hours to his task as he who merely handles the hoe or shovel, holds the plough or drives the oxen, uses the trowel or weaves at the loom. The great desideratum is to determine what would be a fair division of profits between the employer and the employe. Settle the question as to compensation per hour, and there will be no serious difficulty about the number of hours. Let us not expect to adjust the issue confronting us by lecturing the laboring classes. "We must be willing to meet them on their own ground and discuss the matter at stake from their point of view. We must not only believe in the necessity, but have faith in the practicability, of cultivating the soil. Plough it thoroughly, enrich it as may 82 GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. [Jan. be necessary, prepare it to the utmost for an abun- dant crop. However barren it may appear to superficial observation, it is capable of almost indefinite improvement. I commend to your ear- nest attention the results which may be wrought out by the Bureau of Statistics of Labor. I doubt not you will welcome any and every fact tending to throw light upon the solution of this great labor problem. A subject so vital to the Commonwealth as the question whether the daily life of a majority of its citizens can be enlarged and improved, must not be ignored, and should receive no secondary consideration at your hands. THE MILITIA. The report of the adjutant-general shows the militia of the State to be in excellent condition. The number of men in camp in 1871 was 5,362, represented to be well disciplined and prepared for efficient service. The ordinary expenses of the year were about $166,000, being some $30,000 less than those of the previous year. Prior to the late war, this item of State expenses was not far from $70,000 annually; as the number of active militia then was about the same as it is now, the difference in the expense seems quite too great. Ten or twelve 1872.] SENATE No. 1. 38 years ago the towns in which militia companies were organized charged little or nothing for the use of the armories; during the war the practice was established of charging a high price, and, unfortunately, it has been continued since the return of peace. This is wrong. The towns in question ought to feel interested enough to furnish a room for the use of the militia without expense to the State. The Commonwealth also pays the officers and men of the force, especially those of the cavalry branch, at a much higher rate than it did a dozen years ago. With the prices that now prevail, and the increased cost of almost every- thing, this to a considerable extent is unavoidable; but I have reason to believe, from official informa- tion, that the expenses can be reduced some fifty thousand dollars annually without impairing the efficiency of the force. It will be the aim of the executive department to do whatever is practicable in this direction, and I respectfully commend the force and its interests to your friendly considera- tion. Connected with the State arsenal property at Cambridge, there appears to be an extensive estab- lishment, built up during the war, consisting of four large buildings, one of which is more than sufficient 34 GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. [Jan. for the storage of all the military property of the State not in the hands of the militia. The annual cost for the repairs and superintendence of this property is about $5,000; and it also costs over $2,500 yearly for the transportation of camp equi- page to and from the camping-grounds. I recom- mend the sale of this entire estate at Cambridge, and the purchase of suitable camping-grounds at a more central point, on which a small building should be erected for the storage of our camp equipage, thus saving the annual expense of trans- portation. The proceeds of the sale of the Cam- bridge property would not only buy and prepare the new grounds for use, but would also give a considerable sum of money to the public treasury; and I am convinced that the Commonwealth would be a gainer in many ways by the transaction. I am informed that $50,000 was appropriated last year for the purchase of breech-loading arms. As no expenditure has been made, and as the general government has now under advisement a plan for furnishing the militia of all the States with a uniform arm of this description, I sug- gest the propriety of awaiting the action of the authorities at Washington. 1872.] SENATE No. 1. 35 FOR SAVINGS. The number of savings institutions in operation in the Commonwealth is one hundred and sixty. Their progress and increased business derive special interest from the fact, that their deposits are supposed to represent, for the most part, the earnings of labor. As no individual is allowed by law to deposit a larger sum than one thousand dollars, the aggregate of deposits and depositors must measurably show the general diffusion of wealth. The whole number of depositors, accord- ing to the last report, is 560,890, while the amount of deposits is $ 163,535,943 ; the increase of de- positors during the past year was 82,093, and in the deposits it was $27,790,845. These figures would appear to indicate general prosperity throughout the State in the year just closed. Most of the institutions, so far as I am informed, are managed in a very safe and satisfactory man- ner; though I think it questionable whether the widely-prevalent ambition to divide large divi- dends is not, on the whole, an unfavorable indica- tion. The natural tendency is to diminish the security for the purpose of augmenting the divi- dend. This ambition also leads to a practice 36 GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. [Jan. delaying the progress and injuring the prosperity of the Commonwealth, that of charging too high a rate of interest on loans. As the moneys in these institutions are principally received from the middle and laboring class of our communities, this class, in turn, has a special claim upon them for loans at a reasonable figure. This portion of our population should be encouraged to secure homes for themselves and their families; and they cannot afford, and should not be required, to pay exorbi- tant rates for the use of money needful to the gain- ing of that end. I see no reason why the existing limitation of individual deposits to one thousand dollars should not be removed; the statute provis- ion is frequently evaded by indirection, and one of its effects is to drive out of the State moneys which otherwise would be retained at home. It seems not a little remarkable that it should have required legislative sanction to one hundred and sixty different Acts to bring our savings institutions into existence. The enactment of a general law, which I recommend, would obviate further necessity for special legislation on this head; and, if carefully drawn, I fail to see how it could be attended with any undesirable results. 1872.] SENATE No. 1. 37 RAILROAD LEGISLATION. Beyond the passage of a general Act of incorpo- ration I see little necessity at present for railroad legislation at this session of your honorable bodies. The main railway lines of the State are complete, or nearly so, and their latest reports indicate that they are mostly in a prosperous condition. When the numerous branch or neighborhood roads in process of construction are finished, the great majority of our citizens will have almost at their very doors means of steam communication with the outside world. That railroads have added largely to our wealth, that they have built villages and towns on every hand, that they have promoted business enterprises and developed struggling industries, that they have quickened the life and stimulated the activity of the whole Commonwealth, and that in all this there is much for unstinted praise and commendation, no man at this day will pretend to controvert. Yet it should never be forgotten that railways are crea- tures of the State. Extraordinary powers and privileges have been granted to them, not to be used solely for their own benefit and aggrandize- ment, but upon conditions and with restrictions 38 GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. [Jan. which make them in a measure public property, and responsible to the State for an honest and faithful discharge of their trusts. Each road has a special mission and must be held to its strict fulfilment. It is under obligation to furnish the best possible facilities for the accommodation of the public at the lowest possible cost, after retaining to itself a fair compensation above expenses for the use of its invested capital. Better roads, improved accom- modations, and cheaper transportation are requisites of the hour. That the railway corporations of the State may be enabled to respond to the reasonable demand of the- public in these regards, it is neces- sary that they should be wisely economical in expenditure and wisely liberal in management. It is vitally important, not less to their future than to the future of the community, that they encour- age local business along their lines by affording cheap and rapid communication, not only with the markets, but also with the points supplying raw material used in manufactures and the mechanic arts. The aggregate capital of the railroads within the Commonwealth is not far from fifty millions of dol- lars. The power of the railway interest, already difficult of control, yearly becomes greater. The 1872.] SENATE No. 1. 39 manner in which this power is at times exercised is suggestive of grave dangers against which we cannot too carefully guard the honor and good name of Massachusetts. Combinations to extend or prevent the extension of an old road, to build or prevent the building of a new one, with little regard for the public necessity or convenience, have be- come altogether too common. Many members of recent Legislatures were chosen for the express purpose of favoring or opposing certain railway schemes. Of course no such legislator enters upon his duty as a free man. Sent to these chambers by a clique for a specific purpose, whatever else he may fail to do, he thinks he cannot afford to disap- point the expectations of those to whom he owes his election, and to their will he sacrifices his inde- pendence as a citizen and his duty as a member of the legislative body. Bargains outside lead to bargains within the very Legislature itself, and thence follow results almost invariably detrimental to the public welfare and debasing to the public conscience. One of the worst features of these combinations is that they draw about the State House a class of persons whose presence is not desirable, and whose influence is in no way bene- ficial. I meet you here to-day, gentlemen, in the 40 GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. [Jan. ardent hope that your labors will be uninfluenced by bargains or combinations of whatever character. Pass a general railroad law, sufficiently well guarded to protect the lights of the public, so that any body of citizens, under proper restrictions and subject to the approval of some branch of the government, may organize a company and build a railroad without the necessity of coming here for an Act of incorporation, and you will do away with many of the evils to which I have referred. Why such a general law should not be enacted I confess myself wholly unable to comprehend. First and last, nearly four hundred railway charters have been granted in this State, or more than one to every five miles of railroad ever constructed within our limits. The Legislature of last year passed no less than fifty-three railway enactments, of which fourteen were Acts of incorporation. The passage of one proper general law would have obviated the necessity for this and all similar special legislation. A railway code has been enacted in nearly every important State but our own, and experience has demonstrated its utility and advantage wherever fairly tried. I trust a law of this character may be made at the present session of your honorable bodies. 1872.] SENATE No. 1. 41 The report of the Railroad Commissioners of the State will be laid before you in the course of a few weeks. The gentlemen of the commission seem to me to be rendering useful service in an important work, and I ask your serious attention to the mat- ters they have discussed with ability and foresight. The memory of a painful casualty near Boston since the adjournment of .the last General Court will give force to their suggestions in the matter of additional precautions against railway accidents. The efforts of the commissioners to obtain from the corporations a revision of transportation tariffs have been rewarded with considerable success ; and I think we may reasonably indulge the hope that one of the ultimate results of their labors will be a better understanding between the people and the railroads. THE TROY AND GREENFIELD ROAD. The Hoosac Tunnel enterprise has been prose- cuted diligently during the past year, and the work is now progressing to reasonable satisfaction. Although up to this date the Messrs. Shanly have not made the full advance for which the contract with them stipulates, it is believed their facilities are such that they will be able to finish the Tunnel 42 GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. [Jan. by March, 1874, the limit of time specified in the contract for its completion. When they assumed management, 9,341 feet had been opened; to the first of last month they had advanced the work by 7,737 feet, and there then remained 7,953 feet to complete the undertaking. But as they have fin- ished the central shaft and are now working from four instead of two faces, we have every warrant for expecting much more rapid progress in the future than has been made hitherto. The net ex- penditure by the State for the Tunnel and the Troy and Greenfield Railroad up to December 31, 1871, exclusive of the interest account was $6,335,332.30. It is highly gratifying to those who from the first have been earnest advocates of this great enter- prise, to know that its ultimate and speedy comple- tion is now beyond doubt or dispute. It can no longer be looked upon as a financial blunder neces- sarily bringing large loss to the Commonwealth. It may to-day be considered a grand success, whether viewed as a triumph of untiring energy and masterly engineering proficiency, or as the opening of a great thoroughfare by the shortest route to the magnificent granary of the West and North-west. What is to be done with this railway when it is completed, whether it shall be sold out- 1872.] SENATE No. 1. 43 right if a satisfactory price is offered, leased to some other road or roads for a term of years, or retained and operated by the State, are questions of much importance to our people. The execution of the vast project has cost so much of time and thought and money and patience, that we cannot easily be overzealous in regard to its future, nor can we afford to lose any of the benefits legiti- mately to be derived therefrom. That the State itself can manage a railroad more economically, or so as to serve the public better, than private corporations, is contrary to all our experience. As long as political parties contend for mastery, and the spoils are claimed by the vic- tors, we must refrain from committing the manage- ment of our railways to the Commonwealth, and leave it to associations of persons who are held responsible to the State for the faithful discharge of their trusts. But whether this Troy and Green- field road be sold or leased, the State should never entirely relinquish control of the same. The enter- prise was undertaken as a means to gain cheaper and quicker communication with the West. We must see that this end is realized, not only by our chief city and that portion of the State contiguous to the line of the road, but also by those sections 44 GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. [Jan. more directly tributary to other roads intersecting this great thoroughfare. If by legislation we can afford equal opportunities to each of these inter- secting lines, they in turn will distribute the same to the people of their respective neighborhoods. Thus, and thus only, by giving and maintaining equality of right and privilege to all connecting roads, can the State at large derive the benefit it should from the completion of the Tunnel. THE STATE CHAEITIES. For details regarding our various reformatory institutions I refer you to their respective annual reports. The design of these institutions is to train up children whose characters are not formed, and to reclaim and save those who have fallen into or are inclined toward a vicious way of life. Through them the State deals directly with some 3,600 children every year. "While as a whole they are well managed, and the expense of the reform- atory work has been somewhat diminished, it is thought that certain changes can be made which will promote our corrective and benevolent ends, and at the same time enable us to effect a further material reduction in the aggregate cost of what is doing. 1872.] SENATE No. 1. 45 The Nautical School was established in the belief that it would be very useful in forming a good class of sailors. That it at least partially answered this expectation while the war furnished both an outlet and an incentive to the boys, is un- questionably true; but I seriously doubt the wis- dom or expediency of continuing the school. At the date of the last report 144 boys were on the school ship, kept there at an expense to the State nearly twice as great per boy as is incurred for those at Westborough. No thorough classification is possible on board the ship, and the very vicious and comparatively good are necessarily crowded together. They cannot be kept at study all the time; there is little opportunity to do anything else; and it is extremely difficult to provide them with suitable work. The system does not tend to reformation so much as the Westborough system. Few of the boys are willing to go to sea, and steam navigation having to so great an extent superseded the necessity for sailing vessels, there is not much demand for them. During the past year only 29 were shipped, of whom 11 were placed in the revenue service, from which most of them promptly deserted. It is manifestly unwise to expend considerable sums in fitting boys for a 46 GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. [Jan. calling which they are not to pursue, and I there- fore recommend that early provision be made for the close of the school and the sale of the school ship. The State almshouses at Monson and Bridge- water have been of little use the past few years in caring for the poor of the Commonwealth. There are but 66 at Monson and 85 at Bridgewater, according to the last reports, and a large propor- tion of these are mere boys and girls. The State poor of the class recently at these two points can be supported at less expense in the communities to which they belong, and certainly it would be far more agreeable to them and their families to be provided for in that manner. I do not see any valid objection to the change thus suggested, and therefore I recommend the discontinuance of the almshouses at Monson and Bridgewater. The Commonwealth greatly needs a reformatory for boys and girls over sixteen years of age. AVe have nothing whatever for erring girls of this class but jails and houses of correction; and nothing for boys of the same class except that a few of those between sixteen and eighteen may be sent to the school ship. Hundreds of youths of both sexes go to destruction every year simply because 1872.] SENATE No. 1. 47 we are without means for their temporal salvation. The Reform School at "Westborough provides for boys under sixteen, as the Industrial School at Lancaster does for girls under that age. Having advised the breaking up of the Nautical School and the almshouses at Monson and Bridge water, I suggest to your serious attention the expediency of providing at Monson, if it cannot be done at Lancaster, for the older girls guilty of minor offences, and at Bridge water for a similar class of boys, as well as for those now on the school ship, most of whom are over sixteen. I am fully satis- fied that by using buildings already constructed the changes I suggest could be carried out with very little expense to the State, and that it would be pecuniarily the gainer in the end, if, as certainly should be done, work is provided at Bridgewater for the boys and young men sent there. The new institutions might soon be made almost or wholly self-sustaining, and they would prove to be reform- atories in the best sense, by furnishing juvenile offenders a chance to learn useful and remunera- tive trades, through which they could earn an honest livelihood when restored to society and the world. I press this matter upon your sympathetic deliberation, convinced that the time is ripe for the 48 GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. [Jan. action recommended, and with assured faith that the adoption of the policy thus indicated will result in the saving of many young men and young women annually lost in the vortex of sin, chiefly because there is no hand to guide them with tender regard into the paths of virtue. The State visiting agency was established in the summer of 1869 for the- special purpose of looking after vicious and dependent children who had already come under the care of the Commonwealth or were candidates for its corrective custody. That it has been of abundant and excellent service in its legally designated field of operations, is beyond candid question. Through the efforts of the visit- ing agent the commitments to our reformatory institutions have been materially diminished. He has provided homes for some fifteen hundred chil- dren in good families, where they are surrounded by influences promotive of honor and integrity. By this arrangement the saving of expense to the State is great, while the advantage to the children cannot be computed in figures. A stranger undertaking to study the workings of our charitable, reformatory and correctional system, must be surprised to learn how many advisory and supervisory boards and agents of one 1872.] SENATE No. 1. 49 sort or another are connected therewith. He finds that each institution has its superintendent or gen- eral manager, with a board of trustees, overseers or inspectors, and perhaps an advisory board in addition; that there are also general agents whose duty seems to be to look after the management of the various separate institutions; and, finally, gen- eral boards or commissions whose duties are not very clearly defined, though they appear to have supervisory powers within certain limitations. Thus connected more or less directly with the higher branches of this work he ascertains that there are upwards of twoscore boards and agents, most of them responsible to no particular head, widely differing in view as to plans of administra- tion, frequently clashing as to their respective rights and jurisdiction. He sees a system, built up from time to time as the necessity of the case re- quired, and observes that it was natural, as each institution came into being, to appoint a board charged with its interests ; but now that the system has come measurably near completion, when the paramount object of solicitude should be to unify and perfect it as a whole, devising and introducing into each department the best possible plan for the accomplishment of the work in hand, he is at a loss 50 GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. [Jan. to understand why it is thought necessary to have so many separate, semi-independent officers and organizations to bring about the end which the sys- tem obviously seeks. He cannot comprehend why that end would not be reached more surely, more economically, more expeditiously, with less friction and less embarrassment of administration, by giv- ing one board absolute control of the whole, with direct responsibility to the Executive or the Legis- lature for the detail as well as for the principles of management. "With the limited opportunity I have had for looking into this matter, I confess that I am unable to see why some change ought not to be made, looking to the unification and simplification of our reformatory system, and the reduction in number of our boards and -commissions, whence would follow a decrease in our annual expenditures under this head. By virtue of my office I shall be brought into intimate relations with these institu- tions during the year, and it will be my aim to study their management more thoroughly and to ascertain what means can be devised for increasing their efficiency and diminishing their expense. 1872.] SENATE No. 1. 51 SCHOOL MATTERS. The, annual report of the Secretary of the Board of Education will be laid before, you, and I direct your attention to the suggestions and recommen- dations of that officer. The standing and charac- ter of a community are determined in no small degree by its school privileges. Happily in this Commonwealth the supreme importance of educa- tion was early understood; our common-school system is a thing to contemplate with pride and uphold with steady hopefulness. That was a grand idea, the rendering it possible for every child in the State to receive a free education; and no investment of our revenues has ever proved more profitable than that made in common schools. We cannot too carefully watch these schools, can- not too earnestly labor for their improvement. The future growth and prosperity of the Common- wealth are dependent upon them; if they are suffered to languish the State will inevitably retro- grade; if they are kept in a thriving condition the State will just as inevitably advance to new conquests. Through the untiring efforts of the secretary there has been healthy and regular progress in the 52 GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. [Jan. right direction. Improved school-houses in every quarter are an indication of the popular feeling. The demand for more thorough and comprehensive teaching proves that at least a portion of our citi- zens appreciate the necessity of going forward if we would continue to occupy a position in the front rank. The success of the Normal Schools, estab- lished to meet the pressing need for a higher class of instructors, and especially the recent call for an increase in the number of these schools, shows that there is a growing desire to raise the standard of- education. And yet, notwithstanding these cheering signs of the times, I am fully persuaded that our educational affairs are too much left to the management of the few. There is not that universal interest in the schools and the school system which ought to obtain. If we are to have model schools in a given town it will be because the people of that town determine to make them such. They will neither come of themselves nor through the sole endeavors of two or three indi- viduals. Good teachers and good methods of instruction are requisite to the end in view, but these agencies can accomplish nothing more than partial results if the practical interest of the people themselves is wanting. 1872.] SENATE No. 1. 53 The salient features of our educational reports for the past year are, that the aggregate of expen- ditures in behalf of public schools was $3,272,335, exclusive of $1,712,073 expended in erecting school-houses, and that of 278,249 children in the Commonwealth between the ages of five and fifteen years, 273,661 were connected with the schools. That we expend over five million dollars annually for popular education, and that all our boys and girls but 4,588 are more or less constant in attend- ance upon the public schools, testifies to a condition of things rich in promise for the future standing of Massachusetts. What progress we are making will be shown by reference to past years, say to 1858, when with 223,304 children, our public-school expenses were $1,474,488. In other words, for the six dollars and sixty cents devoted to each child in the State thirteen years ago, we now cheerfully spend eleven dollars and seventy-five cents. The career of our Agricultural College has been observed with no ordinary interest. The school was at first looked upon by some of the wisest and most sanguine friends of liberal education as a doubtful experiment. Several institutions of the kind organized in other States had either wholly failed or met with indifferent success, and the wis- 54 GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. [Jan. dom of undertaking to furnish scientific education to young men intending to be farmers was widely questioned. The school has justified the faith of those who favored its organization, and now is generally admitted to be one of the most valuable institutions in the State. The course of instruc- tion pursued there is thorough and comprehensive, and, as each student is required to perform a cer- tain amount of out-door labor every working-day, all who take the course gain a practical as well as a theoretical knowledge of farming. This institu- tion is conceded by those competent to form an opinion to be one of the best of its class in the country. That it is so, is greatly owing to the rare energy and well-directed labors of its officers, who have omitted nothing of effort or sacrifice in its behalf to make it a model. It is crowded with students and prosperous to a remarkable degree, and has already become a source of just pride to the Commonwealth. None of us can be unmindful of the growing desire among the women of the State for greater and improved educational privileges. After what has already been said on the general subject of education, I hardly need add that their demand for enlarged opportunity has my sympathy. I am 1872.] SENATE No. 1. 55 not able to see why the intellect of the one sex is more entitled than that of the other to culture and strengthening. I do not insist that the course of instruction for young women should be like that laid down in our best colleges for young men, but it ought not in any respect to be inferior, and the facilities for study offered to the first-named ought to be as good as those enjoyed by the last-named. It is gratifying to know, therefore, that there will ere long be opened at Northampton, a woman's college of the highest and most liberal grade, founded on the noble bequest of the late Sophia Smith, of Hatfield, who left about four hundred thousand dollars for building and carrying on such an institution. "While general education has received much attention and encouragement from the State, tech- nical education has been almost wholly neglected, We shall not reach our highest development as a Commonwealth until our elementary and classical schools arc supplemented by institutions for in- struction in the industries on which our prosperity so largely depends. Of our present population probably two-thirds are engaged in mechanical or manufacturing pursuits or dependent upon those so engaged. The State has established an agricultural 56 GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. [Jan. college for her farmers, and from the beginning of her history has dealt generously with such of her sons as aspired to knowledge of the higher branches of learning, but has done little for the education of her mechanics in their particular field of labor. Her duty to encourage and promote the special education of these classes rests upon two grounds: first, the welfare of the individuals directly concerned; and, second, the preservation of our manufacturing supremacy. A great part of the work of many manufacturing establishments is so dependent upon scientific attainment, that it must ultimately take rank as a learned pro- fession. Not only is a knowledge of chemistry, and a somewhat extended acquaintance with mathematics, highly desirable to the mechanic who aims at an advanced position in his trade, but skill in drawing is universally important and valu- able, and it is with pleasure that I notice the intro- duction of teachers of drawing into some of our public schools. Such is our distance both from the raw material and from the market, and such is the competition we have to maintain, not only with the pauper labor of Europe, but, in the near future, with the growing industries of the West, that we .can safely neglect no means calculated to 1872.] SENATE No. 1. 57 give the labor of coming generations high pro- ficiency. That technical education is a necessity to this end the recent experience of European countries abundantly testifies, as will readily be found by any one who chooses to investigate the subject. I should rejoice to see institutions for instruction in mechanical specialties founded at all our manufacturing centres. The school at Worcester may be indicated as a type of the class which we need. In my judgment, the State should very cautiously give its aid toward the establishment of these schools, and only when the communities in which they are to be located will themselves subscribe the chief part of the cost. LEGISLATIVE REFORM. The unusual and unprecedented length of our legislative sessions during recent years has excited the wonder of other States and received the general condemnation of the people of our own. Can this evil, acknowledged to be such by all parties, by any means be overcome? Assembled here as the ser- vants of the people, you are expected to transact all legitimate business that may come before you. The fact that the people themselves are in a great dc- 58 GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. [Jan. gree responsible for the multiplicity of measures forced upon consideration at each successive ses- sion does not seem to be a satisfactory answer to their complaint on this head. The public con- tinually asserts that the Legislature is to blame for the long sitting. It is for us to consider if a remedy can be found for the grievance of which so much is said. Many laws crudely drawn and hastily acted upon are passed at one session, only to be materially modified or wholly repealed at the next. Thus our code becomes encumbered with obsolete or worth- less statutes, and our business relations are dis- turbed and embarrassed without corresponding good. Important Acts which have received the construction of the courts -and become thoroughly understood by the people, are suddenly swept from the books because of some assumed or supposed defect, or by reason of prejudice in the minds of the few, and their places supplied with new Acts, speed- ily passed, which upon trial are found unequal to the accomplishment of what was desired. Hence it arises that one Legislature is continually undoing what a former one did. The grievance as to this particular point can be cured in but one way: law- makers should not consent to changes in existing 1872.] SENATE No. 1. 59 statutes till they are clearly called for by the public welfare, and proposed changes should not be adopted until it is evident that they will be benefi- cial. So far as is possible we should avoid experi- mental legislation. At the beginning of each session the general sen- timent among the members is in favor of a short term. Very little of what they are required to do is accomplished, however, during the first four or six weeks. The time occupied by the Legislatures of many States in completing their work, is spent by ours fruitlessly, and when we ought to be about ready to adjourn we are only ready to enter upon the important measures before us. "While it is neither my province nor my desire to interfere with either the appointment or the labors of the commit- tees of your honorable bodies, yet may I not sug- gest that, if the several chairmen would be prompt in organizing their respective committees, and if each member would feel a personal responsibility to give his time and energy to the special work he is selected to perform, there would not be such a waste of days and weeks as there now is? This course of action would enable the various commit- tees to make an early presentation of the results of their labors to their respective bodies; and thus we 60 GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. [Jan. should avoid the crowding of important business into the last hours of the session and the crude leg- islation inevitably consequent upon such procedure. But especially would I urge upon you the merits of general as opposed to special laws. The need of reform in this respect, becomes more imperative yearly. There is a growing disposition in the public mind against the granting of special privi- leges to the few, and in favor of such a system of legislation and administration as will bear upon and benefit all alike. When our population was small, special laws were to some extent a necessity. But the great, changes which have taken place in the last twenty years, through the multiplication of railroads, the increase in means of various kinds for intercommunication, the introduction of new and the extension of old industries, the enlarge- ment of our social and business duties and privi- leges, the development of wants and necessities, of cares and responsibilities, the widening and inten- sifying of thought and action consequent upon the daily use of steam and electricity and machinery, the extraordinary duplication of ties whereby we are brought into relations with other communities, all this renders it necessary that you should take a larger view of your duty as legislators than was 1872.] SENATE No. 1. 61 required of your predecessors of twenty or thirty years ago. Special legislation is not merely expen- sive to the State and wasteful of your time here ; it provokes local strifes, disturbs neighborly good- fellowship, creates jealousies between adjoining towns and villages, belittles the character of our legislation, and introduces elements of corruption into public life. In treating of our railroads and savings banks, I have already expressed the hope that you will pass general laws. My desire in this regard extends to all branches of civil administra- tion to which the application of this principle is possible. The enactment of general codes would shorten our legislative sessions, simplify our methods of government, and be of incalculable advantage to the Commonwealth. The daily expense of the Legislature is at least two thousand dollars. If by any means the length of the session could be reduced from five months to two months the saving to the State would be more than one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Or, if it be urged that the salary of members is not affected by the length of the session, still as that is only about half the aggregate expense, the saving would be not less than seventy-five thousand dollars. This is a retrenchment com- 62 GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. [Jan. mencing at our own doors which it is well worth while to make if possible. In several States con- taining a population nearly as large as ours, and a breadth of territory much larger, there are only biennial legislative sessions constitutionally limited to sixty days, while in our largest States, such as New York and Pennsylvania, the sessions are not allowed to extend beyond one hundred days. In fact, there is scarcely a State of the Union beside our own in which the legislative sitting is more than one hundred days, even when confined to biennial or triennial terms. Whether the work before you can properly be done in the two months I have suggested, depends almost entirely upon your own fidelity and determination. Resolve to-day that it shall be done, and I see no reason why it may not be accomplished. ~No effort of mine shall be wanting to consummate this most desirable result. Senators and Representatives : I enter upon the duties of the Executive office with deep solicitude for the interests of the Com- monwealth. In the candor which I feel due to you and the occasion, I commit these inquiries and sug- gestions to your wise and generous consideration. 1872.] SENATE No. 1. 63 The people expect us to consecrate our best en- deavors to their service. Let us so discharge every trust, that when called upon to render an account of our stewardship, we may possess the consciousness that we have been faithful servants. IICSR I