8 TRUE AMERICAN DEMOCRACY GOVERNOR SPROUL'S AMBITION New Governor Warns Against "Social Wild Men" Who Would Overthrow Republic—Clean LawSy Good Administra tion and Popular Educa tion Antidote For the Menace, He Says [Continued from First Fage.] My fallow Citizens: Having taken the obligation neces sary for my induction into the great office to which you have called me, pleaae permit me, before we enter upon a discussion of the issues of the time, to return my grateful acknowledgement of your confidence and trust and to ex press the profound feeling of responsibility and the grave sense of respect and devotion with which I accept the ser vice. A long experience in the Senate of the Common wealth has given me, I believe, a full realization of the Importance of the duties of the Governorship and has not j lessened my appreciation of the problems and difficulties , confronting the incumbent. With a pride, however, in Pennsylvania, her history and her institutions, which is reverential, with full dependence upon the sound judgment ; and the patriotism of our citizenship, and an abiding faith j in the Divine Power, which has so blessed us always, I take up the administration of your affairs hopefully and courageously. These are wonderful times in which we are living. Events of tremendous effect upon the political and social j Btructufes of mankind that, in ordinary times, would be appalling, are happening with such frequency that we ac- j cept them almost without surprise. The great war came to an end quickly and triumphantly for us, but it has left ; in its stead new problems and new perils, more menacing : to true Democracy and to civilization than anything that history records. Here, in the peaceful capital of this mightv State, with all in good taste und good order about us, with our people attending quietly to their affaire and their government changing hands according to their ex- j pressed choice and as ordained by their laws, it is difficult j for us to visualize the wave of disorder and destruction ; which is sweeping over a large part of the civilized world, ; engulfing races and nations and tumbling them about in : confusion and chaos. Ambitions anarchists have seized j the opportunity to exploit systems of social tyranny un- I heard of in their brutal harshness, and malign adventurers with terrorism as their weapon have usurped the chief power in many lands and are defiling the sanctuaries of the people and plundering and killing at will. Some of the more ambitious of these international revolutionists, abso lutely without conception of our governmental organiza tion, our national ideals or our individual spirit, have even undertaken to create unrest and to promote treason in this country and in this State, through eunnning propaganda and diabolical crimes. No government which could be devised by sane men would suit these anarchists. They are arrayed against all government and all restraint. They are enemies of civili- | zation and of the Church of God. They respect no law, but insist upon license to do as they please without regard | to the rights, the property, the religion or even the lives j of other. Their leaders avow that they have no affection for the land that gave them birth nor for the nation which j sheltered them and gave them asylum from persecution abroad. That such a doctrine should obtain a foothold in the United States is unthinkable, and yet there are abund ant evidences of its malevolent activities here. The "mis sionary fund" gathered from the looted treasuries of Rus sia is already having its effect in certain directions in stir ring up the mercenaries of agitation and in inspiring specious writings from some of the half-baked social phil osophers who feed upon excitement and turmoil. Retained to spread hatred of (N-erything that appears like tiilrft, or contentment or love of country, these disturbers will make some headway they will attempt to capitalize the indus trial difficulties growing out of the readjustment, and they may attract to their malicious cause some of the restless, the ignorant, the unfit, the irresponsible and the criminal. While the followers of this brutal cult will at no time be numerous, as compared with the great body of sober, sensi ble, sound-minded Americans, they will be insidious, and will impress some of the timid and the unreasoning, even . among our statesmen, with their strength. PATRIOTIC EFFORT TO OVERCOME BOLSHEVISM This political distemper, called Bolshevism, has had its origin in countries where ignorance and force prevailed and Where there was entire lack of opportunity for the deserv ing and lack of care for the unfortunate. There is no room for it to grow in an enlightened State where the rights of the humblest and of the strongest are alike guarded and the door of opportunity opens to all who seek it. The anti dote for this social infection, as we shall apply it in Penn sylvania, is good public administration, the best of popular education; generous, progressive humane laws, and thor ough justice, backed by an alert, forceful and God-fearing public sentiment. Pennsylvanians are resolutely patriotic; they have a love of country and a faith in its institutions that is proverbial; they have a just pride in their State and a respect for their communities and their homes. Our peo ple want no mongrel government, devised by fanatics for eign to us in speech, in vision and in purpose, without tra dition and without faith, envious of our national strength and prosperity and anxious to disrupt us as a nation and paralyze us as a people. We want to develop our own Democracy, made in America, for America's needs and America's great destiny. We will not give this splendid Republic away to its enemies. But confident as we are of our national safety, we must not ignore the menace in our midst. After having made rare that we have done those things which should be done to ensure to our citizens those blessings that the govern ment belonging to them should give them, we must not tol erate the social wild-men who would overthrow our Re public. The government at Washington must be alert in protecting us against an invasion through our ports of those who would seek to destroy this nation, and must assist hi hunting out and returning to the lands from which they came, those who are not satisfied to become Americans and will not accept our guarantees of justice and liberty. Here in Pennsylvania every power of the State must be used, first by beneficient enactment and administration to every man, woman and child who shall deserve it a stake in the Commonwealth, and then to repress vigorously and effectively those who would injure or destroy our institu tions and our true freedom. Eternal vigilance is still the price of liberty, and I earnestly call upon our people to be vigilant and determined in meeting the issues which must come up to us, to respect their own laws and to uphold the administration of them. Peace, orderly government and liberty, regulated by law, are prime pssentials for the prosperity and happiness of all of us. ' MORE CO-OPERATION IN GOVERNMENT NEEDED Thus early in my executive career, I desire to say that having submitted my candidacy for Governor to the people, at the primary election, npon a declaration of purpose, or a platform as we call it, and having reiterated this declara tion before the general election, 1 feel that my course of action in office should follow as nearly as may well be, the principles upon which my candidacy was based. I desire particularly to say now to those who will be my associates in the government, that I am more than ever convinced that a policy of co-opcratlon and not of coercion is the proper basis for our relations. To the members of the two houses of the Legislature, whom 1 meet here today in joint gathering for the first time at this sessiou, may 1 say, that after participating as a lmynber in thirteen sessions of the General Assembly, I have not only thorough appreciation but complete respect for the positions you occupy, the re sponsibilities you assume and the rights you possess. It is the duty of the Governor to recommend to the Legisla ture such measuies us he may deem necessary or import ant. This duty he may not disregard. 1 shull feel free to address you upon public mntters whenever it seems de sirable that I should do so, and I shall urge your consid eration of and action upon matters which are essential to the program of progress und efficiency to which we are committed. But it wns never intended that the political .power oX Biui'utiv* wlmmiW u-* TUESDAY EVENING. or to influence or dominate political action. The exercise of such power in the State or nation is dangerous and the growth of this practice gives concern to far-seeing patriots. That it is in conflict with the underlying principles of our form of government and is subversive of the constitution, 1 firmly believe. The absolute integrity and independence of the three great divisions of our governmental organiza tion is essential in the system of checks and balances which preserve our rights and have made our constitutional administration so successful and so permanent. We must get back to first principles in many ways, but in none more certainly than in this. I fervently desire and thoroughly rely upon your broad-minded co-operation and assistance in the important matters which we together must handle. If I cannot deserve this co-operation upon your part I shall not try to compel it by any threatening use of the power temporarily placed in my hands. Let us work together in entire confidence and real earnestness to perform our solemn duties, with no masters to serve but the people of Pennsylvania, who have trusted us so completely. REVISION OF STATE CONSTITUTION DISCUSSED For many years there has been more or less demand for a new constitution for the Commonwealth. On one or two occasions this demand has become insistent and some move ment was made toward a general overhauling of the State's fundamental law. Meanwhile there have been amendments by wholesale and the student who would really know what Pennsylvania's Constitution contains must be alert and up to the minute in his research. It is argued that the con stitution is now forty-five years old and that It is obsolete. Its age does not harm it and had it been a different sort of a document it might well have Survived a century or more. But the trouble with our constitution is that instead of being a bill Of rights it is a list of limitations. Its prin cipal features are its prohibitions. Many of these are most wise, but a liberal attitude upon the part of the Courts has stretched some of the provisions to the breaking point, and j there is much confusion of judgment as to their interpreta- j tiou. There should be real and determined authority for doing many things In regard to our system of taxation, our humanitarian plans nnd our municipal organizations which seems impossible to secure without further extensive tink ering with our constitution which will make it a maze of dislocated and discordant elements. Insistent as is the appeal for revision, however, it would seem best that we should await the advantage of a better perspective of the results of the great social changes which are now going on in the world, and that we should not rush into the matter of rewriting our constitution until we ure fully ready for the task. It will not be an easy matter to handle in the most serene of times, and the question of expense must also be considered, especially as in several States recently the people have failed to ratify the work of constitutional con ventions which cost them heavily. In a neighboring Com monwealth, where a convention was held without any ade quate preparation or leadership, a year or more was occu pied in parley and discussion, and the result is pronounced by authorities to be one of the most unsatisfactory charters in existence. With all of these facts in view, but with the unquestioned requirement that we approach definitely the task of revis ing our constitution or completely rewriting it, my judgment is that the present Legislature should authorize the appoint ment of a commission of twenty-five citizens, representative of the best thought in the various elements of our Com monwealth's life, to study the whole subject of our constitu tion and to report to the next Legislature its recommenda tions as to the advisability of a revision; time, manner and plan of the revision, if such shall be the recommenda tion, with a complete study of the desirable changes. The machinery for the new convention may then be provided by the Legislature and little time will be lost while a great deal of advantage may be gained by preparing the people for this vitally important matter. Tills commission should be selected with the greatest care as its work would be of such extraordinary moment. It should be provided with funds adequate for the exhaustive research and preparation which will be required. RETURNING SOLDIERS MUST BE REMEMBERED One of the very first things which should receive our attention is a comprehensive plan for showing to the world that I'ennsylvauia is grateful to, those who were called into the service of the nation during the great war and whose valor and devotion have added new glory to our annals. Pennsylvania's Share in the greatest of our na tional undertaking has been u large one, and, as has always been the case, our duty to the Union was well and thor-. oughly discharged. Many of our brave young men have made the supreme sacrifice and will rest on foreign fields, others have been wounded and must be cared for by this nation and this State, but three hundred thousand are com ing back to us. That we will welcome these champions of Democracy suitably goes without saying, that we will honor them and their deeds by chaste memorials is certain, but we must show our regard for them and our concern for their welfare in a more substantial way, by looking out for them practically ns a State, as commuuities and as individ uals. These brave youths will not ask for philanthropy, but they must have especial consideration in our enactments that they may, in a manner, make up for the time they have given to the Republic. There will be many suggestions as to legislation and many new things will be advanced along this line. We must winnow these carefully and select the practical and constructive. The several departments of the State government may do much in their various benevolent activities to help; other concrete plans must be put Into operation as well, and our citizens, and especially those who are employers, should see to it that the man who risked his all for our country, is given a warm-hearted demonstration of our grateful appreciation. The State, as a great em ployer, should set an exnmple in this matter by preferring i-iiMw. as tax as possible, in its service. J?> j r : jP* .V\. Hp WW ' wllll s~--S? m ■ ~ ~ j®".' lip :;-Vc ' -I BsIBBBBP^ 5 4 v' ' i u *-** ■■ ' Si-'* M'C-r -'' v ' -■ -. • * H " : > Wm. C. Sproul BAIUUSBURG TELEGRAPH FINANCIAL PROBLEMS OF PRIME IMPORTANCE Before we are able to plan very effectively for our work during the next four years, we must give direct attention to the questions of revenue. We shall have to face demands for increased appropriations due to the higher cost of maintaining our public institutions, in providing for the improvement of our schools and decent salaries for our teachers, for public works to assist in meeting the problem of unemployment, and for the extension of the State's aid for those maimed in battle and in our industries. While we may be able to prevent waste and extravagance by sim plifying and co-ordinating the departments of our govern ment, and may see to it that we shall receive full value for the money which we expend, we cannot, in the present aspect of things and in view of the necessity of progressive development of the public enterprises, attempt much in the way of retrenchment The Federal tax gatherer is encroaching so deeply into the fields hitherto reserved for State revenues that the question of funds for State purposes is becoming a serious one. Few people realize the stupendous charge which has been imposed upon us by the plan of taxation which the officials at Washington have devised. Pennsylvania is pay ing about one-sixth of the entire cost of the administration of the United States Government Last year this State contributed in Federal taxes almost six hundred millions of dollars. This year, if the bill now before Congress shall become a law, as now seems probuble, the Federal levy upon Pennsylvania w ill be approximately one billion dollars. The vastness of this sum and the way in which it bears upon us may be better realized by a contemplation of the fact that the sum which the Federal Government proposes to collect from the people of Pennsylvania in taxes in this one year is almost equal to the aggregate amount raised by this Commonwealth for State purposes in all the one hun dred and twenty-eight years which have elapsed since tht State government was organized. The State revenues for this year will just about equal the interest at four and one-half per cent, upon the amount which we must pay to the United States. These figures are startling and they are of value in showing how important Pennsylvania is in this nation and how modest have been the demands of the Com monwealth upon her own people. Pennsylvania does not complain under the burdens which she is bearing. She has cheerfully stood by with her men and her money in the national emergency, and she is proud to again have the disposition and the substance to render such notable service to the Republic nnd to the world. But with our share so large in our national undertakings, we may be pardoned a care that our funds contributed without stint to the Federal purse should not be wasted in lnconb petent administration nor scattered over the world in chi merical enterprises without practical purpose. Our people are loyal, generous and progressive and have ever given liberally of their means in real philanthropy. They are possessed, too, of much of that very desirable quality known as soundness of mind or hard sense. They realize that real sacrifices must be made to pay the great debts we have in curred in saving civilization and democracy, but they feel that some plans must be devised for discharging these debts and providing for our own reconstruction and readjustment before we embark upon new international adventures in the uncharted seas of idealism and which may bring down upon our devoted ship of state the burdens of all mankind. Let us put our own house In reasonably good order before ven turing too far in regulating the rest of the world. QUESTIONS OF INCOME MUST BE CONSIDERED Pennsylvania is almost alone among all of the States in that it levies no tax for State purposes upon real estate, but leaves that handiest source of public income intact for the needs of its municipal sub-divisions. It is to be hoped that this condition may never be disturbed, as realty, espe cially as represented by our farms and homes, already bears more tliun its share of the burdens of taxation. Probubly the most equitable tax, considering all things, is the income tax, and I should fuvor the imposition of a light levy upon personal and corporate incomes as u means of piecing out the revenues of the State, were it not for the limitations in our present constitution which would prevent the grading of such taxes or the exemption of smull incomes. This same provision prevents the equitable operation of the present in heritance tax. An amendment to the constitution is now before the Legislature which will permit of the classifica tion and grading of subjects of taxation, and, if it should be favorably acted upon and then approved by the electors, important changes may be made in our tax laws by the I next Legislature. It would seem that the most available source of revenue now in sight is to be found In a change in the law which would provide for a return to the State of a portion of the personal property tax. Until a few years ago the State directed the collection of this tax and a percentage of the total sum received by the county treasurers was paid into the State Treasury. Generous Legislatures, at various times when there were ample balances in the State "Treasury, gave increasing shares of this tax to the counties and finally wiped out the State's share in it altogether, although it is still billed as a State tax. In many of the counties little effort is made to assess or collect this tax and carelessness in filing returns and in making payments is tolerated. If the State, through the Auditor General's office, should be authorized to collect thia large item of revenue in the same manner that corporation and other State taxes are collected, with the provision that one-half of the amount realized should belong to the State and the other half to the coun ties, the State's income would be materially Increased. Through the operation of a thorough system of collection the counties should receive as much or almost us much as they now gain from this direction. This plan, with the addi tional revenues which should come to us this year from the gross earnings tax upon certain of our corporations, from Edward E. Beidleman the inheritance taxes and trorn an increase in the automo bile licenses, together with the particularly etl'yicnt man agement of the Department of the Auditor General, should provide the revenue that we shall be likely to need for the present. EDUCATION IS GREAT < AND PRESSING PROBLEM Pennsylvanians have ever been proud of their public schools, and it is always more or less of a shock when we are forced to contemplate the statistics which show that Pennsylvania is not in the foremost rank among the States in the general efficiency of its school system. While the standards by which such tilings are measured are not always practical and the authorities quoted are by no means in fallible, it is nevertheless a fact that popular education in Pennsylvania is not so highly developed as it is in some other places. This is not as it should be, and the direct practical remedy is expressed in the need of more money for school purposes and a better, more up-to-date school organization. The State of Pennsylvania appropriates more to the support of its public schools than any other State, but it does not give more per capita than any other State. While the funds voted by the Legislature from the Stnte Treasury are generous, tlio total sum raised in the State through local taxation is materially lower than in several others among the better organized States in the Union. \ The question of the compensation of teachers has become a serious one and the general movement for better pay for these deserving public servants has the support of everyone who has given the matter any thought. One of the proposi tions advanced demands a horizontal increase of twenty-five per cent, in teachers' salaries at the sole expense of the State, and would provide for a direct appropriation of the required amount from the State Treasury. Of course, this % ia not practicable for many reasons, the first and principal one of which is that such a plan would take so large a pro portion of the total revgenues of the State, available or ob tainable, that there would be little left for any of the other activities of the government. I do not believe, moreover, that an arbitrary increase of a fixed percentage upon all salaries is what is most needed. My opinion is firmly fixed that in the case of the underpaid primary teacher and the rural teacher, the increase should be upon n much.higher percentage than that to be allowed the I Hitter paid Instruc tors in the upper grades and hi the richer communities. Not that there is not need of increase all along the line, but we must give immediate relief where the need is greatest. There are many hundreds of teachers working in Pennsyl vania at the pittance of $315 a year, and there are between eleven and twelve thousand teachers who receive unuually SSOO or less. This is not a living wage for anyone and especially not for a person who is expected to lead a digni fied and refined life and to set an example in the com munity. Practically every improvement which lias been made in our common school system bus been the result of mandutory legislation, and it will take more enactments of this same kind to establish a new scale of salaries, or at least mini mum salaries, und such other conditions as rnuy be needed. The State will help generously with an increased bounty to the school districts but the State cannot do it all. lncreused appropriations made this year must be accompanied with provisions for the local application of the mouey in salary Increases und some method should be worked out for the particular' assistance of those districts which already have a high tax rate for school purposes bused upon a fair assessment. The child in the most remote township is just as valuable to the State und should receive the same benefits as the child in the most favored city. There are many avenues for extension and improvement in our educational system, to reach our adult illiterates, the position of Pennsylvania in regard to this condition not being flattering to our self-esteem; to provide vocational education, a necessary corollary to our marvellous indus trial development; to teuch our backward ones and the un fortunate, to help in Americanizing our foreign-born, and to help In giving our maimed heroes from our nution's buttles, und industrial victims, a chance to learn to be self sustaining and contented. Some of these matters might best be handled by the Department of Lubor und Industry and others, perhaps, by the reorganized Comudttee of Nu tional Defense, but in all of them the Department of Public Instruction should have a hearty, broad-visioned interest. HIGHWAY DEVELOPMENT ON VERY GREAT SCALE We are indeed fortunutc to have the means in sight to begin a comprehensive road improvement program at a time when there will be need of great public works to steady industrial conditions. With the funds uvuilable from the general income of the State und u gradual use of substantial sums from the bond issue which has been authorized by the people for this purpose, supplemented by the assistance, now very muteriul und likely to be greater of the federal Government for the post roads, we shull bo able to undertake extensive road-building operations in every county, in the coming few years we ought to accom plish much toward providing a net-work of good high ways, reuctling every important point, with through routes, Lravellable at ud limes, from end to end of the State, und connecting with the main highways in our neighboring Commonwealths. Of course, the whole amount of the lifty million-dollar loan, if it should all be used, would not im prove the entire State highway system, nor can all of the work planned be done at once, but it will be u wonderful advantage to the people of Pennsylvania to have good inuin roads and every mile of highway permanently improved will carry its lesson of comfort and facility and locul pride with the spirit of progress into our communities. The ques tion of the selection of the rouds to be first improved will be an important one, and the problems of the character and plan of the new construction will requite much study. My own thought is that the general policy should be the bringifag of the greatest good to the greatest number of JANUARY 21, 1919. Issues Plea For Co-operation In Conduct ng State Office— Would Revise Constitution To Meet Modern Needs— Discusses Financial Problems and Ques tions of Income people, and our notions will be based upon our judgment with tills desire constantly In mind. Some changes in the organization and methods of the Highway Department will be necessary to ratable it to handle a greatly increased amount of work, and legislation will be required to give your executive and fiscal authorities the legal machinery for issuing and marketing the securities representing the loans which will be required. These are matters of detail which will be dealt with in subsequent recommendations to the General Assembly. We should also give attention to some plans for improving the local road conditions throughout the State. This is one of the most perplexing situations which we have to deal with. The State High way Department has done much to help the organization and administration of our townships but much moro re mains to be done. In considering matters relnting to our highways it Is necessary to give some attention to the regulation of auto mobile traffic. The conditions growing out of tin* e culled to the assistance of the peace officers of every county in the State. There is little co-operation be tween the counties in police matters, and, with the incom plete police orgunizution and changing officials in many of the counties, there is no continuing authority charged with the upprehension of criminals and the prevention of crime. The Department of State Police should include the other police or corrective agencies of the State which do not re quire an especially technical force, and the Fire Marshal's work might well be merged with it. 1 also believe that the game and Ush protective force should be a part of the State Constabulary and thut men should be selected for this work who could qualify for service in the police in time of necessity. , The Department of Health, although it is already a vegy cumbersome organization und might be should include the State Quarantine Service, if, indeed, **- vice is necessary in view of the provisions of the Government for the same purpose. IMPORTANT WORK FOR DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Perhaps in no department of the State government luua there been u greater increase in work and expense tha* in the Department of Labor and industry. There appears to be much contusion, much duplication of effort and mud) that is supcrliuous und unnecessary in this department Not that i would minimize itfe iniportuuce, hut 1 feel there is much thut can he dispensed with there which would give uu opportunity for iucreusiug its work in lines c' greater importance. For instance, 1 believe that the CortS missiouer ot Labor and industry should have broader pow ers iu relation to housing problems. Uur larger communi ties can take cure of themselves in these matters, ixa throughout the State there are piuces where people are living iu lrighlfuiiy unsanitary homes, surroundeu by COM unions which make for bad health and bad - citizenship especially is this true in some industrial settlements where famines are compelled, in order to be near their employ-, meat, to live in pluees which are unlit for human habita tion. We ought to huve the power to help in this vm£ important mailer. This department should also be able to give attention more completely to iielpiug our foreigu-born. Twenty pqfc cent, of foreign immigration comes to i'enusylvanla. Wlieal we entered the war, people who did not know them looked on this great body of foreign-born people as a menaces Their uusinkc is now apparent, for we have found in th 4 hearts or the foreign-born uu unexpected depth of patriot ism, keen appreciation of the principles involved In tirff war and a great eagerness to take this tirst opportunity to prove tjheir devotion to their adopted country. Thei* sons have gone In great numbers into the army and n&vjl They have organized among themselves and bought Libeypf