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Ai- VJ V - «*iT/ WWW * • \ * j #».<&> WSVrW . 19,J'/ - j t : - ' / %v *; V^-Cl'•:• v- • *4<- r.^',„r'4-ift. IV5! 3 • • • <;: AxaOuit ot Cu "Wh itt Stlc®y ® Wlmom ' Gagfa. JBri, JEtc niu«tr«tl«M B«f . Ellsworth 'YguhA SYNOPSIS; Mrs. Kezlah Coffin, supposed widow, Is arranged to move from Trumet to Bos­ ton, following the death of her brother, for whom she had kept houss. Kyw Pepper, widower, offers marriage, and Is Indignantly refused. Capt. Blkanah Dan­ iels, leader of the Regular church offers ICeslah a place as housekeeper for the &«w minister, and she decides to remain In Trumet. Kezlah takes charge of Rev. John Ellery, the new minister, and give; him advice as to his conduct toward members of the parish. Ellery cause* a sensation by attending' a "Come-outer meeting. Ellery's presence la bitterly re­ sented by ISben Hammond, leader of the meeting. Grace apologizes for her guardian and KUery escorts her home In the rain. Capt. Nat Hammond, Eben's •on, becomes a hero by bringing the packet into port safely through fog and storm. Ellery finds Kexiah writing a let­ ter to some one, inclosing money in re­ sponse to a demand. She is curiously startled when informed of the arrival of Nat, Nat calls on Kexiah, and It devel­ ops that they have been lovers since youth. Daniels remonstrates with Ellery for attending "Come-outer" meeting. El­ lery is caught by the tide and is rescued by Nat. They become friends. Ellery meets Grace while walking In the fields, and learns that she walks there every Sunday. The clergyman takes dinner Sundays with the Daniels. Annabel, the captain's daughter, exerts herself to make an impression on him. She no­ tices with vexation his desire to get sway every Sunday at a certain time. She watches him through a spy glass. Nat again importunes Kezlah to marry him. He says he ha« had a quarrel with his father, who wants him to marry Grace. Ellery a»ks Grace to marry him. 8he confesses that she loves him, but says she fears to displease hfer guardian. El- ktaah Daniels tells Eben about the meet­ ings between Ellery and Grace. Eben declares he will make Grace choose bj tween him and the preacher. Grace finds him In a faint, following the excitement of Elkanah's visit. Just before he dies Eben exacts a promise from Nat and Grace that they will marry. Kezlah breaks the news to Ellery and later he receives a note from Grace saying she is to marry Nat. and asking him not to try to see her again. CHAPTER XII.--(Cntlnued.) "Never mind about the other man. Ha was handsome then, in a way, and lie had money to spend, and he liked me. He wanted me to marry Mm. If-- If the other, the one that went away, had written 1 never would have thought of such a thing, but he didn't 'write. And, my pride beln' hurt, and all, I finally said yes to the second chap. "Well, for the first year 'twa'n't so bad. Not happiness exactly, but not misery either. That come later. His people was well off and he'd never worked much of any. He did for a little while after we was married, but net for long. Then h© begun to drink and carry on and lost his place. Pret­ ty toon he begun to neglect me and at last went off to sea afore the mast. We was poor as poverty, but I could have stood that; I did stand it. I took in sew In' and kept up an appearance, somehow. Never told a soul. His folks come patronlxin' around and of­ fered me money, so's 1 needn't dis­ grace them. I sent 'em rightabout in a hurry. Once in a while he'd come home, get tipsy and abuse me. Still I Baid nothln*. Thank God, there was no children; that's the one thing I've been thankful for. "You can't keep such things quiet al­ ways. People are bound to find out. They come to me and said,4Why don't you leave him?' but 1 wouldn't. I could have divorced him easy enough, there was reasons plenty, but I wouldn't db that Then word came that he was dead, drowned off In the East Indies sotnewheres. I come back here to keep house for Sol, my broth­ er, and I kept house for him till he died and they offered me this place here at the parsonage. There! that'B my story, part of It, more'n I ever told a llvin' soul afore, except Sol." She ceased speaking. The minister, who had sat silent by the window, apathetically listening or trying to lis- ten, turned his head. "I apologize, Mrs. Coffin," he said dully, "you have had trials, hard ones. But--** "But they ain't as hard as yours, you think? Well, I haven't quite fin­ ished yet. After word come of my husband's death, the other man come and wanted me to marry him. And I wanted to--oh, how I wanted to! 'i cared as much for him as I ever did; more, I guess. But I wouldn't--I wouldn't, though it wrung my heart out to say no. I give him up--why? 'cause I thought I had a duty laid on me." A Ellery sighed. "I can see but one duty," he said. "That is the duty given us by God, to marry the one we love." Keziah's agitation, which had grown as she told her story, suddenly flashed into flame. "Is that as fur «s you can see?" she asked fiercely. "It's an easy duty, then--"T looks easy now. I've got a harder one; it's to stand by the prom­ ise I gave and the man I married." He looked at her as if he thought she had lost her wits. "The man you married?" he replied. "Why, the man you married is dead." "No, he ain't. You remember the letter you saw me readin' that night when you come back from Come-Out­ ers* meetin'? Well, that letter was from him. He's alive. Yes, he's alive. Alive and knockin' Vound the world somewheres. Every little while he writes me for money and, if I have any, I send It to him. Why? Why 'cause I'm a coward, after all, I guess, and I'm scared he'll do what he says he will and come back. Perhaps you think I'm a fool to put up with It; that's what most folks would say if they knew It. They'd tell me I ought to divorce him. Well, I can't, I can't. I walked into the mess blindfolded; I married iiim in spite of warnin's and everything. I took him for better or for worse, and now that he's turned oat voree, I must take my medicine. I can't live with him--that I can't do-- but while he lives 111 stay his wife and give him what money I can spare. That's th© d^ty I told you was laid on VM» and it's a hard one, bat I dont nu away mm it." She stopped short; then covering her face with her apron, she ran from the room. Jotm Ellery heard her de­ scending the stairs, sobbing as she went. All that afternoon he remained In his chair by the window. It was six o'clock, supper time, wheh he entered the kitchen. Kezlah, looking up from the ironing board, saw him. He was white and worn and grim, but he held out his hand to her. "Mrs. Collin," he said, "I'm not go­ ing away. You've shown me what de­ votion to duty really means. I shall stay here and go on with my work." Her face lit up. "Will you J" she said. "I thought you would. I was sure you was that kind." CHAPTER XIII. In Which the Sea Mist Sails. They buried Captain Eben in the little Come-Outer cemetery at the rear of the chapel. The Come-Outers were there, all of them, and some members of the Regular society. Captain Zeb Mayo, Dr. Parker, Keslah Coffin, Mrs. Higgins and Ike. The little company filed out of the cemetery, and Captain Eben Hammond was but a memory in Trumet. Kezlah lingered' to speak a word with Grace. The girl, looking very white and worn, leaned on the arm of Captain Nat, whose big body acted as a buffer between her and oversympa­ thetic Come-Outers. Mrs. Coffin silent­ ly held out both hands and Graoe took them eagerly. "Auntif," she whispered, "tell me: Did a letter-- Did he--" "Yes, It came. I gave it to him." "Did--did he tell you? Do you know?" i "Yes, I know, deary." "Did he--Is he--" "He's well, deary. Hell M all right. Ill look out for him." "You will, won't you? You won't let him do anything " "Not a thing. Don't worry. We've had a long talk and he's going to stay right here and go on with his work. And nobody elsell ever know, Gracle." "O Aunt Keslah! If I could be one half as patient and brave and sweet as you are " "Sssh! here oomes Nat Be kind to him. He's suffering too; maybe more'n you Imagine. Here she is, Nat. Take her back home and be good to her." "I tell you," broke In the voice of Captain Zeb Mayo, "Keslah, I've been waltln' for you. Get in my shay and 111 drive you back to the parsonage." Mrs. Coffin accepted the invitation and a seat In the chaise beside Cap­ tain Zeb. The captain spoke of the dead Come-Outer and of his respect for him in spite of the difference in creed. He also spoke of the Rev. John Ellery and of the affection he had come to feel for the young man. "I'm glad to hear you say so. Of oourse Cap'n Elkanah is boss of the parish committee and--" "What? No, he ain't nuther. He's head of it but his vote counts Just one and no more. What makes you say that?" "Oh, nuthln'. Only I thought maybe, long as Elkaaiah was feelln' that Mr. Ellery wa'n't orthodox enough, he might be goln' to make a change. 1 didn't mean to stir ^ou up, Zebedee. But from things Cap'n Daniels has said I gathered that he was runnin' the committee. And, as I'm a friend of Mr. Ellery, It--" "Friend! Well, so'm I, ain't I? If you ever hear of Daniels tryin' any tricks against the minister, you send for me, that's all. I'll show him. Boss! Humph!" The wily Keiiah alighted at the par­ sonage gate with the feeling that she had sown seed in fertile ground. She was quite aware of Captain Zeb's Jeal­ ousy of the great Daniels. And the time might come when her parson needed an Influential friend on the committee and in the Regular society. The news of the engagement be­ tween Captain Nat Hammond and Grace Van Horne, told by Dr. Parker to one or two of his patients, spread through Trumet like measles through a family of small children. Annabel Daniels and her father had not expect­ ed it. They were, however, greatly pleased. In their discussion, which lasted far Into the night, Captain Elk­ anah expressed the opinion that the unexpected denouement was the result of his interview with Eben. "I think, pa," she said, "that it's our duty, yours and mine, to treat him Just as we always h^ve. pe doesn't know that we know, and %te will keep the secret And, as Christians, we should forget and forgive." Kyan Pepper was another whom the news of the engagement surprised greatly. When Lavinia told him of It at the dinner table, he dropped the knife he was holding and the greasy section of fishball balanced upon it Remembering what he had seen in the grove he could not understand; but he also remembered, even more vivid­ ly, what Kexiah Coffin had promised to do if he ever breathed a word. And he vowed again that that word should not be breathed. Kezlah was the life of the gloomy parsonage. Without her the minister would have broken down. He called her "Aunt Kezlah" at her request and she continued to call him "John." This was in private, of course; In public be waa "Mr. Ellery" and she "Mrs. Coffin." In his walks about town he saw nothing of Grace. She and Mrs. Pound- berry and Captain Nat were still at the old home and no one save them­ selves knew what their plans might be. Yet oddly enough, Ellery was the first outsider to learn these plans and that from Nat himself. «« met imm captain at the earner pf ttm "Turnoff" one day late in Au­ gust He tried to make his bow seem, cordial, but was painfully aware that |t was not. Nat, however, seemed not to notice, but crossed the road and"* held out his hand. "Well, Mr. Ellery," said Captain Nat "I wont keep yea. I see you're in a hurry. Just thought rd run along- Side a minute and say good-by. Don't know'a 111 see you again afore I sail." "Before you sail? Too--yon are go­ ing away?" "Yup. My owners have been after me for a good while, but I wouldn't leave home on account of dad's health. Now he's gone, Pve got to be gettin' feaqk to salt water again. My ship's been drydocked and overhauled and she's in New York now loadin' for Ma­ nila. It's a long vy'age, even If I come back direct, which ain't likely. So I may not see the old town again tor a couple of years. Take care of yourself, wont you? Good men, es­ pecially ministers, are scurse, and from what I hear about you I callate Trumet needs you." "When are you going?" "Last of next week, most likely." "Will you--shall you go albas? Are you to be--to be--" "Married? No. Grace and I have talked It over and we've agreed It's best to wait till I come back. She'll stay In the old house with Hannah." "Good-by, captain." "Good-by. Er--I say, Mr. Ellery, how's things at the parsonage,?~ Er-- Kexiah--Mrs. Coffin, your housekeep­ er, is she smart?" "Yes. 8he's well." "That's good. Say, yon might tell her good-by for me, if you want to. Tell her I wished her all the luck there waa And--and--Just say that there ain't any--well, that her friend --say Just that will you?--her friend said 'twas all right. Shell understand; it's a--a sort of Joke between us." "Very good, captain; I'll tell her." They shook hands and parted. Didama and her fellow news-venders distributed the tale of Captain Nat's sailing broadcast during the next few days. There was much wonderment at the delayed marriage, but the gen­ eral verdict was that Captain Eben's recent death and the proper respect due to it furnished sufficient excuse. Hannah Poundberry, delighted at be­ ing so close to the center of interest, talked and talked, and thus Grace was spared the interviews which would have been a trouble to her. Nat left town via the packet, on the following Wednesday. Within another week came the news that his ship, the Sea Mist, had sailed from New York, bound for Manila. CHAPTER XIV. In Which Trumet Talks of Captain Nat. Summer was over, autumn came, passed, and it was winter--John El- lery's first winter in Trumet Plsb weirs were taken up, the bay filfed with ice, the packet oeased to run, and the village settled down to Ijilw- n&te until spring. The stage came through on its regular trips, exoept when snow or slush rendered the roads impassable, but passengers were very few. Twice there were wrecks, one of a fishing schooner, the crew of which were fortunate enough to es­ cape by taking to the dories, and an­ other a British bark, which struck on the farthest bar and was beaten to pieces by the great waves, while the townspeople stocd helplessly watching from the shore, for launching a boat In that surf was Impossible. Mr. Pep­ per made no more calls at the parson­ age, and when the minister met him, at church or elsewhere, seemed anx­ ious to avoid an Interview. "Well, Abishai," asked Ellery, on one of these occasions, "how are you getting on at home? Has your sister locked you up again?" "No, sir, she ain't" replied Kyan. "Laviny, she's sort of diff'rent lately. She ain't nigh so--so down on a fel­ ler as she used to be. I can get out once in a while by myself nowadays, when she wants to write a letter or somethin'. Writes one about every once in a week. I don't know who they're to, nuther. She's talkln' of goln' up to Sandwich pretty soon." "She is? Alone?" "So she says." "To leave you hers? Why! well, I'm surprised." "Godfreys mighty! so be L But she says she b'lleves ^he needs a change Spring oace more; then summer. And now people were again speakinf of Captain Nat Hammond. His ship wa® overdue, long overdue. Even In those days, when there were no cables and the telegraph was still something of a novelty, word of his arrival should have reached Trumet months before this. But it had not come, and did not. Before the summer was over, the wise heads of the retired skippers were shaking dubiously. Something had happened to the Sea Mist; something serious. * As the weeks and months went by without news of the missing vessel, this belief became almost a certainty. At the Come-Outer chapel, where Ese- kiel Bassett now presided, prayers were offered for the son of their for. mer leader. One afternoon Kexiah came into El- lery's study, where he was laboring with his next Sunday sermon, and sat down in the rocking-chair. She had been out and still wore her bonnet and shawl. "John," she said, "I ask your par­ don for disturbln' you. I wanted to ask if you knew Mrs. Prinoe was sick?" "No. Is she? I'm awfully sorry. Nothing serious, I hope?" "No, I guess not Only she's got a cold and is kind of under the weather. I thought p'r'aps you'd like to run up and see her. She thinks the world and all of you, 'cause you was so good when she was distressed about her son. Poor old thing! she's had a hard time of it. I Just heard that she was ailln' from Didama Rogers. Di­ dama said she was all but dyln', so I knew she prob'ly had a little cold, or somethin'. If she was really very bad, Di would have had her burled by this time, so's to be sure her news was ahead of anybody else's. I ain't been up there, but 1 met her t'other morn- in'." "Didama?" "No; Mrs. Prince. She'd oome doWh to see Grace." "Oh." "Yes. The old lady's been awful kind and sympathlzin' since--slnoe this new trouble. It reminds her of the loss of her own boy, I presume likely, and so she feels for Graoe. John, what do they say around town about--about him?" "Captain Hammond? Why, If you mean that they've all given up hop&, I should hardly say that. Captain Mayo and Captain Daniels wens speak­ ing of it in my hearing the other day and they agreed that there was still a chanoe." "A pretty slim one, though, they cal'lated, didn't they?" "Well, they were--were doubtful, of course. There was the possibility that he had been wrecked somewhere and hadn't been picked up. They cited several such cases. The South Pa­ cific is full of islands where vessels seldom touch, and he and his crew may be on one of these." "John," she answered, with a sigh, "sometimes I think you'd better get another housekeeper." "What? Are you going to leave me? You?" "Oh, 'twouldn't be because I wanted to. But it seems almost as If there was a kind of fate hangin' over me and that," she smiled faintly, "as if 'twas sort of catchln', as you might say. Everybody I ever cared for has had somethin' happen to 'em. My brother died; my--the man I married went to the dogs; then you and Grace had to be miserable and I had to help make you so; I sent Nat away and he blamed me and--" "No, no. He didn't blame you. He sent you word that he didn't. Aunt Kezlah, you're my anchor to wind­ ward, as they' say down here. If I lost you, goodness knows where I should drift. Don't you ever talk of leaving me again." "Thank you, John. I'm glad you want me to stay. I won't leave yet awhile; never--unless I have to. John, I had another letter t'other day." "You did? From--from that man?" "Yup, from--" For a moment it seemed as if she were about to pro­ nounce her husband's name, some­ thing she had never done in his pres­ ence; but if she thought of it she changed her mind. (TO BE CONTINUED.) They k Hands and Parted. and there's church conference up there, you know, and she Aggers that she ain't been to conference she don't know when. I s'pose you'll go, wont you, Mr. Ellery?" "Probably." Lavinia got herself elected s dels- gate and went, in company with Cap­ tain Elkanah. Mrs. Mayo, and others, to the conference. She was a faithful attendant at the meetings and seemed to be having a very good time. She Introduced the minister to one Caleb Pratt, a resident of Sandwich, whom she said she had known ever since she was a girl. "Mr. Pratt's a cousin of Thankful Payne over to home," volunteered La­ vinia. "You know Thankful, Mr. El­ lery." Lavinia confided to her pa?'or that Mr. Pratt made the" best shots In Os- table county. He conoid fit any kind of feet, she declared, and the minister ought to try him sometime. She added that he had money in the bank. ArcMeplscopal Feast A correspondent sends us the mate rial for a dinner given by the Arch­ bishop of York In 1468: Three hun­ dred quarters of w heat, 330 tuns of ale, 104 tuns of wine, 1 pipe of spiced wine, 80 fat oxen. 6 wild bulls. 1,004 sheep, 8,000 hogs, 300 calves, 3,000 geese, 3,000 capons, 300 pigs, 100 pea­ cocks, 200 cranes, 200 kids, 2,000 chick­ ens, 4,000 pigeons, 4,000 rabbits, 204 bittern, 4,000 duckB, 400 herons, 200 pheasants, 600 partridges, 4,000 wood­ cocks, 400 plovers, 100 curlew. 100 quails. 100 egrets, 200 roes, 400 bucks, 6,606 venison pasties, 6,000 dishes of Jelly, 6,000 custards, 30C pike, 300 bream, 8 seals, 4 porpoises and 400 tarts. There were 1,000 servi­ tors, 62 cooks and 516 scullions. Our correspondent informs us that his au­ thority do?s not state in what clrcum stances the dinner was given, or how many guests assembled. Possibly some reader may be able to throw light on the subject--London Globe. FIRST ADDRESS BT E MKW EXECUTIVE URGES VARIOUS AMENDMENTS TO STATS CONSTITUTION. SPEECH TO THE LEGISLATURE Annoying Honesty. Having vouched for the honesty oi the woman who wished a situation *i scrubwoman, the good-natured man was subjected ta a severe examina tion by the superintendent of th* building. "There are degrees of honesty," sail! the superintendent "How honest it she?" The good-natured man reflected "Well," be said, "111 tell you. She U so honest that if you throw anything that looks to be worth a copper intc the waste paper basket you have to tag it 'Destroy this' or she will fish It out and put it back on your desk night after night, no matter how bad­ ly you want to get rid of it I don'i know that I can say anything more." ' "Nothing more is necessary." said the superintendent and he hired the woman at ones. Vteoommends That the Initiative and Referendum B« Put Into Effect First--Improvement of Highways Considered Very important Springfield. 111.--Edward F. Dunne, the new governor of Illinois, delivered his Inaugural address to the general assembly. He said in part: To the Members of the Forty-eighth General Assembly: The constitution ^>f the Mate wisely provides that the governor shall, at the commencement of each session, and at the close of his term of office, give to the general aasembly informa­ tion by message of the condition of the state, and make such recommen­ dations as he deems proper. In com­ pliance with that provision Governor Deneen has submitted his message to you. It also has become the custom for the Incoming governor to make an inaugural address, recommending such measures to the consideration of the general assembly as he deems ex­ pedient and necessary. In pursuance of that custom 1 respectfully submit the following: The constitution of this state should be amended In at least three essen­ tial particulars, and in at least three separate articles of the same to meet the demands of modern progress. Initiative and Referendum. Under Article IV, relating to in* legislative department, as now phrased, the inherent right of all self- governing people to Initiate and veto laws is not reserved to and by the people of Illinois. For more than eight years tits people of this state, following prece­ dents set by other republics and four­ teen sister states of the American Union, have been Insistently demand­ ing the right to legislate directly for themselves by the initiative; and the right to veto legislation, passed by the legislature, contrary to the wishes of the people, by the referendum. Twioe within the last eight years the people of Illinois, by overwhelming rotes at the ballot box. In the ratio of about five to one, have manifested an urgent desire for this great re­ form. Their demand is Insistent and Just, and has been too long denied. I would respectfully recommend, therefore, at this session of the legis­ lature, that the necessary legislative steps be taken to amend Article IV of the oonstitution so as to secure the right of direct legislation by the people themselves upon a petition of eight per centum of the voters vot­ ing at the last general election; and to secure the right of veto in the people, by requiring submission to the people of any law or laws, passed by the legislature, for their approval or disapproval, upon the filing of a peti­ tion of five per centum of the voters voting *t the last general election. Article IX Relating tb Revenue, Article IX of the constitution, relat­ ing to revenue and taxation, and Ar­ ticle XTV, relating to amendments to the constitution, ought also be amend­ ed; but we are unfortunately cod- fronted with a constitutional impasse, which makes It Impossible to pro­ vide for more than one of these three amendments to the constitution at this session of the legislature. Article XIV, on Amendments Article XIV of the constitution, re­ lating to amendments to the constitu­ tion, declares that 'the general as­ sembly shall have no power to pro­ pose amendments to more than one article on this constitution at the same session." This article Itself should be amend­ ed. No valid reason exists why sev­ eral articles of the constitution should not be amended at the same session to meet the demands of modern con­ ditions. , Abolition of State Board of Equaliza­ tion. Moreover, relief from some, and the most onerous, of the Inequities and in­ equalities of taxation is open to us without waiting for an amendment to the constitution. Fbr years past the great corporations Of the state have been enjoying undue favoritism In the matter of taxation, owing to malad­ ministration of the law by the state board of equalization. This body is charged by law with the duty of as­ sessing fairly and Justly the property of corporations. It has signally failed in Its duty. The corporations have been unduly favored at the expense of the people. Experience has shown that the state board of equalization is unscientifical­ ly constituted and unfairly administ­ ered. It is a departmental fiasco, and its work farcical. It is unwieldy In numbers, intermittent in Its labors, and secretive in its methods. It should be abolished. In Its place should be created a tax court or commission, composed of three or five members of approved intelligence and Information, appointed by the executive, with the approval of the senate, for a term of years, that shall remain In continuous session the entire year and record Its acts and findings from day to day. It ahould be given all the powers now oommltted to the state board of equal­ ization. and. In addition thereto. tfhoald have general supervision of tfee ^administration of the aseessxnent and tax law# of the state? Invested with power to advise and instruct local as- lessors, prescribe forms for as«ess- ment returns and reports, require re­ turns, schedules and other informer tion, under eatfe, from individuals, and corporations, appoint special asses­ sors, ©xp#ri examiners and account­ ants, direct reassessments In case of defective assessments, hear appeals and complaints, investigate on Its own Initiative the administration of all tax and revenue laws, examine Into the tax methods of otb#w states, and rec­ ommend to the legislature any and all amendments to the revenue laws of the state, which would make for a fair and equitable. distribution of the bur­ dens of taxation between the people and corporations of the common­ wealth. I, therefore, respectfully recommend the passage, by the legislature, of a law abolishing th® state board of equalization,, and creating a tax court, or commission, along the lines abovs indicated. Public Utilities. TheAlay of competition in the sup­ ply of gas, electric light and power, street railways, and some other pub­ lic utilities, has passed. Monopoly in these matters baa come to stay. In these modern days no municipal­ ity can tolerate the tearing up of Its streets, every few months or years, by rival water, gas, electric light heating or telephone companies In the laying of pipes, wires and conduits. Only one wtlilty producing concern should be allowed that privilege for each utility S® each city. That concern must be either the mu­ nicipal corporation Itself, or a. private corporation. ' The sole aim of a public corporation Is to operate to the satisfaction of the community, which Is always as­ sured by giving the best service at the lowest rate. The sole aim or all private corpora- atlons, unregulated by law, Is to make money for their stockholders, and the most money ean be made by poor .service at a high rate to the con­ sumer. The only question, then, Is whether the publlo shall own and operate through state or local agencies, or whether It shall allow these utilities to remain In the ownership and control of private corporations and regulate them by law. Municipal Ownership, While most cities of Illinois may not be ready, as yet, to undertake mu­ nicipal operation of other than wa­ terworks, legislation should be enact­ ed immediately, giving ail cities the right to build or buy, and to operate their utilities. For this purpose, cit­ ies should be empowered to. Issue bonds, subject to a referendum and such other reasonable safeguards as may be necessary. If such rights are given, It will force private corpora­ tions, now furnishing these utilities, to give rteoent service at decent rates, or faee the alternative of publlo own­ ership. State Regulation, Important as It Is to give cities the right to manage their own public util­ ities, It 1b also important to give to state and local bodies large powers of regulation of the public utilities that remain In private hands. These utilities may be broadly class­ ed as "lntra-urban" and "Inter-urban." In other words, they are either lo­ cal in character, confined to a city and Its suburbs, or they run through country districts and connect one place with another. Hie inter-urban-utllltles can only be regulated by the state. For that pur­ pose, a well-equipped utilities commis­ sion should be created with large pow­ ers. It should control the issue of se­ curities, the character of service, the rate of charge, etc. It should be ap­ pointed by the executive with the ap­ proval of the senate. With respect to lntra-urban, or city utilities, It might be well, at the start, to give to the proposed state commission control of the city utili­ ties when requested by any of the sev­ eral cities of the state. The commis­ sion, however, should be empowered to secure uniformity of accounting and full publicity with respect even to the city utilities, and should b$. prepared to furnish this information in tabu­ lated form In its annuol reports, and In further detail to public officials.. It would also be well to give the state commission full control of all new issues of stock, bonds and notes* and other evidences of indebtedness of all the publlo utiljities of the state, in­ cluding those within the cities. If this were done, the commission should be equipped with resources and power to make a physical valuation of such properties. No additional securities should be permitted to be Issued save for additional physical property and legitimate brokerage. Local Regulation. In addition to a law conferring the right of municipal ownership, and an­ other creating a Stat® Utilities Com- mlsion, we need legislation conferring upon cities that choose to exercise it, the same rights of control over all their city utilities that they now pos­ sess with respect to water companies. Chicago secured such a right with re­ spect to gas and electric companies about six years ago. A similar law, with perhaps some additional power, should be passed for all cities. Corrupt Practices Act For many years past elections in this state, particularly in our largest cities, have been signalized by the lav­ ish ub6 of money, both before and dur­ ing primary elections, and before and during final elections. Hordes of hired men have surrounded polling places, intimidating, cajoling and often terrorising voters. Candi­ dates have concededly spent in the election contests more than twtaa salary they eocdd «aQest Sac tbs -whole term of tkctr Bach a practice is scandalous, farther tolerated by law. will from political aspiration all but rich and corrupt These two elaaase# J'Jp {th# rich and corrupt) comMnod»#^% form btit a very small portion of community, and to limit public ofilesi ; > and honor to them is a violation the spirit and genius of American iar stitutkms. To reform these conditions I, theiw flare, reeommend the passage of a cor ­ rupt practices act, which will limit* within reasonable restrictions, tha eSKvi pendlture of money daring a political^' i campaign, and compel the publication* -h of all amounts collected and expendk ed both before and after election. Civil -Service. Civil sewics is no longer an uk tried principle. Honestly and fairly", administered, it makes for better and! more efficient public service, and the" people have shown by their votsa that-' they are in favor of it I respectfully urge that your honorar hie body give careful ,consideration to all measures relative to civil servicer Its extension to positions, whicJi't ahould be included within its ncope,- and other amendments which might 1 make for the better operation or ear* forcement of the law. Convict Labor. Provision also should be mado tor* the employment of the of oar* penitentiaries in road work. Prima?-' lly ©omvicts should be used for preparation of material, either at th« penitentiaries, or at camps, estab* Iished near natural deposits of stone* gravel or other wtUHni in the ac • tual construction of highways, wheai it becomes necessary, short term pris*1 oners should b# employed on ar or system, sncli m prevails in Colo­ rado. Humanitarian reasons under!!#1 the employment of convicts In thm open-air work of this sort The prob­ lem of what is going to become of the4 paroled or discharged convict i* largely solved if he Is released, healthy In body and 1b tnlnd, and not* debased by associations formed to then debilitating environments of cells and1 prison workshops. Psychological and physiological coasiderattoM enter iato the employ- s ment of men, on an honor system fnlvl the fresh air and sunshine, wherein!-': and whereby they are restored to so- - • ' clety with their manhood quickened*' * , -a v instead of deadened, or destroyed. > Improvement ©f Highways, % A matter touching vitally the agrt" ^ ^ ̂ "i cultural, commercial, educational clal, religious and economic welfare ^ of Illinois, and involving the conservsr H* £ - * \ tion of natural resources, is the quae-V "H | tion of good roads. H Reports of the federal department of agriculture s'iow that about 10 per - 'I J cent of the 95,000 miles of Illinois;' roads are Improved In a permanent. maner, as against 38 per cent in the n e i g h b o r i n g s t a t e o f I n d i a n a , 3 0 p e r p cent in Wisconsin, SO per cent ln^^^ Kentucky, 28 per cent in Ohio and SO per c«nt in Massachusetts. Consid- v ;/ ered from the standpoint of improved v p roads, Illinois is the tweaty-fourtk ta' 'V 4 ^ the list of states, The loss to farmers, because of In- ; -"] • - .'3 m .v :V.W v' accessible primary markets, and the ? aft I'M • abnormal expense of transportation' due to bad roads, must be considered as a contributing cause of the high Cost of living. In some Illinois coun-. ties, highways are Impassable to or-: dinary loads fbr a full third part of w.7 the year. Bad roads not only hinder crop production and marketing, hvt they keep the rural consumer away ; from the store of the merchant for i weeks at a time. They keep pupils r from the schools, and voters from po- Htical gatherings, and from participar tion in elections. They impair the ' efficiency of churches, and social, frar \ ternal and other organizations, which ; ; C depend largely on public gatherings * h ' ,-"S *$H 2? for the efficacy of their work. I recommend for your consideration legislation which will promote th# efficiency and economy of the admin­ istration of the road system of the state. This legislation, I believe, should Incorporate provisions for state co-operation with counties and town­ ships In the construction of main high­ ways and bridges; and the proper maintenance of all roads after they are built; for the compulsory drag­ ging of all dirt roads, and for the use< of the state automobile tax as a nu­ cleus of a fund for such state aid. Amendment of the Jury Law In Civil! Cases. I became convinced, from my ex­ perience on the bench, some years ago* that quite frequently there was a mis­ carriage of Justice In civil law suits re­ sulting from disagreements of Jariea* procured by corrupt methods. In view of these experiences, I would: respectfully suggest that the laws of the state, relating to the trial of civil cases in the courts, be amended so as to permit the court to accept a verdict signed by eleven Jurors after twelve hours' deliberation, and by ten Jurors after twenty-four hours' deliberation. Such time for deliberation would give ample opportuunty to an honest aat- nority of one or two men to fully pre­ sent their views to their fellow Jar- ors, and convince them, if they, the minority, were in the right; and yet would prevent a miscarriage of Jus­ tice, If they were In the wrong, and actuated by corrupt motives. I am of the opinion, however, that in all crtm. tn*i cases. Involving the life or liberty, of a cltlxen, a unanimous verdict! should still be required. Governor Dunne also recommended the ratification of the amendment pro­ viding for election of United States senators by the-people; the shortening of the ballot; the cpsation...q< a colony for epileptics aWthe enactment of a law making the breaking of a writtea political pledge by a public official «k felony punishable by Imprisonment &&M ' 4 % ••Mi V-& i M Felt the Sting of Failure. "What," asked the hunter who hau mistakenly shot a guide, bending dowt eagerly, "is your name?" "Smith," gasped the gulde, with his laqt breath The hunter'^ face felL "And I camt up here," he Exclaimed, ruefully, Hi pursuit of ra^» garnet"1--Puek. In Luck. , "The codfish," said the professor, "lays more than a million eggs." "It Is mighty lucky for the codfish that she doesn't have to cackle over every egg," said a student who came from a farm. ^ An Actoi*e Home. "Torlck Hwnm has certainly fur­ nished his new house elaborately." "Plenty of pictures, I suppose?" "Yes; he has one picture of Shake­ speare and 400 pictures of himself." That Was Why. "You know, of course, that my daughter is very musical?" "You astonish me!" "Why I thought you had heard her sing dozens of times?" "I have." / Comparing Noteey "My wife hasn't any sense of hu­ mor," said one man. "She wont laugh at anything 1 say." "Neither has mine," replied the oth­ er. "She laughs at evarythlgc I say." Her Mistake* "She married tor revenge.? { "For revenge on her husband?" "No. on an old sweetheart." "But If it was revenge ehe SM seeking why dldnt she lan; Dm ofcl sweetheart?" P' A Little Fast "TteU's a fins watch you've It a good goer?" "A good goer? Well, you hot jmnr UN It s a good goer. Why, It aw 4ft -I aa how la half Dm ttmal" • • .-vV .y