FMiMFAtS STATE CONGRESS, 395 



ness, teach them a trade that will be useful to them after serving their 

 sentence. The State should take charge of all convicted for violating its 

 lavps. The counties should devise means of having every able-bodied pris- 

 oner performing some kind of labor during his confinement in jail, with 

 compensation according to labor performed, the same to reimburse the 

 parties injured, the counties, or, if needed, to the .support of their families 

 or a pittance to themselves. 



In my opinion such a course pursued with criminals would soon show 

 a radical reform in criminal annals. 



The honest man has to earn his bread by the sweat of his brow, and, 

 if the criminal would find he had to do the same, he w^ould, by precept 

 or example, soon learn that it would be much easier to do it as a free 

 man than in chains. 



Under the legal face of our statutes, according to the sheriffs' re- 

 ports to the secretary of State Board of Charities and Corrections, there 

 . were 12,394 criminals made in the last year by "plain drunks." A dis- 

 grace to the fair name of our State. Legalizing crime! and then punisli- 

 ing the criminal. I do think, in all justice to humanity, that any busi- 

 ness whose influences are baneful to society should be required to get 

 the written consent of all persons domiciled within the bounds affected 

 by such business over the age of sixteen years before such business could 

 be licensed. 



Our Government is founded upon the principles of majority rule. Our 

 State recognizes woman's ability to be governess of the household affairs 

 at the age of sixteen years. Therefore, I recommend that this Congress 

 demand the "order" be changed, and instead of citizens being compelled 

 to petition for the right to do right, that the other fellow must get consent 

 of the citizens for the right to do wrong. 



The Louisiana Purchase Exposition centennial, which comes off this 

 year, should receive the united efforts of the farmers of this State to 

 make our State occupy a place in that, the greatest of world fairs, that 

 every Hoosier would be proud of and that will forever, as it were, erase 

 that odium, "hayseed," from that class of people, that ancient people, 

 whose calling was looked down upon and who had no standing or note or 

 prominence; but show, by the fruits of our labor, the art of which a thou- 

 sand and a half millions of people are supported, or depend upon for 

 sustenance, and over two hundred million men expend their daily toil, 

 that it is the parent art, and as a profession is the precursor of all profes- 

 sions. We owe this effort at this opportune time to our great State and 

 to ourselves and posterity. 



Every county in the State should make an appropriation sufficient to 

 collect and prepare an exhibit in the most approved style, which would 

 bring out fully the wonderful advancements of our State. 



The men who compose this Congress represent the noblest calling on 

 earth. Upon the farmer rests every other interest. If the farmer pros- 

 pers, eyerj' other industry and interest prospers. 



