Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-01-14
Gov. Hayes inaugural Address.
Gentlemen of the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatiues, and Fello,o Citizens:

The duty devolved on the Governor by
the Constitution of communicating by mes
sage to the General Assembly the cOndi-
Jion of the State, and of recommending
such measures as he ueems expedient, has
been performed at the present session by
my predecessor, Governor Cox, in man
ner so thorough and comprehensive that
do not feel called upon to enter upon
discussion of questions touching the ad-
ministration of the State Government.
| can think of no better reward for the
faithful performance of the duties of the
office which | am about to assume, than
chat which, believe, my Immediate pred
ecessor is entitled to enjoy-the knowl-
edge that in the opinion of his fellow citi-
zens of all parties, he has, by his culture,
his ability and his integrity, honored the
office of Governor of Ohio, and that he
now leaves it with a conscience satisfied
with the discharge of duty.
l congratulate the members of the Gen.
eral Assembly that many of the questions
which have hitherto largely engaged the
attention of the law-making power, and
divided the people of the State, have. in
the progress of events, either been settled,
or in the general Judgment of the people,
been transferred for investigation and de-
cision to the National Government. The
State debt, taxation, the currency and in
ternal improvements, for many years fur
| nished the prominent topics OF discussion
| and controversy in Ohio. In the year 1915
the State debt reached its highest point. 1t
amounted to $2OOIs,5l5 67, and in the same
year the total taxable property of the
State was Sl36 142666. With a disordered
currency, with business Frustrated, with
labor often insufficiently rewarded, the
burden of this debt was severely felt, and
| questions in regard to it naturally entered
into the partisan struggles of the time.
| Now the State debt is $ll.03l, ,941 Sc; the
tow h nff fbn fafo 70,
81, 13S, ,754 779; and there is no substantial
difference OF opinion among the people as
to the proper mode of dealing with this
subject. e ~ sr-E 81 I
State taxation was formerly the occasion
of violent party contests. Now men of all
| parties concur in the opinion that as gen.
eral rule every citizen ought to be taxed in
proportion to the actual value of his props
erty, without regard to the form in which Z
| he prefers to invest it; and differences
| to the measures by which the principle !
practically applied rarely enter into polit
ical struggles in Ohio. y.
| Party conflicts and debates as to Stat /.
laws in relation to banking and the cur
rency, constitute large part of the politt
ical history of the State. But the events 7
the last few years have convinced thos
who are in favor of a paper currency, tina .
| in the present condition of the country j
eau best be furnished by the National Gov
|
banks or in the form OF legal tender treas
ury notes. State Legislatures are there
fore relieved from the consideration of thi
difficult and perplexing subject.
Internal improvements made by Statts
authority, so essential to growth and pros
perity in the early history of the State, n.
longer require much consideration bv tn
General Assembly. Works of magnitud
too great to be undertaken by individua'
enterprise, will hereafter be, Tor the mos
parr. accomplished by the Government
the Nation.
The part which patriotism required Obi
/ to take in the war to suppress the rebellion
demanded important and frequent acts {.
| legislation. Fortunately the transaction
of the State growing out of the war hav.
been. or probably can be, closed under ex
listing laws. with very little, if any, addi
tional legislation.
If not mistaken as to the result of this
brief reference to a few of the principal
subjects of the legislation of the past, tht
present General Assembly has probably y
better opportunity than any of its prede-
] cessors to avoid the evil OF too much legis-
I iation. Excessive legislation has become
great evil, and I submit to the Judgment
of the General Assembly the wisdom OF
avoiding it.
One important question of principle, as
| old as our State Government, still remains
unsettled. All are familiar with the con-
flicts to which the policy of making dis
| ttinctions between citizens in civil and po--
| litical rights has given rise in Ohio. The
first effort of those who opposed this poll
cy was to secure to all citizens equality of
| civil rights. The result of, the struggle
that ensued is thus given. by an eminent
and honOred citizen of our State:
"The laws which created disabilities on
the part of negroes in respect of civil rights,
were repealed in the year 1S49, after an OBJ
stinate contestiquite memorable in the his
tory of the State. Their repeal was looked
upon with great disfavor by large por-
tiOn of the people, as a dangerous innova-
ton upon a just and well-settled policy,
| and q vote in that direction consigned many
members of the Legislature to the repose
of private life. But am not aware that
any evil results justified these apprehen-
sions, or that any effort was ever made to
impose the disabilities. On the contrary,
the new policy, if may call it so, has been
found SO consistent with justice to the ne
groes. and the interests of the whites, that
no one-certainly no party-in Ohio, would
| be willing to abandon it."
An effort to secure to all citizens equal
political rights. was made in the State Con-
stitutional Convention OF 1851. Only thir-
teen, out of one hundred and eight mem
bers in that )dy, voted in its favor; and it
| is probable that less than One-tenth of the
voters of the State would then have voted
| to strike the word ''wnite' out of the Con-
| stitution.
The last General Assembly submitted to
the people proposition to amend the State
! Constitution so as to abolish distinctions in
political rights based upon color. The
proposition contained several clauses not
| pertinent to its main purpose, under which,
| if adopted. it was believed by many that
the number of white citizens who would be
diSfranchised would be much greater than
the number of colored citizens who would
be allowed the right of suffrage. NOtwith-
standing the proposition was thus ham,
pered, it received PIG 9S7- votes, or nearly
| forty five per cent. of all the votes cast in
the State. This result shows great pro-
gress in public sentiment since the adop-
| tion of the Constitution of 1851, and inspires
the friends of equal political rights with
confident hope that in 1871, when the OPP
portunty is given to the people, by the
provisions of the Constitution, to call
Constitutional Convention, the organic law
of the State will be so amended as to secure
in Ohio to all the governed an equal voice
in the Government.
But whatever reasonable doubts NAV be
entertained as to the probable action of the
people of Ohio ON tine question of an extern
| sion of the right of suffrage when a new
State Constitution shall be formed, I sub
init with confidence that nothing has oc-
Cured which warrants the opinion that the
ratification by the last General Assembly
of the Fourteenth Amendment TO the
Constitution of the United States, was
not in accordance with the deliber-
ate and settled convictions of the people
That amendment was, after the amplest
discussion, upon an issue distinctly pre-
sented, sanctioned by large majority of
the people. Ii any fact exists which justi-
| fies the belief that they now wish that the
resolution should be repealed, by which
the assent Of Ohio was given to that im-
portant amendment, it has not been
brought to the attention of the public.
| Omitting all reference to other valuable
provisions, it NAV be safely said that the