Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1868-01-25
Inaugural Of General Hayes.

The Inauguration of Gen r. B. Hayes as
Governor of Ohio tock place on Monday, the
I2lh inst, in the rotunda of the State lfouse.-
He was introduced by Hon. George Rcz-Scna-
tor from Wayne-chairnan of the Joint Com
mi tee of Arrangements. The Governor resd
as follows, his
/ INAUGCRAL ADDRESS.
GcStyfancn Of the ,Senatc and House Of Rep
rcse,ttatires, and FtttosU Citizens.
The duty devolved on the Governor by
the Constitution OF communicating by
message to tie General Assembly the con-
! diton of the state, and Of recommending
such measures as he deems 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 4
discussion of questions touching the adj
/ mir!stration OF the StateGoYernmcmt.
! ! can think Of no better reward for the
/ faithful performance Of the duties OF the
| office which am about to assume, than
that which, | believe, my immediate re-
decessor is entitled to enjoy,-the knowl
edge that in the opinion of his fellow cit
liens 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 conscience satisfied
with the discharge Of duty.
| congratulate the members Of the
General Assembly that many OF the qucs-
,ions which have hitherto largely engag-
ed the attention of the law-making pow
er, and divided the people OF the State,
have, in the progress CT events, either
been settled, or in the general judgment
of the people, been transferred tor inves-
tigation and decision to the National
Government. The state. debt, taxation,
:he currency and internal improvements,
for many years furnished the prominent
topics of discussion aud controversy in
Ohio Ii the year 1916 the State debt
reached Its highest point. 1t amounted
to Sl0,GlS,5l5 Ga, and in the samo year
the total taxable property of the State
was Sl56, ,6GG. With disordered
currency, with business prostrated, with
labor often insulliciently rewarded, the
burden of this debt was severely felt, and
questions in regard to it naturally enter
cd into the partisan struggles Of the time.
Now the State debt is $li,C3l, ,54l Sc
the taxable property OF the State amounts
to $,13S, 754, ,799 and there is no sub
stantial difference Of opinion among thc
people as 70 the proper mode Of dealing
with this subject.
State taxation was formerly Y the occa-
sion of violent party contests. Now men
of all parties concur in the opinion that
as general rule every citizen ought to
be taxed in proportion to the actual val
ue of his property, without regard to the
form in which he prefers to invest it
and differences as to the measures by
which the princip pie is practically y applied,
rarely enter into political struggles N
Ohio.
Party conflicts and debates as to state
laws in relation to banking and the cur
remey, constitute large part of the po-
litical history of the State. But the
events of the last few years have conyinc-
ed those who are in favor of a paper cur
rency, that in the present condition of
the country it can best be purchased by
the National Government, either by
means of National banks or in the form
of legal tender treasury notes. State
Legislatures are therefore relieved from
the consideration of this difficult and per-
picking subject.
Internal improvements made by State
authority, SO essential to growth and
prosperity in the early history of the
state, no longer require much considera-
ton by the General Assembly. Works
of a magnitude too great to be underta-
ken by individual enterprise, will here
after be, for the most part, accomplished
by the Government Of the Nation.
The part which patriotism required
Ohio to take in the war to suppress the
rebellion, demanded important and fire.
qnent acts of legislation. Fortunately
the transactions Of the state growing out
of the war have been, or probably can
be, closed under existing laws, with very
little, if any, additional 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,
, the present General Assembly has proba-
; bly, better opportunity than any of It's
predecessors to avoid the evil of too much
} legislation. Excessive legislation has
become a great evil, and submit to the
Judgment of the General Assembly the
wisdom of avoiding it.
One important question of principle,