The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1872-01-11

| may charge for the Transportation Of
I passengers and freight may be pre-
scribed by the General Assembly
whenever the net profits amount to
ten per cent on the capital actually in
vested. a=et'- s1a s,1s.gfi.'fg glr
/ The interests involved are of such
magnitude that all legislation ought
to be based ON the fullest and most
accurate information which q careful
| Investigation can furnish, j, therefore
recommend that q commission OF five
citizens. of whom the Railroad Com
missioner shall be one, be Organized,
with ample powers to Investigate the
management of the railroad compa-
nies of the State, their legal rights
and the rights of the State and its cit
izens, and to report the information
acquired, with a recommendation of
such measures as the commission shalt
deem expedient. ~ isa .o3uti isfy
During the past year the travelling
1 public has enjoyed, in Ohio, remarka-
ble immunity from railroad accidents.n
According to the reports of railroad
4 companies to the Commissioners,) not
a single passenger has lost life by the
fault of rail- Dads in the State during
Ithe~year. But the number of persons
"other than passengers" and of "em-
ployes" who have lost their lives is
| quite large, One hundred and fifty
seven persons are reported to have.
been killed, and it is without doubt,
that many deaths have occurred which
have not been reported. Many OF
these fatal accidents happened in the
streets of towns and cities, and at
street and road crossings. 1t is per-
fectly practicable to protect citizensl J
from these dangers by enforcing prop
er regulations as to the speed of trains
and as to the occupancy and crossing
of streets and roads. Your special at
tention is called to this subject. Z shB
| One of the most difficult, INTEREST,"
! ing and practicable problems which
now engages the thoughts of the
American people, is how to maintain,
economy, efficiency, and purity in the
administration of local affairs, and es-
| peclally in the government of towns
and cities, without a departure from
principles and methods which are
deemed essential to free popular gov
ernment. Many of the most impor-
tant functions of government are in 5
the hands of the local authorities
They are directly charged with the
expenditure of large sums of monev, s.
with the protection of life and prop
erty, and with the administration Of 5
civil and criminal justice. These du.
ties in one way or another, touch
nearly and constantly the interests
and feelings of every citizen. iUpona
their faithful performance depends Il
the prosperity, happiness, and safety
OF the community. 1t is true, that as r
yet, Ohio is happily, in great meas,
ure free from the operation of causes
which in the commercial metropolis
of the country recently led to such ex-
traordinary corruption in the govern,
ment of that city. But those causes
do not belong alone to the great cities
of the east. They are already at work
in our midst, and they are steadily
and rapidly increasing in power. No
political party is altogether free from d
their influence, and no political paFtyfl
is solely responsible for them We
have laws prohibiting almost every
conceivable official neglect and abuse;
and penalties are affixed to the viola-
tion of those laws W which,cannot be fo-s.
/ gafded as Inadequate. The difscui-a
Ity is to secure their enforcement.
Those whose duty it is to detect and
prosecute, are often interested in
maintaining good relations with the
wrong doers. Tho contractors for
public work and supplies, not unfre-
quently have community of interest
with those who are the agents of the
public, to let and superintend the per- =
formance of contracts. Where these
abuses exist, there is apt to be q large
circle of apparently disinterested citi-
fn 4 kA A.
and to suppress investigation. What
the public welfare demands is prac- o
tical measure which will provide fora Il
thorough and impartial investigation IS
in every case of suspected neglect, =
abuse or fraud. Such an investiga-
tien TO be effective, must be made by
an authority independent, if possible, 9
of all local influences. When abuses
are discovered, the prosecution and
punishment of offenders ought to fol-
low. But even if prosecutions fail, in ID
cases of full exposure public opinion
almost always accomplishes the object
desired. A thorough investigation Of
official corruption and crfminality
leads with great certainty to the need 81
ed reform. Publicity is great eor-as
rector of official abuses. Let it there +
fore be made the duty of the Govern
or, on satisfactory information that
the public good requires an investiga- 9
tion of the affairs of any public officer,
whether State or local, to appoint one 2,
or more citizens who shall have am
pie powers to make investigation. If,
by the Investigation, violations of law
are discovered, the Governor should 4
be authorized, in his discretion to no-so
tify the Attorney General, whose duty q
it should be ON such notice, to prose-
cute the offenders. The Constitution
''see that the laws are faithfully exe-sf
cuted." Some such measure as the, 4
one here recommended is necessary
to give force and effect to this consti-
tutional provision. i9o = Qiiea
In compliance with the Constitution al
the last General Assembly submitted r,
to the people the question of holdings !
Convention "to revise, alter or amend"
the Constitution and at the October
election, a large majority of the votersDTi
Of the State decided in favor of Com 81
vention. 1t is the duty of the General
Assembly, at its present session, to
provide for the election of delegates, l
and the assembling of the Convention iii
The vote on the question of calling D
The convention which formed the
present Constitution was taken at the
October election, 1S49. AT the next
session of the General Assembly an
act was passed which provided fer
he election of delegates to the Com
the first Monday of April,
$3.50, and the convention was conven-
ID on the first Monday of May follow
ng. i ol k9y3
In conclusion ] wish to make my u
grateful Acknowledgements to the pco- II,
Die of Ohio, for the honorable trusts
,onfided to me, and express the hope
hat the harmony, prosperity and hap -
'iness which they now enjoy in such .
ull measure NAV. under Providence.