The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1876-01-20
Governor Hayes Inaugural.
FeloO Citizens of The General Assembly:

be left to those officers whom the people, in
conformity with the Constitution of the
United States, have confided the important
duties and responsibilities of the various
departments of the General Government.
During the term for which you have been
elected, the Constitution of tn State de
wolves on you the task of dealing out
many subjects very interesting to the people
of Ohio. Tke duty OF communicating to
you the condition of the State, and recon-
mending measures deemed expedient, was
performed at the opening of your present
session by the distinguished citizen who has
preceded me in the executive office. In COM
plying with the usage which requires me to
appear before you on this occasion, l am,
therefore, relieved from the necessity of
entering upon any extensive examination of
the subjects which will claim your attention.
There are, however, a few topics on which
brief suggestions may, perhaps, be proftably
submitted.
The attention of the Legislature has often
been earnestly invoked to the rapid increase
of municipal and other local expenditures,
and the consequent augmentation of local
taxation and local Indebtedness. This in
crease is found mainly in the cities and
large towns. 1t is certainly a great evil.
How to govern cities well, consistently with
the principles and methods of popular gov
er1ment, is one of the most important and
difficult problems of our time. Prohigate
expenditure is the fruitful cause OF munich
pal misgovernment. If a means can be
found which will keep municipal expenses
| from largely exceeding the public necessi-
ties, its adoption will 60 far toward securing
honesty and efficiency in city affairs. In
cities large debts and bad government go
| together. Cities which have the lightest
taxes and smallest debts are apt, also, to
have the purest and most satisfactory gov
ernments.
The following statement, showing the in
crease of municipal taxation and indebted
ness in the cities and large towns of Ohio,
ought to arrest attention.
In 1871, in thirty-one Of the principal
cities and towns of the State, the avarage
rate of taxation was twenty-three and one
| tenth mills on the dollar. The total amount
of taxes levied for all purposes was $685.
064. The total Indebtedness was $7,1S7,0S2.
In 1876, in the same cities and towns, the
average rate of taxation was twenty-eight
and three-tenths mills on the dollar. The
total amount of taxes levied for all purposes
was S12, 1861, 1884. The total Indebtedness was
$40, 800, ,491.
The salient points in this statement are,
that in four years the rate of municipal tax
alton has increased almost twenty-five per
cent; the total amount of municipal taxes
luClCdSCu ONOI LllIIS-SCNCh pCI SCht.,
and municipal Indebtedness has increased
about one hundred and ninety per cent; or
more than thirteen and a half millions of
dollars. If this great increase of burdens
| affected directly the whole people of the
State, they would give their agents in the
! legislative and executive department of the
State Government no peace until effective
measures to prevent its continuance were
adopted. But, in fact, the whole people of
the State are deeply interested in this sub.
| ject. The burdens borne by the cities and
towns must be shared, in part at least, by all
who transact business with them. The towns
and the neighboring country have common
interest, and, in many respects, must be re-
| garded as one community.
1t has been said that the discretion com
mitted to the local authorities, however
limited and guarded, must be necessarily
large; that in respect to the imposition OF
the largest proportion of the burden imposed
upon the citizen, they constitute the real
legislature and that for the prevention of
the evils we are considering, the people
must exercise the greatest care in the choice
of citizens to fill the important local offices.
| Experiencedoes not seem to Justify the ex-
pectation that an adequate remedy can be
obtained in this way.
| submit that to the subject of local in
debtedness, the General Assembly should
apply the principles of the State Constitu-
ton on the subject of State Indebtedness.
1t is not enough to require in every grant
of special authority to incur debt, as con-
dition precedent, that the people interested
shall approve it by their votes. 1t is well
known how easy such elections are carried,
under the influence of local excitement and
local rivalries. If the rule of the State Con-
stitution which forbids all debts except in
certain specified emergencies, is deemed too
stringent to be applied to local affairs, the
Legislature should at least accompany every
authority to contract debt with an impera-
| tive requirement that tax sufficient to pay
off the Indebtedness within brief period
shall be Immediately levied, and thus compel
every citizen who votes to increase debts to
vote at the same time for an immediate in
crease of taxes sufficient to discharge them.
The wisdom of the policy long since
adopted of placing judicious limitation on
the power of the municipal authorities to
| levy taxes, has been vindcated by expert
ence. IL must, however, ultimately fail to
accomplish its object, if the increase of mu-
nicipal Indebtedness is allowed to go on.
To authorize town to contract a debt, whose
expenditures already require taxation up to
the limit allowed by law, is in its necessary
effect tantamount to repeal of the limita-
ton.
Under the provisions of the eighth article
of the Constitution, already referred to, the
State debt, notwithstanding the eXtraordi-
nary expenditures of war, has been reduced
| from over twenty millions, the amount due
in 1861, until it is now only about seven
millions. An important part of the Constl-
tutional provisions which have been so sue
cessful in State finances is the section which
requires the creation of sinking fund, and
the annual payment of a constantly increas-
| ha Drinninol nf tha State debt.
Let a requirement analogous to this be
enacted in regard to existing local indebt-
edness; let judicious limitation of the rate
of taxation which local authorities may levy
be strictly adhered to; and allow no further
Indebtedness to be authorized except in con-
formity with these principles, and we may,
l believe, confidently expect that within a
few years the burdens of debt now resting
upon the cities and towns of the State will
: disappear, and that other wholesome and
much needed reforms in the whole admins.
tration of our municipal government will OF
necessity follow the adoption of what may
be called the cash system in local affairs.
: Among the most interesting duties you
will have to perform are those which relate
to the guardianship and care of the un
, fortunate classes of society, and to the
punishment and reformation OF criminals
According to the latest official reports, the
, state is Responsible lOT lIle suppOIG anu Coi
of about fifteen thousand of her dependent
. citizens. The State is also bound to see tha
many thousands more, who are imprisoned
for longer or shorter periods, on account o
crime have Just and wise treatment. Their
is annually expended in the performance o
: these duties a sum exceeding two and hal
millions of dollars. The people of Ohi'
l feel profound interest in what are know
as the benevolent, reformatory, and pena
e institutions of the State.
It In order that the General Assembly might
|. from time to time, receive full and accurat
q information as to the efficiency of the man
2 agement of these institutions, and of tn
o county and city jails, infrmaries, and work
l. houses, it was enacted in 1867 that Boar
# of State Charities be established. 1t was II
e tended that this board should be compose
i; of citizens of intelligence and benevolenct
D who would serve without compensation
a They were /" to investigate the system of tn
Il public charitable and correctional institr
l. tions OF the State, and to make such recon
Y mendations as they might deem necessary:
l. They were also required to make annuall
d full and complete report of their doing