Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-01-14
INAUGURAL.

FeilOU Citl=cns of thc General assembly:
Questions or N ,tinnsl concern, in The exist
ing condition Of public affairs, may well be loft
To these officers Ia whom the people, in cOnf0rm-
ity with the Constitution Of the United States
have c0ntiicd the important 6ulies aud respn,
81 iities Of the various departments Of the Gei.-
eral Government.
During the term for which you have been
elected. the Constitution Of the State devulves
on you the task Of dealing with many subjects
very interesting TO the people Of Ohio. The
duty of Communicating To vuu the condition nf
the State, and OF recommending measures
deemed expedient, was performed at the OPEN
ing of your present session by the dist n guisled
citizen who has preceded me n the executive
office. In complying with the usage which re-
quires me to appear before ynu on this occa sion,
[ am, therefore, relieved from the necessity Of
entering upon any extensive examinnii of the
subjects which will claim IN attention. There
are, however, few topics TN which brief suc-
Eestions may, perhaps be probably submitted!
The attention Of the Legislature has often
been earnestly invoked to the rapid iucr, ase Of
municipal and other local expenditures, aud
the consequent augmentation Of local taxation
and local Indebtedness. 1t is certainly great
evil. How to govern Cities well, consistently v
with the principles and methods of popular
Government is one 0f the most Important and
difficult problems ot our time. Profigate ex-
penditures is the fruitful causes uf municipal
misgovernmeut. II a means can be found
which will keep munici pal ex pc nses from large
w exceedn nR the public necessities, its ad0piinn
will 60 far towafds securing honesty and efi-
cheney in City affairs. In Ciiies large debts cd
bad government gn together. Cities which
have the lightest taxes and small debts are apt
also, to have the purest aud most satisfactory
governments.
The following statement, shaving the in
crease OF municipal taxation and indebted dness
ia lLa Citi.a nd largo tnWna nT Ohm ruuhf IA,
arrest attention:
In 1871. in 81 Of the principal Cities and
towns 81 the State the average rate Of "a IA tion
was 70 lilo mills on the dollar. The total
amnunt levied for all purposes was $685..
| 06l The total Indebtedness was $7,l87GB2.
| In 1878, in the same Cities and towns, the
average rate Of taxation was % $40 mills on
| the dollar. The total amount "f taxes levied
for all pnrposes was Sl2, ,36l ,y34. The total
Indebtedness was $20, sou 49l.
The salient points in this statement are, that
IN fur yearG the rate ~ municipal taxation
has increased almost rs per cent, the total
amount Of municipa Indebtedness has increased
about 100 per cent, or more than sl3 500 900
| II this great increase nf burdens affected di-
rectly the whole people nf the State, they would
give their agents in the legislative and exscu'
| live depa rtmenis of the State Government NJ
peace until effective measures t0 prevent ita
continuance were adopted. But 10 fact, the
in this subject. The burdens borne By the Cit
les and towns must ne shared, in part at least
| by all who transact business with them. Tht
town and tue nslghboring country have com
mnn interest, and. in many respects, must b,
reEar as one community.
| 1t has been said that the discretion commit
ted to the local authorities. however limited ant
guarded, must be necessarily large; that il
respect to the imposition IL the largest prnpor
tion of the burden imposed upon the citizen
| they constitute the real legislature; aud tha
/ for the prevention Of the evils we are consider
| ing. the people must exercise the greatest eArt
in the choice Of citizens 10 iill the important 10
cal 0ft1oa. Experience does not aeem to juati 4
the expectation that an adequate remedy can b
obtained in this way.
submit that tp the subject Of local indebted
ness. the General Assembly should apply IN
principles Of the State Constitution on the sub
jeot Of State Indebtedness.
Tia not enough to require in evory grant o
special authority 10 Incur debt, as a condition
precedent that the people interested shall aP
prove il BY their votes. IL is we'll known hoy
easv such elections are carried, under the inHu
ence ~ hcal excitement and loras riValries.
the rule 0f the State Constitution which fer
bids all debts except in certain specified emeT
Ksne,Ss, is deemed t0o stringent to be apple
10 local affairs, the Legislature should al leat
accompany every authority 10 contract det
with nm imperative requirement that q tar snfh
eienl 10 pay "a the Indebtedness within bris
period shall be Immediately levied and thu
compel every citizen who vnios 10 increase I
vote At the same time for immediate incTeas
, Of taxes sufficient ~ discharge them.
The wisdom NJ the policy long since adopted
~ placing jndicious Limitation On the power &
municipal authorities ta levy taxes, has bee
VindieAtsd by experience. Ii must, howeve
ultimately fail to accomplish It's object, II III
increase " municipal Indebtedness fs allnwe
to go on. To authoriEe a 0wn 10 contract
debt, whose expenditures already require taxa
tion up 10 the limit allowed by law. is in iSs el
leeis u nta msunt 10 a repeal Of tha limitation.
7, Uader the provisions Of The eighth article
. the Constitution, already referred 10, the Stat
. debt, Notwithstanding the extraordinary expeI
dilures of the war, has been reduced from Os,
, t20 900, 900, the amount due in 1851, until II
! now about 81 900. 200. An important part
tho Constitutional provisions which have bee
: 90 successful in State finances, ia the seetu
which requires the creation 0f sinking fun
aud the annual payment Of a oonalantly II
r ereasinR sun on the principal Of the State deb
. Let a requirement analogous ta this be enac
ed 10 regard 10 existing laeal indebieduessi
. judieieus Limitation Of the rate ~ taxati,
which local authorities may levy be strictly a,
! hered 60, and allow no further Indebtedness
: be authorized except 10 coHformity with thel
principles, and We may, ] believe, eopbdsut