The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-01-20
GOVERNOR HAYES INAUG-
URAL.
Fellow Citisens of the General Assembly.

Questions of national concern, in the
existing condition of public affairs, may
well be left TO those officers to whom the
people in conformity with the Constitu-
ton of the United States, have confded
the important duties and responsibilities
of the various departments of the gener-
al government.
During the term for which you have
been elected, the constitution of the
state devolves on you the task Of deal
ing with many subjects very interesting
to the people of Ohio. The duty of com
municating to you the condition of the
State, and of recommending 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 comply
ing with the usage which requires me to
appear before you on this occasion, am,
therefore, relieved from the necessity Of
entering upon any extensive examina-
ton of the subjects which will claim
your attention. There are, however, a
few topics on which brief suggestions
may, parhaps, be proftably submitted
The attention of the Legislature has
often been earnestly invoked to the rap
id increase of municipal and other local
expenditures, and the consequent aug
mentation of local taxation and local in
| debtedness. This increase is found
mainly in the cities and large towns. 1t
is certainly great evil How to govern
cities well, consistently with the princi-
Piles and methods Unpopular government,
is one of the most important and diff
cult problems of our time. Profligate
expenditure is the fruitful cause of mu-
nicipal misgovernment. If means can
be found which will keep expenses from
largely exceeding the public necessities,
its adoption will 90 far towards securing
honesty and efficiency in city affairs.
In cities large debts and
bad government 60 together. Cities
which have the lightest taxes and small
est debts are apt, also, to have the purest
and most satisfactory governments.
The following statement, showing the
increase municipal taxation and indebt-
edness in the cities and large towns of
Ohio, ought to arrest attention.
In lS7l,sin thirty-one of the principal
cities and towns of the State, the average
rate of taxation was twenty-three and
one-tenth mills on the dollar. The total
amount of taxes levied for all purposes
was $S,9SS,064. The total indebtedness
was S7,lS7OS2.
In 1875, in the same cities and towns,
the average rate of taxation was twenty
eight and three-tenth mills on the dollar.
The total amount of taxes levied for all
purposes was $l2,36l 1884 The total in
debtedness was $20,S00,49l.
The salient points in this statement
are, that in four years the rate of munic
ipal taxation has increased about twenty
five per cent, the total amount of munic-
ipal taxes has increased over thirty-sev-
en- per cent, or more than thirteen and
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 departments of the state gov
ernment no peace until affective meas
ures 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 busidess with
them. The town and the neighboring
country have a common interest, and, in
many respects, must be regarded as one
community
1t has been said that the discretion
committee to the local authorities, how.
ever limited and guarded, must be nee
essarily large; that in respect to the inn
position of the large 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. Ex.
perienCe does not seem to justify the ex-
peCtltio that an adequate remedy cali
be obtained in this way.
l submit that to the subject of local
Indebtedness the General Assembly
should apply the principles of the state
constitution on the subject of state in
debtedness.
1t is not enough to require in every
grant of special authority to iucur debt
as a condition precedent, that the people
interested shall approved 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 constitution which for
bids all debts except in certain specified
emergencies, is deemed too stringent to
be applied to local affairs, the legislature
should at lest accompany every authori-
ty to contract debt with an imperative
requirement that tax sufficient to pay
off the indeb edness within brief peri
cd shall be Immediately levied, and thus
compel every citizen who votes to in
crease debts to vote at the same time for
an immediate increase of taxes sufficient
to discharge them.
The wisdom of the policy long since
adopted, of placing a judicious limitation
on the power of municipal authorities to
levy taxes, has been vindicated by expo
rience. 1t must, however, ultimately
fail to accomplish its object. if the the
increase of municipal Indebtedness is al
lowed to 90 on. To authorize town to
control debt, whose expenditures al
ready require taxation up to the limit
allowed by law, is in its necessary effect
tantamount to repeal of the limitation.
Under the provisions of the eighth ar
ticle of the Constitution, already referred
to, the state debt, Notwithstanding the
extraordinary expenditures of the war,
has been reduced from over twenty mill
ions, the amount due in 1851, until it is
now only about seven millions. An i'm
portant part of the constitutional provi-
sion which have been successful in state
finances, is the sections which requires
the creation of sinking fund, and the
annual payment of a constantly increas-
ing sum on the principal ofthe state
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