The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-01-14
INAUGURAL.
Inaugural Address Of GoTernoT RutiieT-
ford 3. Hayes to the General Assembly
of Ohio, January 10, 1876.

Fellow Citizens of the General Assembly;
Questions of National concern, in the
existing condition OF public affairs. may
wei! b. left to those officers 10 whom the
PEOPLE, 10 conformity with the Constitu-
ton of the United States. have confided
the important duties and responsibilities
of the various departments of the Gene
raj Government.
During the term for which you have
been elected, the Constitution OF the
State devolyes on you the task of deal
ing with many subjects very interesting
TO the people of Ohio. The duty OF COM
municaiing to you the condition of the
State. and of recommending measures
deemed expeQient, was performed at lie
opening of your present session by the
distinguished citizen who has preceded
me IN the executive Office. In complying
with the usage which requires me TO ap-
pear before you OH this occasion, l am,
therefore, relieved nom the necessity OF
entering upon any extensive examination
of the subjects which will claim your at
tention. There are. however. n lew top
les on which brief suggestions may, per
haps. be profitably submitted.
often been earnestly ily...-,i % fhe rap
id increase OF muuicipa: id other local
expenditures, and th- consequent aug
mentation OF local taxation and local in
debtedposs. This increase is found main
" In cities and large towns. 1t is Ger
tainIy great evil. How 10 govern cit
les well, consistently with the principles
and methods of popular government, is
one of the most important and difficult
problems of our time. Profligate eXpen-
diture is the fruitful cause OF municipal
misgovernment. Jfa means can be found
which will keep municipal expenses from
largely exceeding the public necessities,
its adoption will go far towards securing
honesty aud efficiency in ely affairs. Ia
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
governments.
The following statement, showing the
increase of municipal taxation and. In
debredness 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 average
rate OF taxation was twenty-five and one
tenth mills on the dollar. The total
amount of taxes levied for all purposes
was IS, 9SS. 064 The total indebtedness
was 81. 1S7, OS2.
In 1872. 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 S12. .361. 934 The tOtalin
dsbtedness was $50. 500, ,491.
The salient points in this statement
are, that in four years the rate of muhi-
cipal taxation has increased almost twen-
| ty five per cent, and municipal indebt-
edness has increased about one hundred
| and ninety per cent, or more than thlr-
teen and half millions of dollars. II
| this great increase of burdens affected
directly the whole people of the State,
they would give their agents in the legis
lative and executive departments of the
State Government 10 peace until effect
i've measures TO prevent its continuance
were adopted. But, in fact, the whole
| people of the State are deeply interested
| IN this subject. The burdens borne by
the cities and towns must be shared, III
part at least, by all who transact bnsi
ness with them. The town aud the neigh
boring country have a common interest,
| and, il many respects. must be regarded
Is one community.
1t has been said that the discretion
committed to the local authorizes, how
| ever limited and guarded. must be nee
essarily large; that in respect to the i'm
| position Of the largest proportion OF tie
| burdens imposed upon the citizen, they
constitute the real legislature; and that
! for the prevention of evils We are con
sidering, the people must exercise Tie
| greatest care in the choice of citizens to
| fill the important local Offices. Expert
| ence does not seem TO Justify the eXpec-
/ tation that an adequate remedy can be
obtained in this way.
l submit that TO tie subject OF local
Indebtedness, the General Assembly
should apply the principles of the State
| Constitution on the subject of State in
| debteduess.
1t is not enough TO require in every
grant of special authority u incur debt,
as a condition precedent, that The peo
| pie interested shall approve it 10y theiI
votes. it is we'll known how easy such
/ elections are carried, underthe influence
! os local excitement aud local ryalries.
| If the rule of the State Constitution
which fol bids all debts except in certain
specified emergencies. is deemed toe
stringent TO be applied to local affairs,
| the LEGISLATURE should at least accom-
pany every authority to contract debt
with an imperative requirement that a
tax sufficient TO pay OF the indebted
ness within a brief period shall be i'm
1nediately leyif d. and thus compel every
| citizen WHO 1otes to increase debts tc
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 iudicious Limitation
on the power of muuicipa authorities &c
| levy taxes has been vindicated by eXpe
| rience. It must. however, ultimately
! fail to accomplish its object, il the in
! crease of municipal indebtedness Il
allowed to go on. TO authorize town
| to contract a debt. whose expenditure:
already require taxation to the limi' al
| lowed by law, is in its necessary effect
tantamount to a repeal Of the Limitation.
Under tine provisions of the eighth
article of the Constitution, already re-
| ferred to. the State debt. notwithstand-
ing the extraordinary expenditures of the
war. has been reduced from over t"enty
millions, the amount due in 1851, until
it is now only about seven millions. Al
important part of the Constitutions
! provisions which have been so successful
| in State finances, is tbesection which
requires the creation of a sinking fund,
and the annual payment OF constantly
| increasing sum on the principal Of the
State debt. Let requirement ana'og
Gus TO this be enacted in regard 70 exist
ing local Indebtedness; let Judicioa'
limitation of the rate Of taxation which
local Authorities may levy be strictly
| adhered TO; and allow no further indebt
edness to be authorized except in con
| forlnity with these principles, and We
| may. / believe, consistently expect that
within a few years the burden of debt
now resting upon the cities aud towns ot
the State will disappear, and that other
wholesome and much needed reforms in
| the whole administration of our munich
| pal government will of n cessity 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 re-
late to the guardianship and care OF the