The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-01-17

may be proper to say that the people of Ohio,
| ever slow and conservative in the matter of
| amending the organic law, have seen
fit to recognize the necessity for the
| change brought about by this proviSion
and it is believed that wise legislation may be
| enacted by the General Assembly that will re-
| suit in giving to the people all that they de-
sire without material and permanent in
crease of the cost of the administration of
| justice. 1t is believed that the number of
| Common Pleas Judges may be reduced to
equal the number of Circuit Judges that will
/ be created.
RAILROADS.
| The report of the Commissioner of Railways
| shows steady growth in the mileage and in
| the business of the railways of Ohio.
| There were June 50. 1873, $500 miles of rail-
| way in the State, an increase over the num-
Der OF miles of the preceding year of 1906 per
| cent
The capital stock of these railways repre-
sents value of S25O, T43,316.l7, an increase of
| 40 per cent.
| of S41S 069. 1851 49, showing a decline in the
Indebtedness of 955 per cent.
| The business of this year was in advance of
| the preceding one in the number of passen-
| gers, 7.42 per cent; in the passenger mileage,
299 per cent; in the tonnage: 4.Ol per cent; in
| tOnmileage 4.04 per cent. The average rate
per passenger per mile was 2.499 cents, an adj
| vance over the former years rate of So per
| cent. The average rate per ton per mile
| upon freight, SO cents, an advance in the
| rate of S.24 cent.
The gross earnings of the year were S49,-
net earnings were SI6,326 213.3T, an increase of
| 1888 per cent, making AZ upon the total
| amount of stock and debt.
| The operating expenses OF the year were
| S33, 574 2292. 49,. an advance of 4.64 per cent
| These operating expenses were 67:2o per cent.
| of the gross earnings.
| SiXty-eight per cent. of the railways of Ohio
are now laid with steel rails.
| There are 39,723 men employed upon these
| roads, an average of 51a men to the mile.
| Since 1859 the mileage of Ohio railways has
| increased 101 percent, the number OF locomo-
| tiveS l45 per cent. and the number of cars 456
per cent. The number of cars to each loco
| motive in 1863 was Is; now the number is 81.
| 1t will be seen that the improvements in per-
| manent way, by the laying of steel rails and
| substantial ballast, and superior motive
| power, has increased the carrying capacity of
! railways 126 per cent, without considering the
| superior capacity of many of the cars and
| the greater speed OF transportation OF the
! present time.
TEMPERANCE.
| The receipts for the sale at retail in Ohio of
| wine, beer, and Intoxicating liquors probably
| amount to the enormous sum of seventy mil
| lions of dollars. That it entails upon the gen.
| eraI public an enormous outlay of money,
| which is raised by general taxation, no ono
pretends to deny, While the annual profits
| of those engaged in the business is more than
| forty millions of dollars, yet, until recently,
! this traffic contributed nothing to the burdens
| it imposes upon the taxpayers of the State.
| And now, because the General Assembly
| has, in obedience to the demand of an over
| whelming public sentiment, undertaken, in a
| conservative way, to impose restraints upon
| it, and to require it to contribute something
| to the cost it imposes upon the people, this
| interest recently, though its delegates gath
cred in convention, formally demanded the
| repeal of the law. The law passed by the
last General Assembly entitled AN act to
provide against the evils resulting from the
| traffic in intoxicating liquors" is the first,
| seeking to impose restraint upon the liquor
traffic, ever passed in this State, that has been
successfully put into practical execution:
| Under its provisions more than four thousand
| five hundred saloons, and places where the
| traffic has been carried on have gone out of
wis am he :
| the number retiring from the business will be
| materially increased.
A revenue of nearly S1,9OO0O0 has been re-
| 3eived from the operation of the law and paid
| into the various county, village and city treas
| uries of the State. Under the local option
| features of the law number of villages have,
| by ordinance prohibited the traffic within their
| corporate limits, but because of their phrase
| olOgy relating to tippling houses, the sale
| of spirituOuS liquors cannot be prohibited, il
| not sold in tippling houses. The law should be
| amended so as to include spirituous liquors,
| the sale OF Whlch, as well as VINE ana peer
| visions of local option should be extended to
| townships so that, when by village ordinance
| the traffic is prohibited, the people or the
| township may prohibit also if they choose,
thus preventing the traffic upon the border
| line of the village.
| The General Assembly may rest assured
| that there is an overwhelming public senti-
| ment opposed to the demand Of the liquor
| dealers. and in favor of giving the Scott law a
| full and fair trial before any serious interfer-
| ence with its provisions is attempted.
| The fact that three hundred and twenty
| three thousand votes were returned for the
| prohibition of the liquor traffic is evidence of
| the strong feeling of our people upon this
| subject
If this is done the law will be found in princi-
| pie the best ever passed upon this subject in
| this country.
| With perfect ease, without cost, without
| friction, without law suits, it has silently and
| swiftly put out of sight more than four thous-
and five hundred saloon signs, and poured into
| the treasures OF the State q revenue of nearly
two millions of dollars with which to mitigate
| the sufferings and evils due to the business.
| UNSETTLED WAR CLAIMS.
| The General Assembly created a commission
under the act of April 10, 1881, ITO provide for
| the examining and payment of certain mill
| tary claims and making an appropriation
| therefor
The report of the commission, which will be
| found in the report of the Adjutant General
| for the year 1881, shows that claims were pre-
scented amounting to S20,05639 Of this
sum the commission allowed S45lS.56 as
valid and just claims against the State. Of this
sum, 81, ,99t.23 was paid, practically exhausting
the appropriation of $4,000. The claims
allowed by the commission such only as
can be collected from the United States, and
| a valiG claim by the Secretary of the Treasury
and is recommended to Congress for payment
There is, probably, small amount of these
claims that were not presented to the commits
sion in addition to those allowed. / respect
fully recommend the appointment of a COM
mission to adjust, and that an appropriation
be made to pay the amount found due on these
claims. And the commission should be in
structed to pay no claim that cannot reason
ably be expected to be paid to the State by the
United States. CHARLES FOSTER,
Governor.
Hard to Hang.
Nu1U Ian Tho pio01DI11p'e