The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-01-14

~ ~ recommended lnht hnolher such law DC
enacted,
"Whlle considering this subject II Ia do.
sired 10 make another reoorim ,ndation,
Most OF those frauds 10 which attention has
been called nave been committed either by
tho Judges aud clerks, or with their oonniv'
ance, 10 IL a notorious fact that while many
OF these officials are worthy aud competent
men, YET many others are OF Dad character
and entirely unit for such trusls II only
honest and Intelligent min OF known good
character were allowed 20 I'LL these positions
such Violations of law would b. impossible
They would rarely, II at all, DO attempted.
IL Is recommended, therefore, that whDs
providing for u registration systpn you ala1
revise our election laws as 10 thor proyis-
ions TOR the election OF Jll{ai aud
CLERKS, oni secure tho selection OF
by pruyI Ting for tho appointment by
some suitable authority, OF u BOARD of cleo
tion commissioners or supervisors for all
such citai ns tho law, In your Jul suont,
should bo applicable 10, b col,i'v vi iour
OF six members, or any other nunb = 10
you may desm Oist, whORs dutY " Hh II DO
voting precinct, Both pOlllctl plrtlai
should be rHpre,encd, aud 0qulliN in this
board, and 10 Should ue fur,hr provided
that no person 80 np 0llt0l by WIS board
should bo excused no ,uch service oxcspt
for cause approve tho boar |, lharo II
quite M much necessity 30 require lhIA luiy
from citizen M thoro IL % conpal hm 10
serve az Juror lhla matter must ua dealt
with earnestly, Unless We can have froi
and fair elections there will como serious
trouble The Clt23na OF Ohio viii not long
quietly tolerate areign Of fraud
"lnaamuch as those evils are confined al,
most entirely to our largo cities, their con-
sideratiOn will naturally bring 10
your minds the general problem OF
municipal government
"llow to govern our oltles N q difficult
question ltS importance 10 continually Ia.
crens.ng, There hna been but little satlsfae.
tory oxperenoo In this country scarcely
any In our state We have apparently gone
steadily from bad TO worse some of 0ul
largest Cltia furnish ariNing examples
OF how bad city governments eau be'
como Thor tooraton by thoir oltl29ni
shows Other u remarkable pati,nce, or an
almost incredible indllf renee But whether
II bo patience or indifference, enlightened
sentiment demnndA u change for tni botter
This 10 not ! NJ occasion Tor the discussion
OF tho matter but II N dsiirld ~ roter 10
one feature Of tho general subIj't, aud OK.
press tho belief that II IL bad policy 10 null
tiply elective boards that ara not reapOnsl'
wv w W NRNNl hAlNA " AH1 hAhANl NhNANAAN1
aud distribute among thom the administers
tive functions and powers OF our municipal
itios
"1here ara many objections 10 such a
system, There IN too frequently conflict
instead Of harmony OF action. 10 Illustrate,
what board Of public works may do %
improve u stroot N quito ofton straightway
undon0 by n board Of water wor1s c0mmlS'
sioners 10 lay wator pipes, or by somo other
authority, 10 do something else, all at tho
expense OF the taxpayers, aud 10 the great
oAt discomfort Of tho public, A further ob.
Jootion Is thisi Tho moro such boards there
arc The loss important must bo thir ro-
gpOctivt powers, The consequences IN that
tho convcn Ions that nominate aud the
people who elect tho members thereof, oaaily
fall into tho belief aud act upon IL, that Il
maGca little difference VINO may ha selected
A member is but ono OF an uninportani
board, anyhow, Tho result IL that practice
ally tho entire city government falls into
the hands OF mun selected without chat care
and confederation chat should bo exercised l.
Another evil effect OF this syitem Ia IN the
difficulty that exists under II OF calling doro.
hct officials 10 account Whom puDlio intor.
eats nro neglected thoro Ia no particular one
10 whom blame attaches.
"Tbs shortooming OF board Ia lost by
distribution among lts mOmbora, but tho
aggregate OF tho Ills OF tho several boards
makes the whole city seriously aulfor, There
should be n iixing OF responsibility NO thoro
may be accountability, There should, tnorO.
fore, DO the fowest possible number OF elect.
I've o0lciola II the duties OF an olllco DO not
important enough 10 impress tho people who
elect the incumbent with tho necessity OF
caro- In his selection II ought, wbero consti.
tutonal 10 do 40, be abolished or fllod by
appointment, For these reasons II Ia hoped
tho whole subject OF municipal government
will bo carefully investigated AZ an early
day In Ohio, an ~ has boon In number OF
other states, and that In the meanwhile
there will bo no further multiplication OF
elective boards or minor oil inla OF any
kind, but that on tho contrary you will
abolish all unnecessary boards and make
much changes In existing laws ~ will Impose
upon tho mayors OF our citiea who arc thOlr
proper ololal hoadi, the duty OF appointing
The various boards u may no necessary %
have, IL II DO thought this Ia comforting
boo much powor and authority upon ono
map the answer IL that tho Importance OF
tho trust ~ calculated 10 induce the people
~ select only worthy aud oomp,tont mon,
and tho fact that thoro can be any evasion
In such case OF accountability win bo the
strongest Incentive ~ faithful discharge
"During the last administration that In.
ptitution has received much attoution. The
contract aystom for Tho utilization OF con-
Wet labor has beon superseded by what u
known as tho piocOprico plan, 40 far this
plan has met with much objection, aud the
expenditures hayo largely exceeded tho ro.
oeipta us friends claim, howovor, that II
has not YET had fair trial that great OUT
lays have bcen necessarily incurred 10 mako
the change from tliO ono ayalcm 10 tho
othor, aud that In tLo future moro aatsfao.
tory results VIII be attained, IN Wow OF all
this thoip should 9o full aud fair inyesti-
CATION OF this subject with Wow 10 nscor'
tanning In what way there eau DO achieve
tho greatest success, bearing In mind that
tho institution shoul DO made aelf sustain.
Ing, II possible, ~ u has beon heretofore.
and nt Tho snmo timo composition should
DO avoided botwoon convict labor aud froo
labor
III u also earnestly hoped you will tako
up aud advance tho cause OF humanity m II
In involved In, aud roDregontNl by tho 1ntAr.