Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1890-10-30
THE TAXPAYERS CANDIDATE
Is Hon. Daniel j. Ryan, he RepubIican
Candidate for Secretary of State

The executive duties of the secretary
of state are defined by the constitution
to be, to countersign grants and COM
missions. to open returns of election of
judges of the supreme court and such
other offices as are created by statute"
and in connection with the governor
and auditor of state, to ascertain and
/ determine the ratio of representation
| for the election of members of the legis-
latUre.' The latter duty is one that is
of great interest and Importance to his
| party at this time in view of the fact
that our present governor Is a Demo
crat and that if his successor should be
of the same party, the state could be SO
apportioned for the election of senators
that the senate of Ohio would be per-
lnauently Democratic for at least ten
years to come Not only does the con-
stitution limit the duties of secretary of
| state, but he is prevented by statute
srOm making any considerable ex-
! tu1itures for any purpose whatever,
2. ithout the concurrence of two other
| tate officials In the matter of the
L Irchase of paper for the state printing,
=. acts in conjunction with the auditor
II state and attorney general, and SO of
| other supplies that he is required to
purchase but any examination of the
manner IN which the duties of the
Sc ecretary of state have been discharged
| for the past two years, will convince
even the most prejudiced, of Mr. Ryan's
| extraordinary economy and care in all
outlays whether directly by him or any
| board of which he is a member. No
official has ever been more attentive to
his duties, and none more prudent as to
every detail of work that could proper
ly come under his supervision.
1t is worthy of note also that Mr..
Ryan is the only state official III the
history of Ohio that ever voluntarily
asked as a greater measure of security
to the taxpayers of the state that the
amount of his official bond be increased.
In February last ne had prepared and
introduced bill III the house by Repre-
sentative Coates, of Scioto county, for
the increase of the amount of his bond
from $4,000 to 800, 200. He did this
because recent legislation brings to his
Office and puts in the control of the
secretary of state much larger fund
than contemplated by the original
statute As an example he cited the
fact that the receipts of his Office for
the preceding fiscal year had been
TlfO.OVO. anu l11C sttuOuAt VI NOl1CSl1Oho
for the first quarter of this year about
$30. 900. and that he had in his hands,
tied up by litigation, more than $4,000
In conclusion, he recommended: at
therefore seems to me that it is good
time to raise the secretary of states
bond, and the application coming from
the officer himself will divest such a
piece of legislation of any embarrassing
features that would otherwise character
ize it, and will provi e for the future
and safe condition of affairs Of the
state" This bill was passed by the
legislature, and Mr. Ryan at once f ed
a new bond for the 100000 specified by
him as proper sum for that indem-
niture
Mr. Ryan is distinguished also for his
remarkable industry as a state official,
something on the whole rather novel to
taxpayers. In addition to the annual
reports and statistics ordinarily com
piled and published by secretaries of
state, Mr.. Ryan has published during
the past two years number of PAM
phlets on subjects of timely interest, EN-
bracing in part the following: Roster
of Federal State and County Officials of
Ohio" Registration Laws "Constitu-
tion of Ohio, with proposed amendments,
Building Association Laws English and
GERMANY" Fish and Game Laws" and
"State and County Indebtedness of
Ohio, in advance of the eleventh United
States census, and is now preparing as
rapidly as possible the complete census
ieturns for the state, from advance
sheets furnished by the general govern
ment. In addition to all his official
duties, Mr.. Ryan has also prepared and
delivered several important addresses,
to which reference may be properly
made in this connection. At the re-
quest of the state agricultural society,
he delivered ali address on the Canals
and Relation to Farmers" before their
annual agricultural convention, at Co.
lumbus, O., Jan. IL. 1887, which has
been widely circulated in pamphlet
form by that society, both in Ohio and
other states. 1t is filled with historical
and other valuable data an transporta-
tion problems of the widest interest.
At the request OF the Commercial
club, of Cincinnati, a non-partisan and
commercial organization, embracing
many of the prominent business men of
that city, he delivered an address be-
fore the club on Sept. u, 1889, on. "The
Proposed Constitutional Amendments,
which is generally recognized as the
best exposition of our taxation system
ever published in this state. We have
already published it in full and it has
had an enormous run throughout Ohio.
During the summer of 1888, he prepared
and published a popular History of
Ohio" embracing concise record of
the principal events in our annals from
the organization of the state down to its
centennial anniversary. In fact, in
every field of u uefulness, both as pub
lie official and citizen, Mr.. Ryan has
been distinguished for remarkable in
dustry, and has accomplished good for
the people. His reelection is directly
in their interest, and we feel confident
that he will be endorsed by an increased
majority over that given him two years
ago. Certainly he most richly deserves
it, for from whatever standpoint his
work may be considered he is clearly
the best secretary of state of the many
good ones Chic has ever had. His worth
and record appeal particularly to Re-
publicans, but they should aud will un-
doubtedly have the endorsement of all
who do not set partisanship above
merit, and that are not perversely
blinded for one reason or another to
their own best interests.
BUTTON, button, who has the but
ton?n The Democratic free traders
make a great fuss over the increased
import duty placed on buttons. but
they fail to note that scores of button
factories VIII ch have been lying idle
are now resuming operations and that
wages of button makers have been ad-
vanced from Is to % per cent And
the increased cost of buttons, of which |
the free traders prate SO ignorantly,
will be like the increased cost of carpet |
of which they complained when the
tariff of 1867 went into effect.
THE governors second message to the
4extraordira y legislature" delivered
on Tuesday, is scorcher on the bood-
lers of his party. But it did no good. |
The only way to handle the gangsters
is to choke political existence out O:
them. and keep it choked out.
In his speech at Millersburg the other