Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1890-01-11
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
To Tho General Assembly.


The present conditions OF both the people and
the public aifairs OF Ohio are in pleasing con.
srast with what they were four years ago. There
was then much dissatisfaction and restlessncss
among large classes OF our population The most
notable manifestations of this were tho riots vt
lCincinnnti and In the Hooking Valley, occurring
inuIlnB tne administration OF my predecessor
ana the great strikes OF May, 1886. Business Of
every Kind was then suffering There was n
general stngnation. Many OF our most import
ant industries were suspended, and thousands
lot laborers were without employment. There
was general decline in values. This was very
marked In connection with taxation. 1t amount
Cd for the years 1884 and 1885, us shown in the
Jsggregate ex the personal property of tho State
on the grand duplicate, to moro than thirty.two
by the General Assembly were largely in excess
9oI our income. rapidly growing deficiency
had already become greater than ever known in
Time OF peace. Elections in the chief city OF
she State had become only criminal farces Bal
iot,Dox stuning, repeating, and similar crimes
,'na mmu Deo9me , Us common as Young ana VnG gvii
fraudulent results had come to be regarded by
1those who produced them, and those in whose
.pehalf they were accomplished, as legitimate
advantages to be maintained for partisan pur-
poses.
By the common consent OF oil parties the mu.
lnfctpal government of Cincinnati had become
the worst ever known In this country 1t seemed
70 oner not only immunity for, but induccment
70 every sort of corruption and crime, The
city had fallen into the hands OF thieves is yet
put common expression with respect to that
sime ana every department was demoraliZed i;i
tauu ucDuuCHCu. IL IL almost lnCTculDle luuL
such situation should or could have been so
patiently tolerated.
The liquor traffic had been unbridled and
made practically free from oil the burdens of
taxation and all the restraints OF restriction
and regulation. 1t had taken hand In poll
tics, was its boast Of the hour, "and made
itself felt" But the day OF reckoning had come,
and oil this has been changed.
With the exception of the quickly suppressed
whole four years that have since passed scarce
Iy O manifestation of q riotous or lawlesS dis
position anywhere within the State. With the
exception OF the strikes in May, 1885, there have
been no disturbances or troubles OF any moment
among the laboring classes Not n drop of
blood has been shed during oil this time to pre-
serve peace, order and the observance OF law.
Instead OF general stagnation we have general
prosperity, and no people ever enjoyed higher
degree OF happiness and contentment.
The decline In values has been stopped. The
aggregate OF the property, real and personal OF
the State on the grand duplicate for taxation,
has been increased during this period more than
eighty -four millions OF dollars.
The liquor traffic has been justly made to bear
portion of the burdens OF taxation for both
state and local purposes, and other measures OF
d wise and just character have been enacted,
whereby new sources of revenue have been Gre.
ated, and our income has been made once more
greater than our expenditures, WHILE at the
same time the rate of direct taxation for State
purposes has been reduced to the lowest point
known to this generation.
The city OF Cincinnati has been rescued. While
Its government IL not theoretically, In some
particulars. what has been recommended
Gghtened thought of the day, yet, measured by
practical results, Cincinnati is to-day one OF the
best governed cities in America. No city has
better police force, or more economical or sue.
cessful administration of public affairs and rs
70 the matter OF elections, they are so celebra
ted for their quiet, orderly character and salts
zactory results that they are the pride and boast
of the whole community. This is due directly
20 the enactment of q Registration law and the
enforcement of 1t by non bipartisan board. The
same law, with but slight change, has been ex.
tended to all cities OF the State having u popu-
latiou OF not less than 5000 at the last Federal
census, md so far as all decent, honest and well.
meaning citizens are concerned, like satisfac-
tion and like good results have been experienced
IN each place where II has been tried.
In view OF such facts you are to be congratu
lated upon the character OF the public service
20 which you have been called. You have no
new, difficult or untried problems to encounter
There ore no great wrongs to right abuses to
correct, dissatisfaction to appease, or emergen-
cies to meet AS already indicated, the people
generally OF the State were never more prosper
GUS or better satisfied. They have scarcely an
industry idle or want that ordinary attention
and enterprise will moi supply Every, depart
ment of State government is accomplishing the
best of results. The public institutions never
before maintained their inmates at so low cost
per capita, or produced SO high q measure OF
success. Not q scandal of any kind has oc
CURED In connection with the management OF
any one OF them, and no friction, lack OF hnr
mony, or trouble of any sort Is known TO exist
anywhere. Under such circumstances your
duties will be few and simple. There will be
but little occasion for legislation beyond max
Ing necessary appropriations, and no excuse
whatever for enactments OF u doubtful or ex-
perimental character. Clearly, there is nothing
BALLOT DISTRIBUTORS.
So far MS our election laws are concerned they
will be improved by making the provisions OF
the act - Of & hpri 10 a. isSs ITO provide for dstrib,
distribution thereof ut polling places " now ap.
plicable to only the city of Cleveland, applicable
TO all the cities of the State having Boards of
Elections. The numerous ticket holders that
stand about the polling places in the cities on
election days to annoy the voters should be
abolished. With this improvement the system
we already have will prove better, because
simpler, more economical and more American
than any other that has been or is likely to be
proposed.
Tho plain truth is that with one exception YOU
San best subserve the pnblic good by leaving
practically untouched all the legislation OF the
Sixty-seventh and Sixty-eighth General Assem-.
DlieS whereby these changes have been wrought,
HOME RULE.
The laws creating the several boards that have
been provided for the various cities require the
appointment of the members and the clerk for
each by the Governor. This was deemed neces.
sary by the Legislature at the time, but it was
contrary to my judgment then, and experience
has but strengthened this conviction.
1t is true the people of the whole State are in.
terested In having fair and honest elections In
each city, md have right therefore to demand,
where that may appear necessary, that the ex.
ecutive head and representative of the whole
people shall appoint those who are TO conduct
the voting and make the returns, and those who
are to control the constabulary force upon
which election officers must depend for protec.
tion In fearless discharge OF their duties but
as q general rule, the better policy is to lodge
this power of appointment with the head OF
the municipality to be affected The newspa.
pers have recently been discussing this subject
to some extent, and, among other propositions
advanced, is one to confer the exercise of this
authority for Cincinnati on the Police Judge of
that city. So far as personal fitness may be CON
cerned, that Official Is doubtless well qualified
for the discharge OF such trust Nevertheless,
itshould not be imposed upon him. 1t is duty
that is essentially executive in its character |
There Is nothing In 1t of o judicial nature. A |
Judge is always out OF place, and feels so, exer
cising such powers He recognizes, as all others
must, that such duties have n tendency to in.
volve his office In politics, and thereby inter
fere with its usefulness and that universal re. |
spect to which 1t Is entitled.
Moreover IL may well be doubted whether
such duties can be legally required OF judicial
ofiicer. 1t is clearly an executive duty that
rightly belongs to the mayor This view is not
now expressed by me for the first time. Neither
is 1t expressed now because my successor differs
from rue in politics while the mayor OF Cincin. |
natl agrees with me in that respect. Such con
siderations are insufficient and unworthy to in |
fuence any one honored with the privilege OF
addressing you in this manner What is wanted
d. 10 And trna hot