The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-01-07
Sends His Annual Message to the
Ohio General Assembly.
Municipal Reform the Great and
Absorbing Question.
He Recommends a Constitutional
Amen dment Providing for Char
ter Conventions for Mu-
nicipal Reform.
The Governor Urges the Passage OF the
sAustralian Ballot Law and the
= Enactment of Compulsory
Yk.9 Primary Election Law
IL Other Important Mat
ters Considered.
COLUMBUS, O., Jan. 6, 1891

COLUMBUS, O., Jan. g. 1881.
To the General Assembly:
The receipts of the general revenue fund for
the fiscal year ending November 10, lSgI, as
shown by the report of the Auditor OF SoaGGi, osSi
will aggregate about So, 400 o00 but the expenoi-
lures for the same period, provided the eStf
mates filed be fully appropriated for, would ex
ceed $1,000 900. The mere Statement oL 1 Iil2
fact is sufficient to show that the estimates
above referred to must be greatly dlmlnlsneu
when appropriations are made. me os9unSG, g lla"
ments from this fund during the last nSca6 ~ Seet
were less than S3,5O0,000, including SlSooVO ol
Deficiency and $4,000 for advertising the con
stitutionai Amendments. which came over LOT
navment from the preceding year. The pro
posed increase of over half q million snouio 10
carefully scrutinized; similar PROPOSE OPUS orn11 ~
ally; and the necessary curtailment OF the oe-
sired appropriations will require the same PI Pru,
dence which you exercised SO conn'e'o"oiS
during the last regular session.
MUNICIPAL REFORM.
The enormous amount of legislation annually
In the wav of local and special laws. clearly
shows that radical change is necessary IN our
system of municipal government. Munlclpal
reform is q great and absorbing question every
where; but no where more tn an in Ohio, where
it has become customary to patch city govern
ments with legislative enactments Designer 70
correct real or imaginary grievances. ms ms
form of relief has proven to oe either Temporary
in its nature or productive or greater LIS Iils @ tnn
has arrived for complete change of programme
A system must be devised which shall END leg
islatiye tamperng with local affairs OF cities
A problem confronts you whose consideration
can no longer be postponed. The true solution
would seem to be in a provision wherepy cLtles
NAV govern themselves without interference
from any outside authority. In other words
each city should model its own government
provided, only, that it conform to the Constltu-
ton and to those general laws which must
necessarily have the same character throughout
the State. To do this would require an amend
ment to the Constitution which could readily be
submitted to the people for their approval at
the election of next November This amend
ment ought to be so constructed as to enable
q nnODln
tion upon plan similar to the constitutional
convention which the people of the State nave
a right to hold every twenty years. Such con-
vention could construct a charter, which, upon
submission to- and approval by, popular vote
would become the fundamental law OF the city:
1t could not be altered amended, or abrogated
except under the same solemn FORMS ana upon
the same careful consideration with which 1t
was created. The people OF the crtles Whlcn
adopted charters would then be compelled TO
rely wholly upon themselves for good local gov
eminent Such self reliance would naturally
srouse them to vigorous action when they
can no longer sit supinely waiting for the Gen
eral Assembly to perform miracles !or thelr
benefit they will reform and purify their munlc-
| ipal affairs.
If the people of any city should not see fit to
avail themselves of this privilege they could re-
main under the government of the General A s.
| sembly as at present. For those cities remain
| ing under legislative control n uniform system,
| upon the federal plan, would doubtless prove
| comparatively satisfactory. In some cities the
people are so anxious to change their form of
| government that they may object to awaiting
I
| the electors of the State. For instance, the
| citizens of Cincinnati are demanding changes
entire e State - 1hnVn% had their attenion recent
| ly directed to that city most heartily concur
! Many citizens of Clevela1 Id aver that their al
| fairs are badly managed, and they Will proDaoly
| come before you urging the adoption of new
| form of government fC er that city. The same
| may be said, in a modif sE degree. of Columbus
| and other cities. Viii lie some of them doubt
| less need speedy relief, !ret 1t should be borne
| in mind that nothing can be done which will bt
| permanent and satisfactjo ry except to relegate
| to the people OF all citi es unrestricted cOntro
| of their own affairs. This unqueStionablJ
! be accomplished by the adoption of the consti
| tutional amendment above referred to, and by
| that alone. Such an amennaent would forever
| prevent what is graphically termed ripper leg
| islation;'' and the present General Assembl!
| ought not to adjourn without making provision
| for submitting the same to the people
The only objection urged against the submis
sion of a constitutional amendment is that thu
| people of the State are to vote next fail upol
the calling of a constitutional conventions; bu
after the convention has prepared a new con
| Stitution, it may he voted down by the peopl
| Gas the last one was) hence, to insure the relie
| afforded by the proposed amendment, it Shoult
| be separately submitted at the next genera
| election. In the present temper of the peopl
of Ohio there is but little doubt that it would b.
adopted by an overwhelming vote. Should tn
| cities generally avail themselves of its provis
| ions. the work of the Gen eral Assembly hereai
ter would be greatly deer eased, for it is safe t
say that more than one-h alf of your time is nov
consumed in legislation that would then be
come unnecessary.
| s-a BALLOT REFORM - ~ EHFges
During the last regular session of the Genera
| Assembly some CONE 1endable changes wer
made in the election Ia VS.; notably that of TAX
ing from the Governor the power to appoin
city election boards ar d clerks. The great re
form however which would have served t
purify the elections of the State, and to hav
elevated the elective franchise, failed of pass
age because of an insufficient vote IN the Ser
ate. The reform ref erred to is that commonl
termed 1.-THE Australian Ballot Law" It is t
be hoped that the General Assembly, especial
| of hp IN
political party in the minority, will not obstyde
the progress of this reform, which is indorse
by their political associates in every othc
State. The argument in favor of this measure
which was made in the inaugural address deliI
erea you one yea age, hoe1 f t noI & De Tepeabe
added weight ana cogency to it; and ha
> strengthened the belief that bribery and intin
idation will practically disappear when thi
system of balloting is adopted There is n
, reason to delay the passage of such q measure
but should the General Assembly desire to pal
TALLY test it before its universal adoption
might first be tried in cities where registratio
exists. The change in the registration la
which requires electors in the smaller cities
register but once il four years has worked az
vantageously, aud leads to the suggestion tha
q this form of registration be extended TO ever
municipality having more than five LhouS an
people at the last federal census.
In addition to the foregoing reform you al
earnestly urged to enact a compulsory prim al
election law. the root of bad government
cities will be found in the manner of nomina tin
| candidates for office. Were all municipal nom
i mary election. and were all electors disfr al
| chised who failed to vote at such primary, III
- | less Il sufficient legal excuse be given, the
political nominations would represent averag
public sentiment, and not the decree of paclIe
= | or purchased caucus. With the Australian ba
lot for general elections, and an equally we
: guarded law Gncudirg compulsory CLAUSE
J, Tor the government of primary elections, au
. ! with non-partisan State. county and city ele
| tion boards, the people of Ohio would have a
| electoral system more nearly perfect than tn;
}. now known in any country; and one whiC
q would thoroughly satisfy all persons who desil
: fair nominations, and free expression of publ
Ii sentiment at the polls.
STATE INSTITUTIONS.
d The various penal, reformatory and benev
q lent institutions of the State are in eXcellel
| financial condition. and their inmate are beiT
: | cared for in a manner that entities their ma
) | agement to your approval. Reference is mao
# to the recently fled annual reports of each.
: The Penitentiary, which was under the co
troll of the present administration for six montl
prior to the close of the fiscal year, was carrit
on during that time at profit.
In the intermediate Penitentiary such pro
IL ress has been made that fifty men can safely