The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1892-01-13

Tor paying the interest on the ueDt lnolo q
also q debt OF 1000 In unpaid premiums ana
prizes, authorized 1t is said, by the leglslaIuro'
and for which the board disclaims responsibility
COUNTRY ROADS.
The great need In many sections OF ONO B
good country ronds. This is subject OF I'M
portance not only to agriculturists, but anects
every material interest In the state, ana Is re-
ceiving very general attention throughout otner
states in the Union invite tae attSntlo ,Snt so,oe 0a
plan be devised which, with the concurrence OF
the people, viii lead TO the Improvement OF our
public highways, so that they VIII DC serVlceh-
Bile in winter as well as summer. Many OF our
country roads are almost fmpassaDle uurlhg
several months OF the year. They should %
good the year round for the safety and conven-
Ience OF travel and transportation.
The consideration of this subject by the leBls-
lature would lead to discussion among the farm
ers of the state, which would furnish valuable
suggestions TO the legislature
PROTECTION TO RAILROAD EMPLOYEES.
Your attention Is called TO the Importance OF
making every provision possible for the better
protection Of railroad employees WITHIN the state'
Their service Is OF the most hazardous charac-
ter, and railroads should be required 10 equip
their lines with every improvement calculated
There are nearly 5000 persons employed by
the railroads within the limits OF Ohio, VINO
serve the'publlc with great danger 10 llie ana
health, and nothing should be withheld from
them which legislation Gun do TO throw arouhu
them every possible safeguard.
The last report OF the Interstate commerce
commission, up TO June 30, 1901, shows that IN
and %, ,39l Others were injured. II Is believed
that large percentage OF this fearful sacrlnce
OF life and limb can be prevented by the enlorce-
ment Of proper legislation.
THE CANALS.
What shall be- done with the canals. shall
they be abandoned. or shall they be maintained
and improved! livery year the question De-
comes more pressing.
Each annual controversy over appropriations
develops stronger opposition than the pre-.
ceding one. Both the friends and opponents OF
the canals agree that the policy which has pre-
vailed for some years past can not continue
much longer. The canals have been preyed
upon and allowed TO 90 10 ruin and now every
succeeding legislature refuses TO appropriate
enough money TO put them in proper condition.
The question does not involve appropriations
| alone, but the m0dernizntion OF pubic water
ways. Not only experts, but the public NJ large
have arrived at the conclusion that II the canals
are to be continued, there must be some we'll
matured plan for their Improvement IN the IN
| terest OF cheap and better transportation
throughout the whole country there is ut this
time unusual attention being paid TO the general
| subject OF waterways, An increased activity IN
| the building and Improvement OF canals Is mo-
ticeable in some OF the most progresslYe natohS
OF the world-parti1uiarly where c0mmerclal
competition Is the kecncsL OF this, France ana
| Germany afford conspicuous examples. In En-
| gland there are several vast snip canal scnemes
under way and In projection This revival OF
| interest In canals Is true also ns TO NUMBER OF
our sister states So.e states thai have aDan,
doned their canals now regret that action, ana
several are endeavoring 10 recover the trancalse
! which had been disposed OF 10 private hIlvlu
| uals or to corporations. Canada IL now seeking,
| by enlarying and extending her canals, 10 secure
a large portion OF the grlin-carryng trade OF this
| continent.
In this connection attention Is called TO do
monstration In Ohioof the value OF Improvement
| OF waterways, viz. The Musktngum river,
navigation on which Will be resumed In the COM
| ing spring
II should ever be kept in mind that the canal
| system OF Ohio represents franchises and rights
4 OF way and privileges Of enormous value Inc
| aggregate length OF the canals OF Ohio is 6gI
miles. The original cost OF construction was
ti4, ,Sl0b72 80 There are also 99,OO acres OF res
ervoirs which feed the canals-all public prop
erty.
the state which has been largely squandered. IL
!s time to call halt TO the policy oi disposlng
OF the peoples property without adequate COM
pensation.
II Is for the people to say what they will do
with their own, but they should have full In
formation before they forever dispossess them
selves Of two such valuable franchises as those
appertaining 10 the Miami and Erie canal ana
the Ohio canal
This Is a matter OF general interest TO every
section OF the state, and Is not limited TO the
territory through which the canals pass.
Before the people or the legislature can act
upon this important question with Intelligence
and with due regard TO interests OF the state,
II Is manifest that they should be In possession
OF more Information than Is now at hand.
IL Is therefore recommended that, In addition
10 making the usual appropriations for the
canals, the legislature create body, with en-
gineering, legal and business qualifications, 10
make a complete report as to the canals OF shio
giving their origin, the rights OF the state as
TO title, their cost, thei- earnings In the past
and present. their value as franchises for rail-
road or other purposes, as nearly as con be es
tmated, and particularly AS 10 the possibility
aud advisability OF improving them aud inoreas'
Ing their usefulness TO the people
Already there Is In existence body, which, II
Is suggested, could with propr.cty De intrusted
NTH this important work-the canal commits
THE NEW BALLOT LAW
The new ballot law from my observation and
Information, meets with very general favor IN
Is scope and purpose, although imperfect In
lome Of its features II Is step In the right
direction and should not be touched except
where IL can he improved. IL can, no doubt, bt
made 10 better serve It's purpose by amend
nents which experience has already suggested
At the recent state election thousands O
electors voted for the candidates for gov
,rnor Of their respective parties who vert
. " the head Of the tickets, believing tha
hey were voting the entire party ticket
This occurred as TO all the party tickets. The
rue intent OF the elector was therefore mo-
'cgistored by the judges, for they were required
o count such ballots only for the candidate
Dcfore whose name q cross was placed.
Nyould II not be advisable 10 provide that ther'
ihould be but one method OF marking the ballo
namely by requiring the elector TO place cross
mark In frou,.pi the name OF every candidate fo
! whom at Gc-S,res 10 yotef
Tho duties Q: county and city boards OF elec
I ions should be more clearly defined.
? A deadlock" as 20 signing the returns, ant
mother as TO issuing certificate Of election 4
emedy IN the courts TO solve the diniculty
,how that in other particulars there Is impera
iye demand for amendments 10 the law.
! The case referred 10 suggests the following:
When such q diniculty rs that presented q
! ne Muskingum county board arises, and IN
! county board refuses 10 send IN legal return
. ne count should nevertheless be made OF III
] pturns from the counties regularly made, and
certificate issued TO the pcrSon thus appearing
] | q be elected, 80 that the foundation can be lat
! or q contest, and the district not deprived o
. representation. because the law and the court
. ire Intellectual 10 give relief
CONGRESSIONAL REDIsTRICTlNG.
You Will be required under the new census ;
edslrict the state for representatives IN cor
rress This will a1ord YOU nn opportunity :
lrrange the districts with fairness 70 all Max
he districts 80 fair In their relation TO the pt
4 itica divisions OF our people that they WI
I nnnd until new census shall be taken. Max
7 hem so impartial that no future legislature WI
lara disturb them until new census and ne'
: congressional npportionment VIII make chang
2 Imperative. Extreme partsanship In their ai
: angement should be avoided. There is sens
!, 4 fair play among the people which Is prompt
, ondemn fagrant misuse Of purity advantage q
: he expense OF popular suffrage. Partisanshi
= : not 10 be discouraged, but encouraged In q
!. hings where principle Is ~ stake; but part
|. anshp which would take from the people thei
nst representation. rs In tho case OF the col
4 .ressional redstricting by the last legislator,
: ! an abuse OF power which the people are swii
\ o rcbuke. You must have observed from N
\ eturns OF the late election that the party whio
= .arried the state by plurality OF moro tina
4 | wenty.one thousand and which received o pll
u ality In lfty-one counties Of the eighiy-eight
Ohio carried but seven congressional district
n the twenty-one-the minority party thu
y controlling two-thirds Of the congressional al
. .rlcts, and the majority party only one-third.
h viii be your duty to re-enfranchise the citizen
. n Ohio who were dlsfrnnchiscd BY the last LEI