The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1896-01-17
ADDRESS,,
INAUGURAL BY TIE
GOVERNOR ELECT
BUSHNELL.
A Pleasant Tribute to Ex-
Governor Mckinley, but
a Recital of DeplOr-
able Conditions EX-
listing Under Same.

Governor Bushnell then began the
delivery of his address. II had, of
course, been prepared in advance, and
was read by the governor in loud,
clear voice. The address in substance
was rs follov's
Gentlemen of the Senate and House of Repre-
Bentatives:
In assuming the duties Of governor nc pc
riod when we are approaching the end of a
century, fraGght with great achievements Of
civ lizatiou, II seems not improper that we
should consider for q moment the progress
made by our own commonwealth since its
foundation. In the vast results accomplished,
all our people can take deep and In ting pride.
One hundiol | and eight years and hnlf ago n
handful of pioneers laid the territorial founda-
tion stones, i'd upon that beginning other
men and women OF the same sturdy stock
reared modost structure, which, ON Feb. TO-
1903, was deemed worthy OF statehood and
became Ohio.
No oct of the congre ~ of the Unto States
hns ever had more glorious fruition than
TINT which brought Ohio into being. 1t gave
the Union an ever loyal s,atc IL provided self
government for n people who proved them
selves the best of hu4bandmcn: IL started q
commonwealth upon an era OF development
not second to any the world has ever seen.
After further reviewing the history of tho
Buckeye state, he turned from the achieve
ments Of the past to the condt ons of the pres
ent and possibilities of the future-the things
which most concern tie people Of today. He
cautioned tho legislature that they were act.
ing for the people, and that 1t was their duty
To do that which il bost for the greatest num-
Der. to sustain tho good of the past and srad-
cate the evils of the present which threaten
the future.
The legislative branch of the government,
he said, can do much for goLd or evil. Ill con-
Ipui -lnt xtrax nuQ, and
injud cjous taxatioi ca only result In aggra-
vatcd evils The Scvcnty.sccond general as.
sembly will be put to test on these PROPOSE.
ti,nS Tie situation 10 peculiar one and will
require n II q ter hand 80 fully grasp 1t.
Through the material increa ie in population
of the al institutions and the cons luent in
crcascs of * eases more revenue or more
econ, my In appropriations and less expense of
administering the affairs of state are needed,
and IL will be for the present z g,ncral assem-
bly, to decide what shall be done and how.
The fiji au,ial condition of the state was
specifically referred to, and the fact that the
appropriations oss;ed for excccd tho probable
resources by 81 g4i lS5 10, was p ,inted out ~
proof positive that no revenue IL needed,
but the TAX rate should not be increased
He thee suggested that in order to meet the
payment of the s5D,00J Of certificates Of in.
debtedn.Ss which falls due July l, 1895, the
portion Of the funded debt Cs2JO,00O) falling
due Mt that date bo refunded to July ], 1901.
thus enabling the application Of the $3.50 900 to
tho payment 4 one-half the temporary loan.
Tho same process should be applied to the last
hnlf Of the temporary loan, thus providing for
it's payment July 1, 1897, and carrying forward
the $!5C,0O of the funded debt to July l. 1902
1t was suggested that the bonds could be
hontcl Mt 3 per cent.
OF county taxation and local indebtedness
he spoke Mt longth and recommcn led n sort Of
home rule policy ~ the best remedy, with n
pr,viso that local indebtedness shall not ex.
ccyd 10 per cont of the tax duplicate. Double
taxation should be- avoided. and laws tending
g. drive business fron-& state should be re-
realcd. For securing -, nomy in public OK
pcnditurcs, he suggested the creation OF a
purchasing bparl to ~. .isdcr all acquisitions
and advertise for AM; feceiva bidI for supplies
for state institutions Thus would RESPONSE
bility be opnscnti ated, nn by purcha sing in
the large quantities this plan would make pos
sibc, goods would be obtained much cheaper
than when purcha. el In snail quantities as
Mt present, VIXEN each OF the various institu-
tions max :, its own purchn 'e1.
Speaking of the competition OF convict
with free labor, he said this should be avoided
as much as possible, but that work sh Duld be
provided for the convicts Ho thought that
some Of tho idle convicts could be employed
in producing material available for use in
state institutions Any employment IL pre-
fernblc to dlcnesI. But amy work thay do
will compete to some r~tcnt with free labor.