Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1896-01-18

in producing material available for use In state
institutions should be put to work as soon as
feusible. The material they would produce,
while necessarily competing to some extent
with that of free labor, would still reduce that
disngreeable fact to n minimum. This employ
ment OF idle prisoners would be q humane net,
and 1 cannot believe that honest labor would
make any objection to the prisoners being thus
II 1t is not deemed proper or feasible that idle
convicts shall be used in producing state ma
terial the opportunity for some labor con be
afforded them within the prison walls, and the
result will be to the benefit OF the convicts
themselves as well as to the state. property.
| Anything-nny employment-is preferable to
the state OF idleness in which we now find so
| many OF these convictS.
No subject should apply to the wisdom OF the
| legislature more strongly than that hich con-
Germs the idle population of our great peniten-
tiary. II is eminently desirable that the prison
shall be self-supporting ut least, but beyond
that there Is the consideration OF having the
institution place which will show Ohios nd
vance in the management of penal institutions.
The report of the auditor OF state for the year
ending November l5 lS)o. shows that the grand
total of the local debts wns $9s SsS 26o a. which
was an increase of Sc 500 80. OF this increase,
s272, s59sS is to be attributed to the increase in
the debt OF counties Sl03l ,099.30 to the
| debt OF cities and villages, and 1891 35 to
of townships decreased Si77 7l6O.1S While re-
| quests for authority to issue bonds for public
improvements are signs of enterprise and
| energy, there is still good reason why the gen.
| eral assembly should protect the people from
indiscrcet tinanciers Believing that the best
q limitation was placed upon local Indebtedness,
recommend to the general assembly such n
law us will limit the local Indebtedness of coun-
ties cities, villages townships and school dis
tricts to 10 per cent. OF the tax duplicate
The subject of mandatory legislation Is one
which demands attention ut your hands Here
tofore communities have been afflicted serious
ly by so-called mandatory laws. and the tax
payers have been called upon to meet expenses
imposed by local improvements, which were
ordered. In some instances perhaps, in defiance
of the wish and will Of the people concerned. II
our theory of government by the people is
correct one-and the experience of the past has
Shownit to be one of the strongest OF the founda
tion stones of this great repubc-then these
mandatory laws, which virtually deprive the
people OF the right to say whether they shall
or shall not be taxed for an improvement which
is deemed necessary by some and which is
infringements upon the code OF good govern
ment, to say nothing about their being in vio-
lation OF the rights OF the people. The supreme
court OF OHIO has cast n serious doubt as to the
constitutionality of this mandatory legislation,
and since there Is room for doubt, 1t certainly
seems proper that the people should be given
the benefit OF It. recommend the discontinue
ance of mandatory legislation and hope that
you will take some action which will relieve the
taxpayers of the possibility OF the injustice 1t
often occasions.
Under the constitution. the people OF Ohio
are called upon annually to elect certain officers
of the state government. The temper Of the
people is undoubtedly in favor OF fewer elec-
tions. We hear constantly the demand for
shorter campaigns and for less excitement, the
cause being that the prosecution OF the affairs
OF the political campaign dsturbs business
seriously and interfereS with the everyday af-
fairs OF men. 1t cannot be denied that there Is
great deal of force in this protest against too
frequent elections and that q large portion of
the people are in favor of biennial elections.
Being satisfied that this is the sentiment of
majority OF the people Of the state, l recon-
mend that you take such action as is necessary
for the submission at the next election of o
constitutional amendment providing for bien-
NAL elections.
1t has been estimated that the Seventy-frst
general assembly by having but single session
saved the state OF Ohio over S75 900 There are
other points which add testimony to prove the
success OF the biennial session idea. which, to
the credit OF the republican party OF Ohio, WINS
restoration of the original constitutional pro-
vision relating to the session OF the general as
sembly. The state has not suffered appreciably
by the lack of an adjourned session; on the con-
trary there are many things to show whereby
It has prohted directly rec G and that aside from the
the legislature. The people Of the state have
given their Endorsement of 1t at the polls. The
republican party has taken no steps backward
and have confidence that there will be no re-
progression by any act Of yours. / earnestly
recommend to you the wisdom Of maintaining
the policy Of biennial sessions of the general
assembly.
To agriculture belongs a great part of the
credit OF the building up OF Ohio. To the sturdy
farmers who labored with primeval conditions,
and to those who succeeded them, Is due the
thanks OF the present population for the fact
of Ohio being In the front rank as an agricul-
tural state and having resources OF husbandry
not surpassed by those of any other section OF
our highly productive country. We often hear
that the agriculturiSt makes too large demands
upon the legislators of the state and some are
prone to think that too much attention is paid
to the farmers How great fallacy and mis-
understanding that Is many Of us know full
we'll A great portion of the welfare of any
community depends directly upon the agricui-
turists, and the bone and sinew of this state
as well as Of all others which have reached
high degree OF civilization, is to be found in the
agricultural districts. The proud record the
70 hnG do tNR nt.1 Id
manly struggle against many adverse con-
ditions are well understood and appre-
ciated. Too much attention cannot be
paid to agriculture and too much care
and consideration cannot be accorded to
tho interests of the farmer. Upon agriculture
depends great deal in the way OF future pros
perity, and from the thrift of the farmer and
his patient work do we gain an example which
Is valuable ut all times and for all people.
affecting all industries, there would seem to be
no special cause for discouragement to the far
mer. Prices for his products have been low,
but the acreage will be almost maintained. The
ninety and odd million bushels OF corn produced
during the last year; the two-and-one-fourth
million of acres sown with wheat for the har-
bushels of potatoes for 1895; the large acreage
OF barley, rye, buckwheat and clover; the con-
Stantly increasing orchards; the disposition of
farmers to increase their products, and the ap-
probation OF the practical education afforded
by the Institutes and by agricultural literature,
all show that in past, present and future there
has been, Is, and will be zeal to bring the work
to as high state OF perfection as possible.
In my opinion, the general assembly of Ohio
should vouchsafe to the agriculturists the most
cordial respect for their part in the develop
ment OF Ohio, and should give every consider
alton to the propositions they may advance In
the hope of betterlng their condition.
That which has been said in the way of COM
mending the agriculturists to the general as
sembly and people can, with as much propriety
and as much earnestness, be spoken OF the vast
army Of laboring men who, in many walks of
life, play such an important part for the good
and maintenance OF the state and its people.
The interests of labor and OF the welfare OF the
whole commonwealth are SO closely allied, and
adverse conditions affecting one touch so
quickly upon the other, that there is every rea-
son for applying TO the laboring classee the
same advanced ideas as are now given when the
general interests Of the state are considered
cordially and heartily recommend TO the mem
bers OF the general assembly such study OF
of the many problems affecting labor as will
bring to the 10000 miners and the hundreds of
thousands OF other laborers the prospect OF ad-
yancement and material good.
No improvement over present conditions
should be more acceptable to the agriculturistS
and the people generally than that involved by
the construction OF good roads instead of in
different ones and bad ones. BY means OF mod