The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1897-10-21

leSSnesS of these increases, varying
from % per cent. to more than 900
per cent, it must be borne in mind
that during this whole period the pri-
ceS and compensation for almost all
products and labor were going down
and profits in all lines Of business and
trade were going down, and there was
urgent necessity for retrenchment
rather than extravaganza. Able men
in the legislature called attention to
this condition and warned the party
leaders of the danger that a continued
disregard of the imperative require,
ments of the situation would, sooner or
later, arouse public resentment.
The increase of public offices and
growth of salaries attracted attention in
1886, and pledges were made to reduce
them. Hon. Albert DeyO, prominent
farmer of Fulton county, was elected
on platform pledging Republican re-
trenchment- and secured TIE position
of chairman of the committee on fees
and salaries, with a good committee
to assist him. He devoted his time
persistently to the preparation of
bill to reduce fees and salaries, gath
cred information from all over the
state as to the growth Of official COM
pensation and the general sentiment
favorable to a reduction, and though
the house, his bill to reduce official
fees and salaries failed to get eyen IA
respectable minority vote. What was
worse, Mr.. Deyo was defeated fer re-
nomination hy the office-hoding influ-
eIces of the parry. in 1883, Hon. Q.
L. Poorman, of Belmont county, in
troduced a bill to consolidate the man
agement of all the benevolent and
reformatory institution OF the state un-
der one board OF directors and dis
pense with the existing system of in
dependent action, that makes each in
stitution junketing place for leg;sla-
tors, and the subject of plunder to all
the partisan dealers that are ready to
make terms with the financial man
agement. He gathered volumnious in
formation as to the extent of this jun
keting and plunder and the amount
that could be saved by. concentrated
business management of these institu-
tions. He received many letters from
prominent men who had been identi
fled many years with the management
of some of these institutions, approv-
ing the plan and estimating the amount
of saving that might be effected. Such
men as eX-Mayor Gardner, of Cleve-
land, and R. NJ. Round, of Columbus,
and others equally well known, wrote
him estimating the saving to the state
at from $150,000 on to 100000 a year,
passed the house, with the aid of such
men as Braman, of Lorain; Taylor, of
Huron; Harris, OF Preble; Cope, of Co.
lumbiana, and other conservative
members, but its passage raised a howl
from the plunderers all over the STATE
who were robbing the institutions and
paying officials for the privilege, and
the assertion was made that its pas
sage would ruin the party. Speaker
Lampson, alarmed by these threats,
came down to the floor and moved the
reconsideration of the vote by which
the bill had passed the house, making
an impassionate speech, warming men,
bers of what he said was the danger.
The house refused to reconsider, but
the bill was promptly put to sleep in
the sentate, where nearly one-fourth !
of the members held positions on the
several boards that distributed the pub
lie plunder. These are only samples
of the efforts made by representatives
to reduce expenses and in every case
their author, through the combined in /
fuence OF the ofliceholding organiza- |
tions, were retired to private life, and |
others have since been afraid to fol. !
low their examples.
In the meantime the same reckless
increase of official pay and perquisites !
kept pace in every department of gov
ernment below the state administra-
tion, following the example set there, !
and without any attempts at legisla- ,
tion to correct the evil and secure re-
trenchment, there was everywhere a
growing increase of taxation and ex-
as will be seen by the table !
Of amounts of county and local taxes
for 1885 and 1896:
1880 1896
Coy Taxes IS 9,GSG. .0O1 81 81. .2D2 2l4.39
Tp Taxes go. 1,1J2,O15.61 1,I37, 50
School Taxes .. 7,11,O19.61 10,4jJ.S11.76 .
City-T0wn 1,I11,60l.O7 1l,417,996.51
Total ..... ,32G, ,G37. 60 $50, ,J13 3SS 46
Here we have an increase of 80 per
cent, being only little greater than
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