The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1902-07-01
oLUMBUs, June 3O-Every off

cial in the state house and
~ every member of the legisla-
ture, as we'll as almost every attorney
in the state is satisfied that special
session of the legislature is uDavoid-
able, yet the officials, the leaders of
the two branches of the general as
sembly and the Republican advisers
generally are afraid to call it. Despite
that fear il will be called. Governor
Nash declares that as it is not to be
avoided the sooner it Is met the bet
ter. The leaders of the general as
scmbly might be expected to hesitate
under the circumstances. To acquiescc
iii the call is to plead guilty TO alb
solute incompetency and grievous blum
dering during tie last session. An
opportunity was offered to pass a gem
eral bill for the government of Ohio
cities during the session, but it was
shelved. The Pugh-Kibler monstros-
ity, with more tail than head, was too
exhaustive for the legislative mentality
to undertake and many members voted
TO lay it aside, confessing that 1t was
simply too complex and that they had
not read it to see whether it amounted
to anything. Everybody saw the need
of general law, even If the general
law called for home rule In cities,
which many favor. yet not a man on
the Republican side had anything to
offer in place of the measure they de-
clared was too burdensome to even
read. There wasn't in the entire out
fit craftsmanship enough to suggest
anything.
To call the legislature now is to
confess that weakness. The case in
volving the government of Cleveland
was then in supreme court. 1t was be-
fore the people at that time. 1t was
discussed by the lawmakers, yet nols
foresaw that the law would not stand
and offered something in its stead.
True, it had stood the test of courts
just as wise and not under quite so
much suspicion as the present court,
and there was some reason for believ-
ing that it would stand, but no.
body seemed to grasp the situation
properly. Now they must remedy
tho alleged defect. They must come
hack to the capital, spend some more
Of the peoples money and do what
they ought to have done last winter.
The session, it will be recalled, was
mainly devoted to the passage Of local
bills, purely unconstitutional. The
supreme court issued what might be
termed an address to the general as
sembly during the time it was in ses-
sion and declared that every act that
was being passed was special legisla-
tion and therefore unconstitutional, but
1t was passed just the same. In this
than once that If the people wanted
anything in the lire of legislation to
Re sure to have it drawn in a fashion
that it would be clearly unconstitu-
tional, and then it might pass, for
the legislature was passing only things
that are unconstitutional That SEEM
ed an extravagant assertion at the
time, but it was not. Every salary
bill, and there were dozens of them,
has been knocked into nothingness by
the supreme court-just as the supreme
court said 1t wonld do at the first op-
portunity. All other forms of special
legislation will 60 the same way
when they are reached. Any invest
ment based on any of these special
acts is an unsafe investment. Thous-
ands of dollars have been placed in
jeopardy in these acts, and tho legis-
lature knew, from the mouth OF the
supreme court itself that such invest
mcnts were placed in jeopardy, yet per-
sisted to please a few home friends.
7 The end has now come. Caught in its
own trap the legislature must con-
vene, with its own condemnation on it's
lips and undo some of the things it
did last winter and do some things
1t failed to do, though the way was
plain. 1t is humiliating but it is nee
essary.
-
Several OF the legislative leaders
have been to see Governor Nash and
they have resorted to all tactics known
to the fellow who is caught with the
goods on him, to delay matters and to
shift responsibility. Nash, however,
secs that the party is against the wall
and must confess its inability to see
the right without having the way
pointed by others than its leaders, and
he is obdurate. Now the plan has
been adopted to pledge the members
to do only certain things and to be
sure not to do other things. The leg
islators are baking for they dislike
to be led. They know they have blum
dered but want to fight their own way
out Division is apparent at the out