The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1902-07-18

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taken very kindly to the call for a
special session and is known to be
opposed, on principle, to the board
plan in cities, when such board Is
created by the governor Besides this
such leaders as Representative Crafts
declare they will not support any
measure that has in 1t such board rule
as is contemplated by Governor Nash.
He is as ready as anyone to defeat
Tom johnson but fears the leaders.
for little temporary advantage will!
make martyr of johnson.
Foraker is on record in this matter
and declared when board rule was
adopted that ii was only temporary
and that home rule should be the basic
principle of all government for muni-
cipalities. On this question Foraker
said, in message in 1887, to the leg
islature:
"In all that may be done a due re-
gard should be observed for the idea
| that, SO far as possible, every city
should govern itself. Local self gov
ernment is the very genius Of Ameri.
can institutions and no community
should be deprived of it except in ex-
| traordinary emergencies. In this way
the responsibility for local government
| is placed not only where it belongs
but where there is the highest inter-
est to make 1t efficient. In determine
ing the kind of municipal government
we are to have it should be borne in
mind that experience has shown that
we should have as few elective officials
of minor character as possible, and
likewise as few executive or depart
mental boards as possible and all we
do have, instead of being independent
of each other and being responsible to
nobody. should be subordinate heads
and responsible to one common, final
authority, which should appoint all
the boards and other officials, and
have the power of approval as to all
appointments made by subordinates
and the power of removal. This con-
centrates a great deal OF power, but
it is necessary to fix the responsibility
and it is not only well calculated to
make people careful in their selections
but also gives them the ability to
call the right men to account and
thus more certainly and directly con-
troll their affairs"
While Foraker has not always done
what he agreed to do with his friends
and has been known to back from
verbal pledge, he will hardly recedo
from an official utterance. made when
he was governor of the state. He can
not be in favor of Nash's plan and
still hold to his opinions expressed in
that message. The message is good
Democratic position and Foraker can
not get away from it.
Representative Denman, of Toledo,
| is here to take train to Newark.
where the governor Is staying this
week. and stiffen his backbone, which
has been severely wrenched during
the past week. Denman favors the
appointment of police board by the
governor of the state. The supreme
court just knocked the Toledo police
board out of Office and Denman and
his colleagues want it lack. He and
his colleagues from Lucas county cut
a big figure in the legislature and for
that reason he will be a source of
strength to the governor.
The friends of Miss Sellers, the
former matron of the Girls Industrial
home, at Delaware, who is accused OF
furnishing Nora Ferris to death, aro
attempting to excuse her on the
ground that there are others respon-
sible in a measure. This excuse, while
very fiimsy, has served to bring Gov
ernor Nash into the case for some
criticism. The governor has practi-
cally told the trustees of the institu-
tion 70 remove Captain Stiles, the SUI
perintendent, instanter, and such ac
ton will doubtless be taken the first
time the trustees meet. Stiles was
defended as long as II was possible by
the state administration but now the
evidence is too strong and he will
have to go. He is attempting to re-
taliate and while defending himself
and Miss Sellers states that Governor
Nash Is as much to blame as anybody
for the system of punishment in vogue
in the institution. lie declares that In
1900 the state board OF charities rec
commended to Governor Nash that the
straight jacket be dispensed with as
mode of punishment at the institu-
tion and the governor never notified
him of the action. II he had done so
he declares the gig would not have
died in the jacket. Just what she
would have died in is not stated, but
il is certainty the inhuman brutesj
in charge of affairs would have found
some means of torture that would
have brought about the death OF this
sickly little girl whose only offense
was that she did not lay strip of
carpet straight in the hallway. But
that does not excuse the governor. N
he knew, through the report of a reg
ularly constituted board, with author
ity to investigate, that means of pun
ishment were used at the institution
that ought not to be used, it was his
business to abolish that form of pun