Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-08-28
! LOOKED
Blue For Nash
Code.
Principle Of Home Rule
Had an Inning.
Judge Stewart Before the
Committee.
(Special Correspondence.)

COlumDuS, w., aug. Zo.-l NE piihei
pie of home rule as applied to the
government of Ohio municipalities
had an inning in the meeting Of the
special House committee last night
and for time the Nash code was made
to look like thirty cents in Mexican
money. The occasion was the appear
ance before the committee Of Judge
Gilbert H. Stewart, HIM. McMahon and
Allen Ripley Foote, the three distin-
guished authorities upon matters Of
municipal government who framed to
large extent, the State Board Of
Commerce Code. "tt
These speakers had little to say on
their own account of the document
which Governor Nash insists must bear
his name. They talked on their own
measure. The first shot was deliver
ed by Mr.. Mcmahon, who gave a his
tory of the events which have attend
ed the Introduction, delayed final de-
feat of several codes during the past
few years. He said that the code
which the Board endorses is the re-
suit of at least six or seven years of
earnest thought, and not the product
of handful of political lawyers, en-
ployed to make an administration ia
nous.
Another shot was by Judge Stewart.
who referred to the bill only to redi-
cule the idea of a city Of four thousand
people paying as much for its govern
ment as city twice its size, where
besides this difference, all the needs
and conditions OF the city were differ
ent.
| When the different speakers conclude
ed their remarks. the members of the
committee prodded them with ques-
tions which were bravely met and the
politics of the bill disclosed in no un-
certain manner. 1t begins to look
now as though the Governors code
is losing friends and with few more
committee meetings like that of We'd
nesday night and as well attended,
the idea Of home rule will have been
better understood and will have more
supporters. a,
The Senate committee of the whole
will listen to tine same speakers al
another time. This committee has
also taken up the study Of the code
and they have arranged program to
he carried out during the remainder
of the week. The committee listened
Thursday to Messrs. Wade Ellis and
.|SmithS Bennett, the attorneys, who with
Senator Longworth and under the di
rection of Governor Nash, prepared
the administration code.
Judging solely from the conditions
on the surface, there is to be strong
fight made by the administration forces
for the Governors bill with very few
amendments. The Foraker element
seems to. be saving wood and has
already gained point by. compelling
the administration crowd to admit
that any code adopted at this time cal
be but an experiment until the con
stitution car be amended. The Dem
ocratic stand, so far as outlined, IL
for home rule in the fullest sense o.
the term and the matter will undoubt
edly be taken up by the Committe,
on Resolutions at the coming State
convention, Any principle of hom'
rule can but lead to a classification O.
: cities and the difference between tn,
Democrats and the Foraker Republi
cans at this time seems to be purel,
a tecnnical one. For this reason ther,
are those who will not be surprised
to see the two forces combine ant
defeat the Governors pet scheme.
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