The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1903-09-10
OHIO DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.

Assembled in convention at COLUMBUS
preparatory of the State election of 1903
We; the Democrats of Ohio, reat;rmins
the declarations on national issues of oul
platform of 1902, adopted at Sandusky
hereby renew our allegiance to the Demo
cratic party Of the nation, and nxaiI
avow our devotion to the principles of Its
last national platform. We accordingly
condemn colonialism and imperialism, de
nourice trusts and trust-fostering tariffs
repudiate government by injunction, and
oppose financial monopoly. together Will
every other legalized monopoly and spe
cial privilege. Adhering TO these primer
pies Of the Kansas City platform. We re
peat our condemnation of all efforts to
renounce or ignore them.
We nevertheless urge the people OF
Ohio. regardless of party, to consider the
transcendent Importance of state over
national issues at the coming election
National policies are not at stake: Al
though one seat in the United States
Senate depends upon the political com
blexion of our next Legislature; no oth'
er national consideration does: ana the
Republican party is so largely IN the
majority in the United States Senate
as to deprive that consideration OF all
practical Importance The vital question,
therefore. which now confronts the vot-
ers of our State, Republicans as well as
Democrats. is a local question. They
are to determine whether the personal
smhirions of one man for reelection TO
the Federal Senate shall be gratihed al
the expense of placing the vast local IN
Iii thn Y,onnlo- nf Ohio AT Jne
mercy of a State government nominated
by and in alliance with the privileged
corporations.
Let the people of Ohio consider what
is really involved in this election. Great
corporations. possessing valuable ana op-
pressiye franchises and reaching out for
more. have effected a union with the
leaders of the Republican party IN Ohlo'
So intimate has this union grown that II
can no longer be determined where the
legitimate politics of the Republcan
Marty leaves off and the corrupt politics
Of the privileged corporations begins. In
consequence of that coalition OF corpora
tion magnates with Republican manag-
ers. in some instances identical in person,
the people of all political parties have
been systematically plundered and OPP
pressed. Thus manipulated the Republl-
can party has been led by its more
recent managers farther and farther into
the service of special interests inimicai
TO the public welfare. 1t has been made
to protect end foster monopolies. ts
officials have burdened the farmers ana
small home owners of the State with ex-
cessive taxes in order to relieve public
service corporations of their just obllga-
tions. 1t has enacted unconst u. .lonai
special laws. It has thrown the city and
village governments of the State into con-
fusion, thereby entailing large and use
less expenditures of public money, i'm
pairing municipal credit aud imposing
upon the State treasury the cost OF
special session OF the General Assembly
To remedy the evils thus caused, the
present managers of the Republican par
ty have forced the enactment of cum
bersome and centralizing municipal code
for the government of our cities and vii
lages, framing its provisions in defiance
of the wishes of the cities concerned, in
disregard of the expressed opinions of
the State Bar Association and the State
and municipal Chambers of Commerce,
and with indifference to the plain lessons
of experience in Ohio and elsewhere.
BY embodying in this code unwise and
unjust provisions for the regulation OF
street railroads these Republican manag-
ers have rendered competition more diff
cult and street car monopolies more Sc
cure. By reserving TO the State govern
ment the power, to appoint municipal Of
ficers in certain cases they have danger
ously concentrated the police power and
have complicated their meager conces-
sions of home rule with tempting oppOr-
tunities for interference by the State gov
ernment in the local affairs of cities and
villages. 4 precedent has thus been set
that would altogether nullify the princi-
pie of home rule.
The corrupt union which the Republi-
can managers of Ohio, treacherous alike
to the rank and file of their own party
and to the rest of the people, have made
with privileged corporations, is further
shown by the recent history of Ohio tax
alton. After repeated Acknowledgements
by the Republican party in its platform
and other public declarations Of the IL
justice of existing tax laws, the Repub-
lican Legislature has rejected even the
simplest remedies The law by which
telegraph, telephone and express com
panies are taxed provides a simple meth
cd of arriving at the real value for tax
alton of steam railroad. street railroad
and similar classes of franchise property.
Yet the Republican Legislature refused
to apply that method to the property of
those powerful corporations. 1t has re-
tained the Objectionable laws under
which. with the aid of friendly State
equalizing boards and local auditors.
steam railroads and street car companies
have for years been able to shift from
themselves to the small owners and farm
ers of the State two-thirds of the bur
den of taxation, which in justice these
corporations ought to bear.
by way of pretended remedy for this
fragrant abuse the Legislature has. at the
dictation of Republican managers and
their corporate allies, imposed an annual
tax upon tlle capital stock of all corpora
tions, including unprivileged business
companies. While bringing diminished
revenue into the State treasury and prov
Ing burdensome restriction upon legiti-
mate business, this tax falls most heavily
upon interpretations least able to bear it,
and will practically exempt those that
are enriched by valuable special priv
i!eges.
Besides making such trifing and de-
ceptive alterations in our tax laws in the
name of remedial legislation. the Repub-
lican managers have been guilty os mani
fest duplicity. In Difference to over
public demands for tax reform
they permitted the adoption by the Leg
islature of resolution submitting to the
people an amendment to the State con-
stitution authorizing a fair classification
of property for purposes of taxation. But
supposing that now the popular feeling
on the subject may have temporarily sub
sided. yet not daring to risk a popular
vote on this amendment. they have pre-
vented the Republican convention from
it. The amendment is there
by deprived of the benefit of place in
the Republican column on the official
ballot.
In consequence of the alliance of priyi |
legged corporations and Republican man.
ayers i'll Ohio the recent history of the |
party of this State i'll connec-
fion with TAXATION is n plariup and I'M