The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-10-25

dress should be brief, and by way Of
explanation said that 1t ought not to
exceed thirty or forty minutes in
in length readily acquiesced in the
suggestion of brevity and said to him
that thought | could tell all know
about municipal government In much
less time than that. Therefore in the
language of the amiable and capable
photographer please look pleasant
for this ordeal will not last long, In
strict confidence | wish to say that 1t
Is no particular consolation to me at
this moment to reflect that it will be
harder job for me to make this
speech than it will be for you to listen
to 1t. So much by way of preface.
Before addressing myself to my sub
ject desire to call your attention in a
very plain and prosaic way to some re-
markable things about this edifice. 1t
is 1870 by 1S0 feet in size, thus cover
ing a larger area than either of those
magnificent specimens of ancient ar
chitecture, Solomon's Temple or the
Parthenon. It's seating capacity is great
er that that of any auditorium in the
United States except Madison Square
Garden, New York, which is more of a
hippodrome than an auditorium. 1t will
also seat more people than the audi
torium in Chicago or the Metropolitan
opera house in New York, and there
fore it has a greater capacity than any
theatre in the United Staes: 1t would
seem from these figures that we ought
to be more than satisfied with the size
of our possessions. The safety of an
audience has been well taken care of
also. There is no fire within this
building; the boilers and furnaces for
heating it being placed under the ad-
jacent street. Neither is there any gas
or other explosive in it. The exits are
ample. AS you see there are six on the
main floor and fourteen in the amphi-
theatre, connecting with spacious cor
ridors which open on the surrounding
streets by means of eleven large doors.
1t has been estimated by the architect
that when this auditorium is filled with
people 1t could be emptied in two min
utes provided the audience did not lose
its self possession.
When the committee having in
charge the construction of the audi
torium came to select plans it found
conflicting opinions among it's con-
stituency; some persons wished large
auditorium and a small market; others
desired large market and a small au-
ditorium; or as one of the members of
the committee facetiously said to me
some persons desired to spell auditor
ium with a small a." The committee
with rare tact and diplomacy has
compromised and harmonized these
conflicting views by spelling both audi
torium and market with capitals. The
will dispute. The market is also large,
as the space within its walls is four
times as great as that in the old mar
ket, and ample, as the committee be-
lieves, for the purposes Of this city for
many years to come. Investigation
that the demand for market space is
not keeping pace with the growth of
population in the cities of this country,
because the corner grocer, the neigh
borhood butcher, the telephone and the
delivery wagon have brought the mar
liet to our doors.
The committee selected to construct
this auditorium and market house is
composed of busy men. Some of the
members of this committee are among
the most busy men in our city. These
gentlemen have given their labor and
their time with unselfish devotion to
the accomplishment OF the work which
they had in hand, and think no one
will dispute that their work has been
well done. Not one dollar, not one
cent, which was appropriated for the
building of this structure has been di-
verted from the purpose for which it
was intended, and the committee in the
discharge Of its duties. has been actu-
ated solely by that high civil purpose
which should control all public Off
cials. No
Municipal government Is not the
same thing as municipal law. BY mu-
nicipal law we mean "A rule of civil
conduct prescribed by the supreme
power in the state commanding what is
right and prohibiting what is wrong"
You will thus perceive that the laws
relating to municipal corporations are
only fraction of that larger body OF
laws which we denominate the muni-
cipal law. Municipal government is
not as old as civilization, but it is cer1
tainly of great antiquity. We know lit
tie or nothing regarding the munici-
pal government of the cities of the
ancient world. We know little or
of the laws under which Baby
lon, the cities of ancient Greece, Carr
thage, or Rome were governed. But
this much we do know, that in remote
antiquity the state grew up about the
walled city and was, an adjunct to 1t.
In mOdern times tho City has prown nm