The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1908-07-02


votes. most of the members of the
Seventy seventh general assembly
acknowledged that the law which they
passed at their first session in 1906
were entitled to, owing to a mistake
would permit them to draw mileage
allowance far in excess Of what was
just and right or by precedent they
that crept into 1t, 103 out of the 157
men who sat in the second regular
session, have taken advantage of that
error in the law and have drawn war
rants from State Auditor Guilbert for
the full amount Of mileage at the ex-
cessive rate. These 103 members of
the legislature have drawn upwards Of
$4,000 in excess of what they we're
Justly entitled to-
During the session which recently
closed the members voted to change
the law of 1906, which increased their
salaries from $500 to $1,000 and fixed
their mileage allowance at IL cents a
mile for the distance between Colum-
bus and their homes, twice each
month during the session. They
agreed that the law had been wrong
fully drawn so as to allow them about
nine times as much mileage as they
ought to have, since, under it, they
would be allowed six round trips
every month. In acknowledgment of
their mistake, they changed the al
lowance to IL cents mile for one
trip. That would give them three
round trips at the Ohio two-cent rate
for visits home during the session.
The change was to be effective Janu-
ary /, 1909. And yet after thus going
on record as believing the old law
mistake and that they were not justly
entitled to the grossly excessive rate,
sc representatives and II senators
have turned their vouchers in to the
state auditor and obtained warrants
thereon good at any time in the future
for their face value in cash at the
state treasury or at any bank. Most
of them have cashed the warrants and
have the money Some few, 1t is said,
are holding the warrants and say they
will not cash them, bat they fail to ex-
plain why they went to the trouble to
secure the warrants.
There is a possibility that more
books to have secured their warrants
may have realized the value of their
vouchers for the large allowance of
IimaICe. The vouchers are good at
any bank. Members may have de-
posted them with banks in their
home towns, or they may have used
them as collateral on loans, so that
while their disposition fially must be-
come known through the return OF
the voucher for the auditors warrant,
it may be months before it is known
whether some of the members have
drawn the mileage.
There were several who took the
mileage at the excessive rate allowed
by the error In the old law, at whose
action the public will be surprised, be-
cause it was thought they would re-
fuse to take advantage of a mistake
In the law. With the exception OF
Senator williams, all of the two lRrg-
est delegations in the general assem-
bly,, those from Cuyahoga and Hamil-
ton counties, drew the mileage at the
high rate. Senator Frederick c.
Howe, who led in the advocacy OF re-
form taxation, together with others
who were strong in their arguments
for reform, took the mileage as al
lowed by the mistake.
The largest amount drawn by one
man was $441.60, which was paid to
Senator Thomas Kinsman. of Trum-
bull county, who is quite wealthy He
owns nearly 1000 acres OF land, and
other property. The next highest
amount was drawn by Senator
Charles Lawyer, of Ashtabula county,
O prosperous attorney, who got
8403.2O. These were the only two
vouchers which called for more than
s4O0.
1t will be noticed that all three of
the Stark county members took the
graft.
The full list of those who have
drawn the warrants on the treasury
is given below:
REPRESENTATIVES.
C. b. Winters. Erie, $213.12.
Il. L. Lybarger, Coshocton, s151.68,
d. d. Spangler, Henry, $276.4B.
w. E. Rolf, Cuyahoga, 1888.
Il. W. Hitch, Clemont. 3284,16.
u. e. Yost. Monroe. s259.20.
Eff DeMuth, Paulding, $S47.62.
j. s. Stuckey, Van Vert, $259.20.
It. H. Watson, Carroll. S299.52.
Noah j. Dever, Scioto, 1892.
William Grinnell. Portage. $33792.
Warren Thomas, Trumbull, s37C.56.
r. M. Billipgslea. Butler, $19S.9a.
A. c. Lowry, Lawrence, $24s60
Joseph Justice, Putnam, s249.60.
Nicholas Diehl, Hamilton. $3.50 40.
George A, Bsssett Lucas. $9t0.
Sherman Thompson, Champaign,
110176.
w. z. Roll. Warren. s192.
F. w. Ban DuEen, Huron, &S46.S0.
l.. II. Paine. Lncas, $40.
ii. C. Manlbereger, Cuyahoga,
S26496.
l. M. Grover. Gala. s2OS.52.