The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-01-02


AT an early date.
An interesting situation develops In
the matter and it is one that is giving
Republican leaders much concern. The
prominent candidates for the several
state Offices are either men who want .
to succeed themselves, OF men who
have been chief assistants in the
respective offices, and who want to
succeed their present bosses" A /
survey Of the situation shows that the
present governor will be a candidate
tn succeed himself the member Of ,
the board Of public works whose term .
expires, wants third term; the chief
deputy in the Office OF the state au-
ditor wants to succeed to the cap
taincy of the splendid machine the
present auditor has built up in 20
years; the cashier In the state treas
urer's ONCE is ambitious TO succeed
his chief; the chief clerk in the school
commissioners Office wants to assume
the reins Of that department; the spe-
cial counsel In the attorney generals
Office Is after the title and emoluments
that make the states legal adviser q
notable f1gure-and 1t is this situation
suggesting "bossism" and machine
candidates" that makes troublesome
hours for the party leaders.
There have been many conferences
during the past few days looking to a
clearing up OF the situation and very
shortly an announcement is expected
that will clear up the whole matter.
Some one or two of the machine-made
candidates will be eliminated by COM
mon consent and new candidates will
appear who will not bear the stigma
Of boss" and machine" i
In an open letter Representative w
E Bense Of Ottawa county has made
public his views as to proposed legis-
lation concerning county local option
in the next legislature. Mr.. Bense Is
leading member Of the house COM
mittee on temperance His letter in
part is as follows
"At one time | was in favor OF coun-
ty local option, for the reason that
ing local government to the people af-
fected, provided that they demanded
such submission.
Upon more mature consideration |
have come to the conclusion that coun-
ty local option is not in conformity
with the spilit Of direct legislation, be-
cause the unit of county Is SO large
that electors OF a county would vote
upon this subject and thereby control
territory beyond their local interest;
OF the other hand, a county Is not
large enough a unit to produce uni
formity Of conditions Of adjacent ter
ritory. In other words, it would do
away with home rule"
After citing specific instances, E1r.
Benses letter continues:
There is as much intercourse and
competition, and often more, between
towns lying in different counties as
there is between towns lying in the
same county
I'VE have laws allowing townships,
villages and cities to vote, each sepa-
rately, upon the question whether or
not liquor as a beverage may be sold
| III their respective territories, and for
| towns we have the residence local op-
tion law.
| "All these laws are based strictly
) upon the theory OF home rule, which
IS the underlyin5 principle OF direct
legislation.
| THE strongest argument In favor Of
| making the county the unit relative
to the liquor traic is because taxes
are levied by the county for the sup
port of the dependents and infirmaries
and that criminal jurisdiction Is CO.
extensive TO county.
This is true. but the great expense
and burden Of the evils arising from
the traffic of intoxicating liquor is
| borne by the towns and the state
In comparison with the expenses
borne by the villages, cities and state,
that of the counties is infinitessimal.
II want to point out that the ques-
tion is not whether one is in favor Of
dry or wet for county, but 1t il
whether or not a county is q proper
unit to submit to its electors the ques-
tion whether or not liquor to be used
as a beverage may be sold
''In considering this question, let 1t
not be forgotten that conditions and
not sentiments must be dealt with"
Former Lieutenant Governor Hard
ing announces that he viii not be a
candidate for governor. In making
the announcement the former heuten-
ant governor took occasion to say that
Forakerism was sweeping the state.
He says nothing can stop him. The
Taft forces do not appear to be great
ly excited over the statement
One Of the big railroad systems Of
the state has added a new line Of lit
erature to its erstwhile figure-laden
time tables. This railroad takes &C.
casion to quote from a message of
former Governor Myron T. Herrick.
Under the caption, Too Much
Thoughtless Legislation" the ex-gov-
ernor is quoted in part as follows:
1T is high time that we cease to
litter our books with measures that
restrict and give 1t form so rigid as
to be unsuited to natural development,
dwarflng growth and hampering indi-
vidual iniatiative, and confine our at
tention to the removal Of excrescent
growth, and the passage of such leg
islation az will keep pace with the
quickened evolution of the times, per
mitting and aiding the country to pro-
gress freely along the lines that have
been so prolific of good in the past
Just at present the outcry is loudest
nrainct the cnrnnrafinnS HninQ an in.