Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1909-01-15

VINO are entrusted with DuDllc agency,
funds or property to the morality
which prevails between man and man
and condemns as dishonest all person
al gain or advantage from positions
due to confidence reposed. These du-
ties are well known and understood.
They call only for fairness, fidelity and
sometimes courage, qualities which
most men have who are likely to be
chosen by the voters of such COM
monwealth as ours.
But government has become much
more complex and difficult than 1t was
when population was less dense and
more homogeneous and the lives and
occupations of the people were
simpler. The restraint and regulation
of conduct have been greatly extended
in the interest of health, safety, pub
lie service and good morals. 1t has
been found necessary for the protec-
tion of the general welfare to exer-
else some control over the means and
methods of commercial activity.
All these are new and more delicate
tasks than those to which We have
long been accustomed, such as main
tanning peace and order, safeguarding
public property and rights, and pre-
venting or furnishing familiar cffenses.
They require from all branches of the
government great care and sound
| judgment, because the treatment of
these subjects is still in the stage of
experiment and the line is not always
easy to trace or to observe which sep
arates wholesome restraint from
harmful interference with the forces
of growth and development which are
and must always be chiefly individual.
Equally unfit for the public service
are men who are unwilling or afraid
to act when something should be done
and men who lack the broad sagaclty
to plan and apply new measures with
due regard to the whole range of their
effects. In the framing, construction
and enforcement of laws the precepts
which long experience has established
for official conduct were never so i'm
portant as they are now.
Recent elections in many states, in
cluding our own, show that citizens
generally are more closely watching
public affairs at home, even when
those of the nation compete for atten-
tion. Their devotion to our form of
government is overbearing the pass
ing inclination to call on Hercules for
what they could and would better do
themselves. They realize that it is
not wise to urge or allow the federal
government to break or even stretch
| Al. a.
see that with few, If any, exceptions
the partition of powers between state
and nation has been approved by trial
and that their home government more
quickly and truly responds to theil
will. Uniformity Of laws, when de
sirable, can be had by concerted state
action, but the popular instinct rightly
clings to the individuality of the
states. Our republic could not bt
what it is if the people of each state
had not been left free to work ou
and conduct for themselves, in view o
their origin and conditions, common
wealth according to their own concep
tions. Otherwise, the nation woulC
be a mere aggregation of inhabitants
not q true Union of states drawing it:
life from their vitality and stron:
from their strength.
We must make the state govern
ment more broadly useful. It's powers
are ample and undoubted to grappl
with many things which have been de
veloped by new conditions and Civ
general concern. For instance, it ha
absolute control of all corporations o
its own creation and of the terms ol
which corporations of other state
may do business here. Why, then
stand by and let the general govern
ment assume to regulate state corpC
2 rations because they engage in inter
1 state commerce? Citizens engage il
. that commerce. too, and congress ha
{ the same right concerning their pei
: sonal affairs as with those of stat
g corporations, no more and no les:
( If congress gets general jurisdictio
Y over us If We engage in commerce ou
Q side the state, we may as we'll tur
e over the capitol to a federal commi!
e sion and go home.
/ We should carefully supervise tn
!, creation and extension of corporal
l. rights so that the name of the stat
o shall net be used to decorate secur
t ties which do not represent good fait
). and full value We should refuse
h admit to deal with our citizens co
d porations not subjected to like precal
n tions. Other states would quickly FIN
a themselves compelled to do the sam
k But II any should persist in lettin
n Office boys with typewriters produC
II at win corporations of false personn,
t, and pretended domicile, they woul
soon find the industry Improbable.
D. The creation of ipipersonal being
d with extraordinary rights and faci
1t ties for wrong doing is a serious ma
e ter and should be so treated. Yet
l. Ohio 1t is easier to get up corpor
e ton than partnership.
N What caused for n time the obscu