The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1909-03-25
WOODS BILL
Gets VETO
HELD INADEQUATE BY COVER.
NOR HARMON AND LEclsLA-
TURE IS ROASTED.
NO POWER TO PROBE

instead OF the State-No InVestiga-
tion Would Be Proposed Unless
There Were Grounds of Suspicion.
Columbus, o., March 21-Governor
Harmon Saturday afternoon vetoed
the famous Woods probe bill. 1t pro-
vided for commission of two to in
vestigate state offices and institutions
One Of the members was to be ap-
pointed by the governor and the 9TH
er by the lieutenant governor, This
bill as originally drawn provided that
the governor should name the COM
mission. 1t was introduced by Repre-
sentative Frank Woods, Medina coun-
ty, Republican, but every effort was
made by the Republican organization
to hold it up or so amend it in the
house as to make it Intellectual.
AS the bill passed. it was consid-
cred joke. 1t contained an appro-
priation of $4,000 to carry its pur-
poses into effect. 1t meant that one
of the commission was to be a Demo-
crat and the other a Republican, but
thnre was no way 10 arbitrate a diff
fefv.-1 of opinion. This was one of
the puerile features of the proposed
law when 1t left the hands of the Re
publicans, 1t was one reason why
Governor Harmon vetoed the bill, as
he says in his statement, which fol-
lows:
''The constitution provides that
no bill shall contain more than one
subject, which shall be clearly ex-
pressed in it's title.' The title of this
bill is an act to authorize and en-
power the governor to investigate
state officials, boards, institutions and
departments and to appropriate money
therefor
"But the bill gives the governor no
authority or power whatever to in
Vestigate anybody or anything. He
is simply given the right to appoint
one member of commission of Two
of opposite politics, who must always
agree or nothing can be done, al
though it is clearly assumed that
governor has no right to take part
in their action or in any wise direct
or control it.
"The other member of the commits
sion is to be appointed by the lieu
tenant governor. That officer, while
there is governor, is merely the
presiding officer of the senate and
nothing more. The constitution pro-
hibits the general assembly from ex-
ercising the appointing power except
in prescribed cases, of which this is
not one. The sound reason of this
prohibition is manifest, as the temp
tation to multiply positions would
arise if that body were permitted to
ill as well as create them. II is
plain, too, that this wholesome rule
of the constitution would become
dead letter if the general assembly
might make appointments other than
its own committees. officers and en-
ployes, indirectly through either or
both of It's presiding officers.
''Bven If all this might properly be
overlooked, l could not conscientious
ly approve the bill. 1t reads as
OF the officials instead of in the in
terest of the state. 1t requires that all
investigations be publicly conducted,
and gives every officer, board, institu-
zion and department the right to be
represented, at all times, by counsel
whose fees are to be paid out of the
fund appropriated. No private ex-
animation of books and accounts, no
following the lead of suspicious cir
eumstances, no effort to get informa-
tion from timid or unwilling witnes-
ses, without the presence OF the Of
fcial under inquiry and his resource
ful counsel. Imagine a merchant de-
MED the right to examine his own
books without having the bookkeeper
present with his lawyer.
without private and ex parte in
Vestigations by our prosecuting at
torneys and grand juries the admins
tration of justice would have to be
abandoned. Suppose it were proposed
70 forbid all inquiry by these officials !
except in public and with the persons
involved represented by counsel Sc
lected by themselves and paid out of
the treasury. What would the peo-
pie Of the state say to that? Every
citizen, however innocent, is subject |
20 investigation by the officers OF the
law when suspicion OF wrongdoing
IS aroused, and Is entitled to a public
hearing only in case facts are discov- !
cred which justify charges against
him. Then, and not until then, has
the citizen a right to the service of |
counsel, and he has to pay their fees
himself unless he is a pauper.
why, then, this great solicitude in
n purely civil inquiry, for officials
whose doings should at all times be
an open book to the people who en-
plOy and pay them? No investigation |
would be thought OF unless there were
grounds OF suspecion. The passage OF
the bill is admission that such |
grounds exist, though well known
facts already disclosed by Incomplete
investigations make the admission un-
necessary.
why, then, not proceed first by
the usual methods to learn the real
facts, and require public hearings,
with counsel, only In case the fact 50