The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1909-01-14
HARMON
NOW GOVERNOR OF
OHIO
Outlines Policy and Urges
Pen Reform
City Crowded With Visi-
tors From All Parts Of
The State-DecIares,
Against Federal Regu-
Iation Interpretations

Columbus, Jan. 11.-Judson Harmon
was inaugurated. governor of Ohio
shortly after noon Monday. The
ceremonies were most elaborate. The
city was crowded with visitors from
all parts of the state.
Gov. Harmon lin his inaugural adj
dress declared for state regulation of
corporations and against interference
by the national government in the
conduct of companies doing an inter
state business.
He takes a rap at the broader pow
ers of the national government as
urged by Roosevelt, declaring that if
congress gets larger jurisdiction over
the state the capitol might as well be
closed and the state officers go home.
Government has become much
more complex and difficult than it was
when population was less Dense" he
said. "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-
ton of the general welfare to exer-
else some control over the means and
methods of commercial activity.
"We must make the state govern
ment more broadly useful. Its powers
are ample and undoubted.
"It has absolute control of all cor
poraticns of it's own creation and of
the terms on which corporations of
other states may do business here.
why, then, stand by and let the
general government assume to regu-
late state corporations because they
engage in interstate commerce? IL
congress gets general jurisdiction over
US IL we engage in commerce outside
the state, we may as well turn over
the capitol to a federal commission
and go home.
"We should carefully supervise the
creation and extension of corporate
rights 30 that the name of the state
shall not be used to decorate securi-
ties which do not represent good
faith and full value. We should re-
fuse to admit to deal with our citi-
zens corporations not subjected to
like precautions. If any should per-
sist in letting office boys with type
writer's produce at will corporations of
false personnel and pretended domi-
cile, they should soon find the indus
try Improbable.
"Yet in Ohio 1t is easier to get up
a corporation than partnership,
81 do not believe the shortcomings
of the state have been any greater
than those of the national govern
ment. Certainly no state government
ever used. or would have dared to
use, taxing power to swell private for
tunes, or plunged into unparalleled
expenditures in the face of a large
and growing deficit chiefly due to re-
verting taxation from its primary pur-
pose of raising public revenue.
"But whatever the defects of the
state governments they have been
chiefly due to lack of timely attention.
The business instincts of our citizens,
long absorbed by their private affairs,
have, however, turned sharply on the
officials who collect and spend their
money and exercise an authority over
them whose possibilities of injury
equal If they do not outweigh the
likelihood of benefit.
'It should not cost 100000 of peo-
pie even one-third more to conduct
their government than 1t cost 3,000.-
900, yet the expenses OF our state gov
ernment have more than doubled In
less than 20 years.
"The victims of public wrongs are
the entire people They are too num-
erous to aid justice In person, They
intrust this to their officers, and to
these, II worthy of the confidence
placed i'm them, the offense is magni-
ned by the multitude Of the wrong
cd instead of being reduced by division
among them.
so public sentiment will no longer
permit charges or suspicion of official
misconduct to 60 UNDECIDED. The
whole truth must be known. II they
are guilty, both punishment and restl-
tuition must follow. The party asso-