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

their money and exercise an authority
over them whose possibilities of In
jury equal IL they do not outweigh the
likelihood of benefit.
1t is due also to the rapid growth
In the expense which the ordinary ad-
ministration of the government i'm
poses. This has been far beyond what
the increase in population would JUS
tify, even If growth in numbers car
ried a relative growth In cost, which
it does not. It should not cost four
millions of people even one-third more
to conduct their government than it
cost three millions, yet the expenses
of our state government have more
than doubled in less than 20 years.
The men of Ohio will not be mig
gardly They wish and mean to have
the public business brought and kept
to a standard worthy of her rank. And
they are willing to pay the cost. But
we whom they have called to conduct
it must take notice that they expect
us to devote to it the same qualities
which lead private enterprises to sue
cess. They had right to assume that
we have and intend to employ these
qualities ourselves, and that the same
will be true of the agents whose choice
is left to us. In the half million vot-
ers of each party there is an abun-
dance OF worthy and capable men
available for the public service.
Proper political activity is no disquali-
fication; quite the contrary; but it
does not dispense with fitness for the
work to be done.
Then, too, the civic conscience has
grown more sensitive and alert. 1t
has come to be generally realized that
betrayal of public confidence is the
worst of all offenses in the broad
sweep of harmful results. If not
handled with prompt vigor it quickly
spreads it's poison and, by weakening
respect for authority, encourages all
whom that alone restraints from
wrong Private offenders seldom go
| free, because there is always victim
who urges the pursuit. The victims
of public wrongs are the entire peo-
| pie. They are too numerous to aid
justice in person. They entrust this
| IL
of the confidence placed in them, the
offense is magnified by the multitude
of the wronged instead of being re-
duced by division among them after
the manner of the unthinking or low
thinking.
So public sentiment will no longer
permit charges or suspicion of official
misconduct to go unheeded, especially
when technical obstacles leave incom-
plete Investigations already fruitful
The whole truth must be known in
the interest both of the state and the
officials involved If these are limo
cent they should be freed from sus
picion and confidence in the public
service be thus restored. If they are
guilty, both punishment and restitu
ton must follow. The party associ
ates of an offender should be the las
to shield him, for them he has doubl.
wronged.
l do not think This occasion appro
pirate fer review of the many i'm
portant matters which will require at
tention. Nor do l feel competent tt
pass judgment on plans under way o.
suggestion for the treatment of those
matters, without more thorough stud!
and conference with those who hav,
given them special thought than pri
vate duties have permitted.
Activity of thought about public af
fairs on the part of citizens is whole
some. When due only to the common
interest, as l believe it generally is
it is always to be welcomed. 1t i
well, too, that particular men shoul,
; devote themselves to special subjects
But naturally these often lack tn
sense of proportion and forget tina
the men who are to act must take
: broader view which includes all sui
jects committed to their charge.
) I will mention few of the thing
: which have enlisted my attention:
Agriculture, though the oldest,
/. and always will be the most impor
ant of all industries. Private ente
prise has gone far in perfecting in
plements, but as the native richnes
: of the soil is drawn upon, science mus
lend a hand. Unlike the other depo
2 its of the earth which use exhaust
3 the soil may be perpetually renewe,
2 But science requires teaching, and {
: this the state has taken charge. S
4 the study and testing of soils an
D crops by experiment for the commo
: benefit should be encouraged and e
/ tended and also instruction In til
4 principles of agriculture by til
}. schools. With the supply of new Ian
6 virtually cut off and fast CROWN
g population, we can afford to have I
i exhausted soil. The farms in OF
d country are much larger than in al
other. They are free in title and e
S joyment, which is seldom true in old,
l. countries. With agriculture made
t more scientific pursuit, bringing be
n ter and less toilsome results, and vii
L good roads to avoid waste of time ar
energy, farm life in Ohio will mul
r nlv IFS already great attra ptiOnS