The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-01-03

1ciootS anu Ine NiSneb OF oIHclalS un
der the present system will prevail.
against the public welfare to which
the course proposed Is so important
PenltentIary.
The bill just mentioned contained
provision which Is necessary to pre-
vent idleness and loss at the peniten-
tiary and other institutions. Under
The Vertz law the contract system
has now given way to the direct en-
Tloyment Of labor by the state. The
market for products must be broad
ened SO as to include counties, town
ships and municipalities or the new
plan is doomed 10 certain failure.
New Normal Schools.
I transmit herewith, with my ap.
proval, the report OF the commission
appointed pursuant to the act of May
10, 1910, to select suitable locations,
lands, ETC., and secure options on the
same, for the establishment Of two
new normal schools.
The commission brought to It's i'm
portant work high character. ability
and absolute impart.ality. The pre-
caution was taken to choose all the
members from parts Of the state
where there could be no local inter
est. They spert much tine and en-
ployed great care in reaching their
conclusions.
Finances.
BY the estimate Of the auditor OF
state the funds available, for all pur-
poses, for the fiscal year 1911, includ-
ing the balance IN the treasury Nov.
is, 1910, Of $3,638,S42, will be $751;
099,042. The disbursements, for all
purposes, will be $17,74O,263, if the
amounts asked by the various depart
ments and institutions be allowed.
This, Of course, is never done, but
especial care should now be taken to
reduce all appropriations to the low
est amounts that can be made to suf-
fee, in view of the great excess OF
expense over income, as estimated.
While a material increase in rev
enue may reasonably be expected un-
der the changes In the state tax laws
made last winter, when the tax COM
mission is fully equipped and in &C
ton, it is bad policy for the state.
as well as the citizen, to spend
money before it is at least in plain
sight.
Seeing the inordnate increases in
expenses everywhere, the figures of
which ! gave in detail in my last gen.
eral message, l am confident there
can and should be a reduction all
along the line, with an exception or
two ike the Girls Industrial school.
to which attention will be called at
another time when the report comes
in of the committee appointed at the
last session to investigate and rec
ommend.
Perry's Victory Centennial.
Another exception is the Perry's
victory centennial. Ohio very prop
erly took the lead in proposing and
preparing to celebrate this great
event whose consequences were so
momentous. Other states bordering
on the great lakes were invited TO
take part and have done or promised
to do so by appropriations and the
appointment of commissioners. Rhode
Island and Kentucky, also. have al
ready acted and congress will soon
do the same, the committee having
Just unanimously recommended an
appropriation of S250,000. So Ohio
can not afford even to lag in this pa
triotic movement.
Corrupt Practices Act.
No satisfactory or even creditabie
reason has ever been suggested why
the Garfield law was repealed in 1902
after being in force only six years.
leaving the state without any law on
the subject. The revelations of traf-
dc In votes In Adams county which
have startled the entire country call
for prompt action. 1t is not the ex-
istence or discovery of wrong doing
that brings shame to state. but fall
ure to put stop to 1t, It is not
enough to punish vote selling and
vote buying, which is the worse OF
the two, Socause both are merely out.
breaks OF a low civic morality which
only public sentiment can cure. II
officials can, without swift and last
ing discredit, use their authority to
further personal advantage or ambi-
ton, or permit their action to be In
fiuenced by considerations received
or promised In which the general
public does not share, 1t is only nat
ural that the voters should regard
the suffrage as a personal perquisits
on which they are free to realize
whatever they can for themselves.
And the wrong Is just the same, in
beth cases. whatever the inducement
promised or received.
But it will help greatly in guard
ing the purity of the ballot to pro-
hibit, under adequate penalties, all
practices which are likely to corrupt
II. 1t is well to require the publica-
ton of all campaign contributions
and their sources, both before and
after elections, but 1t would be bet,
ter for the state to pay whatever ex-
pense is necessary to the holding OF