The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1913-08-26
GOV. COX SAVED
THE SMITH LAW

Salem, o., Aug. %. - Governor
James NJ. Cox, addressing the farm
ers of Columbiana county here today,
discussed at length the Smith / per
cent tax law. declaring it to be one of
the wisest pieces of legislation of the
age. He completely exposed the fall
lacy Of the claim now being made by
! the Ohio Equity association, the insti-
tuition that is seeking to destroy the
workmen's compensation and Warnes
and Fitzpatrick laws, to the effect that
the present Legislature had emasculat-
ed the Smith law. On this subject he
said:
The law which was so popular In
all the communities Of this state was
destroyed by decision of the courts.
and yet no legal authority, so far as
/ know, has questioned the soundness
Of the decision rendered by the su.
preme court last winter. 1t deyelOped
that an error had inadvertently crept
into the phraseology Of the law and
that it must be corrected at ance IL
the act was to be preserved.
"On Jan. 29 / submitted a spe-
c1al message to the legislature calling
the attention of that body to the deci-
sion rendered on Jan. %. After point.
ing out that the court had submitted
an opinion to the effect that the inter
est and sinking fund charges did not
come within the prescribed maxima,
said: This vitiates the basic princi.
pie of the law, creates a breach in the
limitation, and trespasses on the fixed
purpose of the people to establish q
base of economy In government Preas
ent valuations on property were made
with common understanding Of the
maximum rate Of taxation, and any
action in departure from this, although
made possible by the decision of the
court, might be regarded as bad faith
upon the part of the state. The Smith
law may have to be refined by expert
ence, but there will remain nothing to-
refine If its emasculation stands with
out legislative repair The legislature
acted promptly and repaired the
breach. The Smith law was not only
saved, but the legislation enacted was
so timely as to bind the budget COM
missions over the state, which met in
June of this year. The recorded his
tory, therefore, of the present year,
shows conclusively that the state ad-
ministration and the present general
assembly, instead of harming the
Smith law, actually preserved it.
Furthermore, when the Smith law
was passed during the Harmon admin
istration, it was the belief that it
would be rendered more workable and
efficient if the Edwards bill, intro
duced at that session, were also
passed. For reasons which are pretty
we'll understood, the Edwards bill fail
ed of passage. What the legislature
two years aPJ Ia'led to do to make the,
Smith law workable, the present as
sembly took care Of by the passage Of
the Warnes bill, which is, in almost
precise terms, the provisions of the
Edwards bill.
"The Ohio Equity association, which
you have heard so much of in north
eastern Ohio, has left with the secre-
tary OF state a bundle of fraudulent
papers which they contend represent
the expressed resentment of the peo-
pile against the Warnes bill. You
know from reading the newspapers
that Burns detectives have been en-
plOyed in the preparation of the petit
tons
"Charges of fraud were formally
made against the petitions fled by tha.
Equity association, and so soon as tho
work of that institution was laid bare
in the state house by an official hear
ing, the Equity crowd, brazen as it is,
could not stand the infamy of the ex-
posure. II is significant that 1t was
represented at this hearing by the at
torney of Sam Scoville of Cleveland.
the head of the Illuminating company.
The evidence already produced has
revealed, in many instances the name
of his paid lobbyist, Harry Wilson Of
Cleveland.
Fortunately, the attempt to bring
into discredit the referendum princt-
pie of government is so completely ex.
posed as to reveal the real actors be-
hind the scenes. A year ago when
the new constitution was discussed
and when a progressive administra-
tion was suggested for this state,
these same interests contended that
an unsafe policy would be established
in the state house. Fifty-six major
laws have been passed, and yet, with.
all the momentum of money and the
connivance of Burns detectives, it has
been impossible, it seems, to procure
an honest referendum upon q single.
one of these measures"