The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-08-28

tlOn growing out OF accidents to work
, men are now rare thing indeed. Ths
, vast economic waste OF legal proceed
ure and disputation between liability
insurance companies and injured me.
chanics is at an end 1Is the mills
. march daily hundreds Of thousands of
operatives with contentment they
never knew before. A tragedy in tha
shops now means instant relief in.
stead of law suit. The hospitals are
available for the injured without cost
to them, skilled medical service is
guaranteed without financial burden
TO them, and If tragedy results there
Is positive assurance Of relief for the
dependent familes-all of this under
the auspices of the government. Can
any student of events fail to measure
the increased reverence which this
breeds for the institutions of repub-
lie? Can anyone deny that it will be
more potential in allaying unrest in
the minds of the masses than all other
social and governmental factors COM
bined? And with this boon to the in
dustrial classes, we observe the rath-
er anomalous development Of a de
creased and constantly diminishing
cost to the manufacturer. The com.
pensation to the injured and families
OF those whose lives are offered up in
the great industrial struggle of the
day, is 80 per cent more than in any
other American state or foreign do
minion, while the cost to the employer
is only from one-third to one-half what
| 1t is elsewhere. This demonstrates
clearly that the workmen's compensa-
tion law is not only advantageous to
the workman but to his employer as
well, and 1t offers positive proof that
| society," so called, has always been
contributing enough to make possible
the relief now afforded, but the bene-
ficiaries have been the liability insur-
ance companies, For forty years the
stand-pat Republican party has been
preaching protection to the American
workman and the home. In less than
two years the Democracy Of our state
has done more for the laborer through
the compensation law, and more for
the home through the mothers pen
sion act, than the opposition party has
contributed in the whole of it's exist
ence.
Genuine Regulation Of Saloons.
A policy of artful discrimination with
respect to the liquor question, so long
deplored by thinking people, has been
changed by the Democracy to the con-
crete, effective and widely approved
plan OF genuine regulation OF this bus
iness. The dignity of law has been
established and the liquor licensing
act stands out as the sanest temper
ance measure In the states history |
That the people in voting this into the |
constitution acted with full under |
standing of the ills OF the past and |
the necessities of the future. is dem. |
onstrated by the complete TRANSFORMED
tion in conditions which came as
though by magic the day the law be-
came operative. Whatever regulatory
measures the community or state may
adopt or retain are certain of en-
forcement because the liquor license
is possessed only by those who re-
spect the laws.
Rural Problems Solved.
Not only have the complex prob
lens of the great cities received at
tention, but as proof that the evolu-
tionary period through which we are
passing brings better conditions in
life to every section, urban and rural,
we see revealed changes Of mighty
moment in the country. Not in years
has so much consideration been given
to the agricultural classes, this policy
springing from realization that the
future development of the state de-
pends in large part upon the most
scientific and modern methods of gov
ernmental cooperation with those
who produce our food necessities. In
fact, the most conspicuous phase of
our whole program of legislative prog.
ress seems to be its freedom from a
provincial spirit-it reflects the very
essence of cooperation as between the
elements in city and country life so
much dependent upon each other.
That fifty-one Ohio counties have less
population than they had thirty years
ago is circumstance that can profit
ably excite alarm, and 1t must be some
thing more than coincidence that In
every instance 1t is the rural county
that shows the loss. The cost of edu-
cation per pupil in the country is
greater than in the cities, and in most
cases the facilities are more ineffi.
cient, The little red brick school
house, so long temple to and use
full unit in civilization, must claim our
careful and helpful consideration.
Where the attendance justifies, it
should be maintained, but whore the
average of pupils falls to six and eight
and ten, then both vast economic
waste and inefficlency are inevitable.
Better roads solve the problem OF
and consolidation
seems to be but a logical develop ,
ment Wherever It has been adopted
the average attendance has increased ,
and there have been af-
forded both high school advantages