Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1914-09-11
LABOR DAY ADDRESS
Extracts From Address of Hon. Frank
B. Willis Republican Candidate for
Governor at Steubenville, Ohio,
Monday September 7th.

Monday September 18th.
In a mastery address at Stueben-
vile last Monday, Hon. Frank B.
Willis, after describing the rapid
growth of the Labor Movement and
showing how Union Labor has been
instrumental in securing humani-
tartan legislation for the protection
of life and limb and the betterment of
social conditions, gave utterance to
the following significant words:
Union labor has grown in the world
always against the opposition of au-
tocratic one man power. Not so long
ago in countries pretending to be
civilized it was held to be a crime for
working men to undertake to secure
for themselves better sanitary sur
roundings, better wages and shorter
hours. The advocates of one man
power said to working men: We un-
derstand better what you want than
you yourselves do. We can pass bet
ter laws for you than your represen-
tatives can make; we can appoint to
manage control and command you
better officers than you can elect" So
it has been through the centuries, the
freedom of the people has always been
opposed by those who have sought to
centralize power automatically in or
der to promote their own ambitions.
In this conflict world wide and CEN
turtles old, the men who toiled have al
ways been the .bulwark of free govern
ment, others have been induced by
the Establishments of place and the
thirst for power to support the pre-
tentions of those who seek to CEN
tralize all power in the hands of the
executives in the hope that humbly
feeding on the crumbs that fall from
the masters table, they may per-
chance become the recipient of
special executive favor. But the
brawny men who at forge, field and
factory have kept industry alive and
made civilization possible have ever set
their faces like flint against the aro-
CANT assumptions of the autocrat and
the bold, Establishments of the boss.
Oil and water will not mix; free
government and boss rule cannot CO.
exist; union labor is a persistent and
determined foe of machine politics.
The issue is as clear as the ultimate
result is certain. The chief political
issue this year in Ohio is whether au-
tocratic assumption of power by the
executive, boss rule and machine poll
tic shall be Endorsed or repudiated
The power of fixing salaries when
lodged in the hands of an executive
administrative officer, opens the door
to the gravest abuses and most glar-
ing frauds. Salaries could be arbi-
ttraily increased and the surplus i'm
mediately assessed as a campaign
fund, thus making it possible to carry
on an extensive and costly campaign
of publicity, speech-making and
travelling all at the EXPENSE of the
public treasury. The difference be-
tween our modern Ohio boss and the
boss of years gone is that in former
DAYS if the boss wanted amaehine he
built it and paid for it himself, but
our modern apostle of Tammanyism
in Ohio builds his machine and the
taxpayers pay for it. +
This evidently makes machine build
ing much easier and less expensive
for the builder. but the taxpayers are
protesting against having to foot the
bills. They wonder how the governor
can make an extensive and vigorous
campaign in practically every county
of the state against an able and ener-
getic opponent for the nomination and
yet spend only SOL. They know if the
tons of literature sent out, of the
enormous postage bills incurred, of
the uncountable thousands of miles
travelled by the army of state ap-
pointees who for many weeks prior
to the primaries constituted themselv-
es a flying squadron in defense of the
governor against the vigorous and eff
fective attacks of his opponent and
are wondering how much it cost the
taxpayers. It cost the governor only
S191. Verify, the chief executive OF
our great state must have treveled
on foot and, carried his lunch with
him. a.. n. nR
The people adopted the license
amendment and the initiative and re-
erendum on the theory that by SO do
ing the saloon would be taken out Of
politics. The people r WONDERING
why the governor Immediately put il
back in politics by providing in hi
law for state appointments of count.
liqucr license commissions, when thu
constitution clearly provides that al
county officers shall be elected by tn
people. Why should not these Ii
cense commissioners be elected b,
the people, or appointed by some of
fetal who is elected by the people o
the county? Why should the govern
or be given the power indirectly to ap
point these officers and thus enabl
him to carry out his scheme of bring
ing pressure to bear on the politics
activities of those subject to the Il
cense law.
The Republican party if charge
with power will vigorously enforc
! any law now on the statute books Q
which may subsequently be enacte
by the legislature or by the peopl
: through the initiative and referer
e Ldum: the political influence of the
( censing boards altogether or by tai
] ing from the governor and his advil
!, ers power of appointment of count
:. ~ieoree commissioners. The Peep.
!, will tolerate no backward step in ten
~nerance legislation and if Republ
$ cans are charged with power they wi
execute the peoples will by stoppin
: the retrograde movement the COVE.
q nor has started in his effort to mai
saloons a part of his political mi
e chine.
FOUND OUT.
J.. It was not until this week that Il
Wauseon friends of Miss Nevae
f Barkman discovered that she W,
e united in marriage on June tenth
Mr.. Glen Guthrie of Delta. Wedne