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

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ttOn or tuition cost, into the state uni
versities IL It is his wish. This auto
matically elevates the rural school tc
most distinct agency in the rehabili
tation of country life.
In road improvement Ohio stands
out conspicuous now above all Other
states, and the construction of ruraI
transportation facilities will give such
spur to closer trade and community
relation between the country and city
as to aid gloriously to the develop.
ment of the commonwealth
Prison Reform.
Our prison system claims the praise
of experts in every state. In our
Juvenile reformatories useful trades
are being taught. In the prisons in
] dustries afford employment, and night
schools create moral and education
al awakening. The spirit of these in
stitutions has been completely trans
FORMED, and the improved behavior on
the part of those confined shows that
when government lends itself hui
namely to the rerouting Of a human
derelict the result is but the natural
outgrowth of kindness. State and
county institutions in buying supplies
from these prison industries afford
the prisoner the opportunity of turn.
ing his labors into profit, not only to
the state by the removed cost main
tenance, but to his family as well. The
working of the states charges in pris-
ons and asylums, on the farms. has
resulted in impressive economies to
the public and distinct physical and
moral betterment to those now oc
cupied in useful labcrs.
Efficiency in Taxation System.
The results of the new taxation
laws have been so definite, both with
respect to the listing of intangible
property that has been escaping the
assessors, and the reduction in the
rate to the individual owner Of prop
erty, that the opposition no longer at
tempts to discuss this question on it's
merits. That lands and buildings have
not, generally speaking, been in
creased in valuation-and the general
duplicate of the state has grown al.
most one billion dollars-is such in
dtsputable evidence that the great
masses-particularly those whose
property is in sight-have been pay
Ing the share of public expense be.
longing in all justice to someone else,
that the taxation policies of old re-
fleet more than mere neglect of
duty. In short, they have so grossly
trespassed on the moral code as to
render any suggestion of a return to
the reprehensible practice shocking to
the public sense of right.
Challenge to Reactionaries.
In the face Of these laws, and
others equally just which the people
would not think of repeating, what is
the predicament of the opposition?
With business interests adjusted to
the new order and with labor march
Ing to its task with a happiness prev
iously unknown with the country dis
tricts already taking on new life, with |
what method of sophistry, with what
school of political strategy must the
standpat forces in Ohio approach the
Democratic bulwarls?
With not single act of dishonesty |
with not an instance of official graft |
dare they make the battle on the
question Of plain integrity?
With every promise kept and the
relation between the citizen and gov.
eminent raised to the homely honesty
that prevails in business and private
transactions, can they draw a con.
trast with their unbroken record of
fifty years Of broken promises If
they ever kept in common integrity
the pledges contained in a single
platform adopted since the civil war,
we challenge them to point out the
time and the circumstance
What sad commentary on a once
great political party that in it's ex.
tremlty it defames the memory and
name of Mckinley by avowing that
his policy of taxation was an act born
of treason to the people and tres
pass on their rights as citizens.
That the Republican leaders are
SO reduced in followers is not surpris-
ing since they are equally impover-
ished in those constructive qualities
in government that ordinarily inspire
a militant support. Never in its history
have the leaders of the opposition
party faced the guage of battle, so
depleted in issues and so lacking in
discipline and numbers as now.
Summed up in few words, the Re-
publican leaders have reduced their
cause to a plain ranting hypocrisy
and their methods are neither cal
,ulated to appeal to public reason or
'avor.
We find the standpat candidate for
governor introducing as an issue, the
bitterness of civil war times When
'ur grief-stricken president was about
o embark on the saddest pilgrimage
,f his whole life and return to the
scenes of his early romance, this I
candidate for the highest Office in the
lift of ohioans, impugned the loyalty I
II the Southern people and charged
hat the president was turning the
government over to them. Every man ]