The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-01-27
ISSUE JOINED ON
AND LIQUOR


OOluluDuHJ O.--CONbIuOT JuAhCo W.
Cox made public his reply to the de-
mands of the minority committee
asking the repeal of the Warnes tax
law and the amendment of the liquor
license law The governors state
ment follows:
Hon. c. j. Howard. Hon. M. A. Broad
stone, Hon c. A. Reid, Hon. c. d..
Conover, Hon. Oscar e. Diser, Com
mittee
Gentlemen--I have your communi-
cation of Jan. %, in which you recon-
mend to the executive department OF
this state that there be submitted for
the consideration Of the legislature a
change in the liquor license law ana
the repeal Of the Warnes taxation
measure, the suggestion from you be-
ing based, as you represent, upon my
having invited the Republican minor
ity of the general assembly to make
recommendations to you for call for
such legislation to the special ses-
sion of the Eightieth general assem-
bly, of Ohio as we (meaning you)
should deem necessary for the well
fare Of the people of the state"
1t was my thought that some of the
minority senators and representatives
might present to Messrs. Howard and
tions in their respective communities
which ought, in full consideration Of
public interest, be given attention at
the special session.
The governor is presumed to be
the representative of all the people
of all parties, and it was the desire to
give the agency to which your minor
ity associates might make their ap-
peal the fullest opportunity to present
the needs in their respective COM
munities. Whether the subjects
which you suggest for presentation to
the assembly can be considered emer-
gencies l leave you in full conscience
to reflect upon.
It does not appear from consulta-
tion of the records when the license
and tax laws were placed upon final
passage that there was unanimous op-
position upon the part of the five gem
tlemen making up your committee. It
can notSbut be regarded as highly sig
nificant that after making an entire
survey of all that has been done in
this state within year you gentle
men, representing the minority party.
complain Of but two measures, one Of
which you would repeal and the other
you would amend, This is a confessed
Endorsement, therefore, of the whole
legislative program with the excep-
tion Of two laws, and the executive
could not but appear ungracious if he
did not give voice to the fullest aD-
probation of the compliment as d.
rectly implied by this manifestation
| of legislative candor.
You propose a change in the liquor
license law, but while you register a
complaint you make no concrete sug-
gestion. | need not remind you that
it is mach easier to criticise law
than it is to submit change in its
provisions which might be generally
regarded as an Improvement You
say that the right to select licensing
officers should be delegated to prop
er county authority" 1t can not but
be a deep-seated curiosity in the
minds Of the people as to what the
proper county authority" is. Inas-
much as every member of your COM
mittee, IL ] am correctly advised, vot-
ed to make the county commissioners
elective, then 1t is perfectly fair to as
sumo that you still hold to this idea
In the face of the admitted efficiency
of the license law, any person who
now obtrudes the suggestion that the
commissioners in the wet counties
and there are commissioners nowhere
else-be elected, may have cast upon
him the general suspicion that he
seeks to break down the machinery
which is making law enforcement
possible, everywhere, and in every
community.
Your committee makes the observa-
tion that change be made 80 that
"the chief executive of this state
may be elevated above the political
entanglements of the license busi-
ness"
hhOW VI AAO inOiG ul6Ain6u
patton In government. can conceive
OF no more useful executive function
than that the governor, accountable
to all the people and responsible un.
der the constitution and his oath OF
Office to enforce the laws Of the state,
should be given the fullest police pow
er of this great commonwealth to
make law enforcement a reality and
not a shadow.
With reference to the taxation law:
The situation created by its passage
presents these two striking character
istics:
First-The unpopularity of the
measure among those whose unfound-
ed fears have been aroused by the
tax dodger; and,
Second-The inclination on the
part of some public officials whose
security In tenure of Office is of su-
preme concern, to let expediency
transcend principle and sense of duty.
Permit Inc to remind you, gentle
men, that IN this eulis.htened dav a