The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1914-03-20

"If the present governor OF Ohio,
recognizing, as he did, that the Smith
law would not live II the present sys-
tenn Of listing property for taxation
were continued, had not performed
his plain duty, he would have deserv-
ed the contempt OF those who had
honored him. And the taxation law
must be administered with the same
iirmness of hand and certainty OF
control as the liquor license law. Tax
listing officers must be under obliga-
tions to no one in the local subdi'
vision. The Warnes law is now be-
ginning to show its meaning and its
purpose. If the same percentage OF
increase in personal property which
has already been shown continues,
the personal returns exclusive OF
those made by corporations, Will
amount to the tremendous figure of a
billion dollars in Ohio this year; and
II the tax rate in 95 per cent Of the
counties is not reduced, then the fault
lies with the officers who have been
elected by the people and not those
appointed by me,
Confident Of Result.
'I have no fears as to the result in
Ohio. know that the dominant
thought OF our people is progressive
l recognize that between now and the
autumn days the wisdom and benefits
OF our progressive and humanitarian
laws will be apparent. But If by any
combination OF circumstances the
present administration in this state
should be defeated and they should be
signing interests will use that result
IN its pressure and persuasion on the
legislature as a plain indication that
the laws which have been passed
with the last year must be repealed,
There is no other issue. These laws
are right or wrong. II wrong, l
shoud be defeated and they should be
repealed. II right, then | submit my
case to the fair judgment Of an intel
ligent citizenship.
If the workmen's compensation
law under the operations OF which
manufacturers are beginning to see
that they are saving money while one
million men and women march to the
factories every day protected against
The uncertainty of compensation in the
event of injury or death and against
the probability of endless lawsuit, Is
% be upturned and labor and capital
must again face each other In the
courts: IL the work is to be turned
over to the liability insurance COM
panies which, through the Equity AS
Sociation of Cleveland, are now sup
plying the sinews of war in opposi-
ton to this administration, then the
present law ought to be repealed.
"If in wet counties the liquor traffic
shall continue to run without restraint
or regulation. then the license law
should be repealed. If the great good
roads movement inaugurated in Ohio
under the operations of the Hite half
mill levy law is to be abandoned, then
that law should be repealed.
Stop Building Good Roads7
t"If the movement in behalf of com.
munity life in the country districts IN
the state is not rooted in justice anc
wisdom; if country schools are to be
conducted as individual projects re
gardless of the small number of pu
pills in attendance instead of working
out consolidation and concentration,
the new school laws should be re-
pealed. If the old system Of party
conventions is more responsive to
public desire and conserves in higher
degree the public interest, then the
statewide primary law should be re
pealed. II there should be seven or
eight Independent labor departments
instead of one industrial commission
then the industrial commission low
should be repealed. If there should
be four agricultural departments in
stead Of one, then the agricultural
commission law should be repealed
If the old method Of writing appro
priation bills aggregating eight to ten
of dollars each year is not to
give way to the modern budgetary
plan, then that law should be repeal
ed If our penal institutions shall be
conducted without regard to human
ity; if the means shall not be main
tained whereby unfortunates in our
state institutions might be given the
to help themselves men
tally and physically and their families
financially by employment, then let
us step backward into the darkness |
and repeal this law If the law giving
the people the right to remove any
public official who is delinquent in
stead of waiting two years is not
common-sense arrangement, then 1t |
ought to be destroyed. If pensions
for needy mothers and the blind do |
not appeal to the great heart of this
then these laws
should be repealed. II we have been
wrong in the attempt to protect farm
ers against unsound breeding stock
and adulteraed fertilizing and spray
Ing material, then those laws should
be repealed. If the confidence game
Is conducive to good morals, and our
people should be robbed by dealers in
worthless securities, then the Blue
Sky law should be repealed.
No Scandal or Corruption.
"There has been neither scandal nor
corruption in the state departments
under this administration. Both the
treasurer and auditor certify that at
the end of the fiscal year, Feb. 16,
there remained in the treasury the
largest unincumbered balance in the
of Ohio. The surplus at the
end Of this year will be even greater
nacausa tho exnenses in 1914 will be /