Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-01-14
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
OF GOVERNOR WILLIS


Columbus, Jan. 1i.-After his in
auguration as governor OF Ohio, Frank
Il. Willis spoke, in part, as follows:
To the People of Ohio:
The Inauguration OF officials with
Its attendant ceremonies, however
simple or imposing, is by no means
an expression by the people of their
personal interest in the individuals
temporarily entrusted with authority,
nor yet is it partisan occasion for
expression of glorfication over polit-
ical victory or criticism of van
quished foe. 1t is rather an occasion
in which all the people, regardless of
party differences, receive the pledge
of loyal and devoted service from
those in whose hands a portion of the
peoples power has been placed for
brief term and wno in turn by their
presence, actual or constructive,
pledge themselves to uphold the
hands of their chosen officials in all
honest efforts to secure obedience to
the laws and to promote the public
welfare.
1t is said that in certain of the Swiss
cantons part of the ceremonies at
tendant upon the Induction into office
OF the chief magistrate is the admin
| istering to the assembled people of a
solemn oath to obey the laws by him
who as chief magistrate of the cam
ton has just taken the oath to enforce
| the laws. In this commonwealth we
deem it unnecessary to pledge the
people to obey their own laws and
sustain their own government be.
cause such fealty is implied even
though not expressed by solemn cere'
mony In such state as ours where
the people themselves are the source
OF all power and where the opinion is
general and well grounded that the
| best government is the one closest TO
the people. with the constitutional
safeguards and limitations found to
be necessary by the experience of the
ages. the sense of respect for the law
and obedience to its precepts IS high
and must not be offended The chief
duty of the executive is to see that
the laws are faithfully executed. This
duty will be performed untlinchingly
to the end that the dignity of the
state may be upheld and its citizens
protected by tne uniform enforcement
OF its laws throughout the common
wealth.
1t is we'll that this sense of respon-
sibility should rest upon all of us
citizens as we'll as lawmakers, judges
and executive officials. In a beneYo-
lent despotism the obligation of the
subject is slight; it is his to obey, not
to question. Centralized authority
makes the laws for him, appoints his
officials, levies mis- taxes and spends
his revenues for him. His sense Of
responsibility grows constantly less,
and, therefore, his worth as a citizen
is by so much diminished. 1t is not
impossible that in benevolent autoc-
racy a higher degree of mere routine
efficiency and scientific skill for
time may be attained than in gov
ernment by the people; but this
greater efficiency would be only tenn
porary. 1t is the lesson of thousand
years of toll and battle and struggle
for free government that this tenn
rorary efficiency gives way to sloth-
fulneSs, needless multiplication of Of
fees, political cabals and extravagant
expenditures. Efficiency Is desirable
in government and it can be obtained
without autocracy; to deny this is to
iEdict free government of incapacity
and to assert that government by the
people is a myth. Efficiency is i'm
portant, self-government is vital. The
remedy for any possible weakness of
government by the people is the cul-
tivation of spirit of sleepless Wig
lance not only as matter of Senti-
ment, but as matter of self-interest.
The fathers wisely provided for a
division of governmental functions
into legislative, judicial and execu-
tive. If the struggle for free govern
ment, centuries old and worldwide
has made any one proposition abso-
lutely clear it is that the making of
the laws and the execution of them
should not be in the same hands
Neither should the legislative or ex.
ecutive departments undertake to con.
troll Tic Judiciary; each should be free
to perform its functions prescribed by
the constitution, uninf1uenced by fear
and uncontrolled by dictation.
This was good doctrine a century
ago and it is good doctrine now. Its
everlasting verities do not decay
with the flight of time. A leg
islature, congress or parlia
ment, once it became accustomed tc
executive domination, would soon lose
its power of initiative and it's virilit,
, and become an inane and helpless
thing, unworthy of respect and use
less as an institution of government
= The experience of civilized mankind
: has SHOWN that the details of legisla
tion can best be wrought by the elect
ed representative of the people, re
serving to the people the right to taxi
the initiative or to DaSs final iudg