Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-01-14

departments will lend all aid within
their constitutional power without
any purpose to set up a dictatorship
OF to detract from the credit which
will properly come to the members of
the general assembly from wise So
luton of these great problems.
Self.government is on trial. Lin
coin said of it: I'VE shall nobly save
or meanly lose the last, best hope OF
earth" That hope was "nobly saved"
by our fathers generation ago. we
must not and will not "meanly lose"
it now Mindful of the past. cherish.
ing its heroic memories and reverenc-
ing its well taught lessons, the people
of Ohio have their faces toward the
future and will apply time-tried prin-
ciples of equity and humanity to new
situations arising from changed condi-
tions. Insofar as the activities of the
state can be utilized to humanize the
relations between its citizens 1t must
spare no effort to protect the weak,
to relieve the oppressed, to remedy in.
cQualities, to give hope and comfort
and aid to the unfortunate--all this
| without injustice to any legitimate in
| terest, individual or corporate. To
| these policies of humanity, economy,
| self-government and law enforcement,
| the incoming administration-both
| legislative and executives definite
| ly pledged. Each department of gov
| ernment is mindful of pledges public
ly made; sustained by an alert, dis
eliminating public opinion, it will dis
| charge its full duty under the laws
| and the constitution. Fortunately for
| the people in our state not all the eX-
| ecutive power is vested in the COVER
| nor. The constitution provides for
| the election of lieutenant governor,
| secretary of state. an attorney gen
| eral. an auditor of state and treas.
Urer of state; these officials so chosen
directly by the people themselves are
! responsible to the people and have
duties to perform but little if any less
III Importance than those assigned TO
the governor.
| 1t is one of the evils of concentrate
ed authority that the people come to
| lColl to the executive solely for need
ed changes in legislation, disregardine
| their own immediate constitutional
representatives in the lawmaking
bodies. Give your senators and rep
sentatives a chance. They are able
| to aid you in working out reforms
demanded in legislation. Keep in
close touch with them assist them by
your counsel md advice; for in the
last analysis theirs is the responsible
ity of lawmaking ana to them viii
properly belongs the credit for wise
| legislation.
In due time the executive will COM
rlunicate to the general assembly his
recommendations as to legislation to
carry into effect the pledges upon
which a majority of the members of
that body are elected and to bring to
the people the benefits of more
economical and less centralized gov
ernment. My only recommendation
at this time is that in the accomplish
ment of these great reforms demand
ed by the electorate at the polls, there
be as small a volume of legislation as
j.; consistent with the public interest.
In the working out of these great
problems of government by the gen
eral assembly it is hoped that party
lines will not be drawn as they GER
tainly were not drawn in the election
ljust passed. With the flight of years
party lines have loosened somewhat
and a majority of the voters are no
longer controlled by the maxim: MY
party, right or wrong" Political or
ganizations can no longer depend for
success upon their great achieve
ments in a distant and fast receding
past; they must be alert, sanely pro.
gressive and fully abreast of the
times; if they would win they must
hold fast to the everlasting princi.
pies of American selfsovernment and
merit the confidence and support OF
the electorate by demonstrating their
capacity for service and commencing
themselves to the judgment and con-
science of the people.
This mighty throng recalls other
iraugurations, different faces, strange
garbs back in the days when Ohio be-
gan to be. From out the hallowed
mists of a glorious past come the
faces of the mighty men who have
adorned the executive office by their
service. | may not name them but
} the memory of those courageous
hearts and giant intelects bids me
bow my head in humility. Our hearts
throb with patriotic pride at the men,
: ory of their mighty achievements. My
J humble prayer is not that l may ex-
: eel them but rather that | may pass
on to my successors unsullied what
these stalwart patriots of a genera,
} tion gone nave given to us unstained.
: There is inspiration in the thought
7 that from out the mysterious depths
5 Of shadowland will come the sainted
spirits of the mighty dead and stand
/. by our side and uphold our hands if
we fight for the right. ! venture to