The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1916-10-02


Attempt to MlsieAd-cox Said 10
Have Forced Competitive PrsTs'ens
Into the Lew 10 eIonsd.
Columbus, Sept 4s.-Nsw nTht Of q
most interesting nature on the posi-
ton Of James u. Csx towards tAe
Workm&nb Compensation law u
thrown By the Ohio State Republican
Textbook. which wfll be issued sAtur'
day. The textbook ASSERTS that tha
former governor forced into the law
tho provisions Of witch he now COM
plains and II sndsayos4ng 70 blind the
people Of Ohio By fictitious iisus.
The textbook speaks - follows:
In eonnAotloN with the WoHtmeR's
Compensation act, tho peoplo ef Ohio
are present this year With tho unique
spectacle Of 4 Democratic candidate
for governor attempting to mako an
Issue out Of law enacted under HE
own administration and bearing hls
own signature. More than this, the
candidate particularly illuminated
against ono particular provision ef this
3ot, for which no 10 hImssK personally
and soIsIy responsible.
Such IA exhibition, II 10 needless To
say, has never before been presented
to the people Of Ohio. IL 10 not, oftar
that q candidate for Governor ssts
about to deceive the people eenosrnInS
either the fAets Of q law or hIs own
part In it, enactment.
Tho history. of the Workmenis Com
pensation agitation In Ohio u too well
known to necessitate . review here,
Following . gradual development eoT'
ering 4 decade, the people OF Ohio IN
1872 adopted Constitutional Amend
ment authorizing the Legislature to
provide compulsory Compensation In
surance On the part Of all employer u
Ohio.
Following tho adoption q DE-
amendment In the fall Of 1917, repre-
sentauves Of the Ohio Federation OF
Labor, lawyers OF high standing and
unquestioned ability. drafted = bin
which was presented to the legislature
rs Senate Bill No. 48 by Senator VIM.
e. Green. This bill gave tbs state
monopoly Of Workmen's Compensation
Insurance In Ohio, and provides no
way for private insurance oemps"les
to engage In this kind Of buslassSSn
Ohio. But this original bill NJ. Cox
would not permit to pass.
So far as the workingmen of Ohio
arc concerned the only question OF
real moment in this campaign II
whether or not the Willis adntHistra,
ton has in any way weakened the law
Is II affects the compensation for In
turies received In the course e1 sm'
ployment-in any way changed the
law as 1t was passed under the admin
istration Of the former Governor
either ia wording or in actual prac
tice, In other words, the issre L.
who gave private Insurance companies
the RIGHT to write Workmen's comPsn'
sation insurance In Ohio.
cox AVOIDS REAL lssUK-
Governor Cox socks to avoid sseh
clear statement Of tho faeta The
platform which the platform commit
tee Of his party. headed ty his former
insurance commissioner, Edmond Il.
Moore, OF Youngstown, has given to
the people seeks to obscure 4 ~ ne
following presentation.
We regard the Taggart Niang
made with the consent and approval
OF Governor Willis, which gives La
bility insurance companies the night to
indemnify employers OF labor Against
the consequences Of criminal ACT, as
q reflection Oh the fair name OF the
state and an index to the anta8ontstic
policy Of the present state adninistra-
ton toward the Workmen's Compensa-
ton Law. The Ohio Democracy, as
tho parent Of this law. proposes to
preserve 1t against its enemies within
and without the State House. and to
further improve it a. further events
may suggest"
HOW pEcEPTIVE THIS
STATEMENT Is SHOWN BY THE
FACT THAT NEVER slHcE 1914
WHEN THE LAW WAS AMENDED
so AS TO SPECIFICALLY DEFINE
"a WILLFUL AcT") HAS A sINGLE
CASE WHICH WOULD COM e
WITHIN THE RANGE OF THIS
PARAGRAPH BEEN PRESENTED
TO THE INDUSTRIAL coMMs-
SION.
The question, then, OF interest to
the vorkinEmen Of Ohio Is as to the
parentase OF the sections in the pros
emit law which permit competition to
tue stats In the writing OF compsnsa-
ton insurance covering ordinary asd-
dents in Ohio.
COX PROVIDED THE PRIVATE
COMPETITION.
The Bill a. Introduced did net pr.
nit this competition. RESPONSIBLE.
lTY FOR THIS COMPETITION Is
DUE TO JAMES M. cox, AS Gov
ERNoR, and to NO ONE ELSE. Mr..
Cox, ut conferences helc 1T HE resi-.
dence on East Broad Street, Columbus,
forced tho provisions at issue Into the
bill. Senator Green was forced - ac-
capt tho amendment Of Mir. Cox.
BY provisions forced into the BILL,
smpIoyera s6le TO do % were given the
right 10 Garry their own Insurance, anc
thus given tho opportunity to trans.
for their risk to liability companies
operating In tho state by lnsurinS III
these oorspanleA Tho was thS loop.
hsIe provided In the Law by Mr.. Cox