The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-03-28
CONDUCTING
CAMP PAIGN
For Election As Delegate To
Natl Convention
And The Business Of The
State Suffers
Just The Same As If He We're
On The Job
Civil War Veteran Separated
From Pay Roll
Being Discharged Upon Or
derS Of The Governor
Being Discharged Upon Or
deFS Of The Governor

Columbus, O., March 24-While
Governor Willis running around the
state conducting a campaign for elec,
tion as national Republican delegate
at-large from Ohio the state business
suffers just the same as if he were
on the job. The point is, however.
that speech-making at every cross.
roads function is not governing, and
people are pointing out that economy
like charity should begin at home.
Since the first of the year Governor
Willis has spent most of the time
which the state pays him for out at
banquet-eating and speech-making
functions. Governor Willis is paid
$4,000 year to be chief executive,
but he is using the states time to
further his own ends as a political
candidate. A certain amount of po-
litical activity may be acceptable to
the people, but the present governor
is exceeding the limits of all propri-
ETY.. Of course the criticism is level
ed at the spectacle presented, for the
efficient work of the administration
goes on just the same in Willis alb
sence as during his presence, having
been by the governor entrusted in
capable hands trained for their work
by close association with him. AS a
matter of fact, while the governor is
campaigning instead of governing,
the probabilities are that the Repub-
hcans in general do not give a pic
ayune whether Willis or Ralph Tyler,
or Matt. Glaser or DR.. Giffen be Sc
lected.
Bent with the weight of his seventy
years, Robert A. Powelson, the last
of the Democratic Civil war veterans
on the capitol payroll, last week
marched out, discharged by orders of
Governor Willis because of his poll
tics. Powelson came from the gov
ernors own county of Hardin. He
served in the 122nd Ohio Infantry for
three years and was appointed to a
position by Governor Judson Harmon
in 1909. After his dismissal the old
fellow went to Toledo to the side of
his invalid wife. His age and his de-
fense of the flag availed him nothing
at the hands of the hypocritical state
administration.
The Ada professor now at the head
Of Ohio's government showed by his
remarks at the Jackson, o., banquet
last week that he had never taken the
commercial course at his own institu-
tion. He berated previous admins
trations for paying high prices for
rented quarters for the state industri-
al commission and deplored sorrow
fully his failure to remove that body
to an abandoned beer hall, the same
being based upon the fact that the
present quarters are under lease. The
supreme court unanimously held that
the lease was valid and that the rent
would have to be paid, and that the
governor now holding had approved
the law for the payment of rental.
The trial developed the fact that the
governor, his adjutant general and
one member of the state industrial
commission secretly made the beer
hall contract without ever inquiring
into whether the present rooms were
also leased. Attorney General Turner
was dumbfounded when the lessor
produced his lease. Any business
man with a spoonful of brains would
first have made this inquiry and not
have plunged the state into needless
expense. AS the matter now rests,
the state has two sets of leased head
quarters for one commission. In his
address to the assembly at Jackson,
the governor carefully omitted telling