The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1917-03-22

IlOnS. Inc hepuDllCdnS can reply,
.,Mhat can a member of the minority
do?"
The Democrats can say, at couldn't
be done in so short a session. Both
Cox and Willis had promised the state
legislative rest. We enacted laws
TO make good our platform pledges,
didn't we?"
The representatives Of the rural
constituencies controlled in the legis-
lature and are able to say, I'VE got
what we demanded. The city men
didn't put anything over on us, did
they?"
To Consolidate City and County.
A delegation of the members of the
Franklin County Farmers union Wis
tied the legislative halls recently to-
protest against the resolution to
change the constitution so as to pro-
vide for the government of the cOun-
ties in which the large cities of the
state are located, by the same ma
ehinery as the cities in them are. The
proposition applies to Franklin coun-
ty and the farmers see in it visions of
taxes at city rates laid on their farm
lands. They are opposed to it, AS
they put it. they would be outvoted
on every proposition. Ultimately the
large cities of the state will comprise
most OF the areas of the counties in
which they are located, just as st.
Louis and Philadelphia do now, and
then such a condition as the pending
resolution contemplates will establish
itself. Until such a condition arises,
the rural population can be depended
upon TO fight the proposition of joint
government.
The New Election Laws.
Important changes were made in
the election laws. No longer will SOL
dicrs be disfranchlsed if they happen
to be serving their country beyond the
borders of the state at election time.
An absent voters measure takes care
of this. Under this act students can
also vote without returning home. All
this kind of voting can be done by
mail The present and former gov
ernoT earnestly advocated this law
The primary law has been changed
so that the man whose name begins
with "a" cannot cop all of the nom-
y nations. Hereafter the names will be
rotated on the primary ballots. The
present and former governor favored
this measure. Another change was
the separating of state and national
ballots in a presidential year. Gov.
Cox favored this and Gov Willis did
not. Four years ago the Democratic
legislature passed the Gregory law,
which provides for the separation of
the ballots, but before it could be
nscd the Republican legislature passed
the Hulswitt law. which restored the
old order of things.
Finance Is Main Topic.
The governor and the reporters at
the capital are interested in a ques-
tion of finance rather than politics.
The controversy is between the bank
ing department and the Geiger-Jones
company of Canton, who finance man
ufacturing plants and sell their stock.
Gov Cox, sitting with the new bank
examiner, Mr.. Berg, and Attorney
General McGhee, is hearing the con-
fcting interests on the question of
granting the Geiger-Jones company
license to sell stocks.
The organization of state bankers
opposes concerns which finance fac
tories and sell stock in them through
out the villages and rural districts be-
cause it takes cash of those who de-
posit with them. The Wolfe news
papers in Columbus have long pub
iished sensational statements about
the methods of the Geiger-Jones com
pany.
Appearing to urge the granting of
this license have been the chambers
of commerce of Canton, Massillon and
Lima, whose people depend for wages
largely upon the concerns which this
company has gathered the money for
to build and equip. .tv.
Eor Universal Military Training.
Adopting the recommendation of the
military committee of the Chamber of
Commerce in Columbus, the board of
directors in special meeting unani-
mously expressed approval of univer-
sal military training as a means by
which the nation may secure de-
fensive army and yet preserve its DEM
ocratic ideals. Through action of the
Chember's directors, the organization
will urge congress to enact legislation
embodying the principles of universal
military training and which will place
such training into effect.
The Trip for Corn Boys. $
No change will be made in the con-
duct of the corn contest work this sea-
son by the Ohio State university, ac-
cording to Clark s. Wheeler, director
Of the agricultural college extension
service, except the addition of num-
ber of educational features.
I'm accepting the transfer of the
work from the state board Of agricul-
ture, the university feels bound. to as
sumo the obligations that come with
it," says Mr.. Wheeler, "and the prize.
trips to Washington, which have al
ready been planned, therefore, for this
year will be carried on"
Hail the Office Seekerl
Following in the wake of, the de-
parting solons, came the Office seek
ers. The corridors of the state house
and the lobbies of the hotels were as
we'll filed as on Saturday, when the
legislature was in session. An ONCE