The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1918-11-01


measure, useful seIf-supporting
citizens, instead of burden on
society. Even In the economic
sense, the state will receive more
than the full value for every dol
lar invested In home for Grip
pied children
Or does Governor Cox ask con-
tinuous Office holding for himself be.
cause he sought to manipulate the
Civil Service SO as to throw ex-Union
soldiers out OF their places in the
state capitol In order to make room
for Democratic partisans or because
under his administration the merit
system has been la effect a cloak for
political appointments to pay par
tisan debts?
Coal Fiasco OF 1917.
Or does Governor Cox expect q
third term because OF his manage
ment Of the coal situation in 1912
What are the facts with reference
to the coal flasco OF 1917 and 1918?
The fact OF the matter Is that
the present Democratic state adj
ministration had full control of
the fuel situation In Ohio from
January to November, 1917, yet moth
ing was done other than the delivery
OF high-sonnding speeches and the Is.
sue OF extensive publicity by an over
worked Press Bureau employed at
state expense. The Governor and
those associated with him in the af-
fairs of the administration OF The state
urged people not to buy coal The
have been filled for the hard winter
OF 1918 II the Democratic state ad.
ministration had not sought to play
politics with grave situation. As 1t
turned out. productive enterprises had
to be closed, schools and churches
We're closed business was at a stand
still. we had lightless nights and
heatless Mondays and cold homes
The fact that the advice of the Gov
ernor and his cohorts was bad is
proved by the further fact that the
Federal Fuel Administration this year
has exactly ersed the advice given
by the Governor last year. The peo-
pie this year are urged to fill their
coal bins In the early months, just as
they would have done last year Ii
the Democratic state administration
had kept its unsought advice to Itself
and dealt with the coal situation in a
business-like manner. Because the
Democrats won In Ohio In 1915 under
the campaign slogan he kept MS out
of war" the friends of Governor Cox
may expect to win this year with the
slogan he kept us out Of coal.
The Vast increase Of Expense.
Or mayhap those who are casting
Democratic tradition to the wind
and pleading for the election OF
the third term candidate, may
urge that this be done because
under laws and policies for
which the third term candidate is
responsible the total expense Of the
state government has increasd from
thirteen million dollars In 1912 to al
most twenty-three million dollars in
1918 or this ten million increase in
expense, eight million have been add
ed under the administration of Cow
ernor Cox and laws passed under his
administration are largely RESPONSE.
BILE for the other expenditures.
When Governor Foraker came into
office he found the total state expenses
five and one-half million dollars Dur
ing the four years OF his term only
one-thirtieth of the increase III ex-
penditure was made which has been
made during the time when Governor
Cox has been in office. Governor EoF-
aker was severely criticized for this
increased expenditure and WAS denied
a third term because of this and also
because it was claimed that there
had been "a notorious and disgraceful
use of patronage" This language is
quoted from Democratic platform or
1889. Now IL Governor Foraker was
denied a third term with only small
patronage at his command, and with
penses, how much stronger is the rea-
son for denying q third term to the
present incumbent when ne has made
increases In state expenditure thirty
times as great as those made by Gov
ernor Foraker and during his four
years as governor has added SO many
new Offices to the payroll that it would
take an expert clerk months to figure
out just how many new job holders
are holding office because OF his lib.
erality with public funds
When we examine the general rev
enue fund from which the general cur
rent expenses OF the state must be
met, the situation is equally appalling
In 1912 the disbursements from this
fund totaled approximately ten mil.
lion dollars After six years during
four of which the third term candi
date has been in absolute control
and during all OF which time the laws
passed by his rubber stamp legisla
ture have largely determined state ex,
penses, the expenditure from the gen
eral revenue fund this year approx
makes sixteen million dollars as
against ten million dollars six years
ago.
The state OF Ohio has never known