The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1919-12-26
MACHINE BUILDING


automobile tax law passed by the Re-
publican legislature, which contains
one of the most indefensibe machine
building provisions raj iroad e d
through the Ohio assembly since the
days when the Gulbert ring had Il
throttle hold on the state.
This time the beneficiary is that
political sharpshoOter, Secretary of
State Harvey Smith, who under this
bill becomes the despot of sub
treasury, similar to those that the
Democrats ran out of Ohio back in
the good old days" of the Guilbert-
makes the secretary of state the Gus
todian of the automobile millions. 1t
permits him to place half of this fund
in banks, and provides u method of
selecting these banks which is
against all public policy, method
that Is at once a revival of the old
spOils system when the states money
was used for many purposes other
tHdH tHdt iHteHueu ny t1e tdApdyeTS.
The law directs that the secretary Of
state shall receive bids for this mon
ey. but the bids may be oral or any
way he may select and no check
whatever is placed upon him. He
may leave the millions idle in the
favored banks az long as he pleases
The Democratic party ran the Re-
publican ring out of the statehouse
on the issue OF placing all of the
states money in the state treasury
Yet here the plunderbund returns
and brazenly attempts to put over the
same thing. The auditor of state has
nothing to do with the automobile
funds under this pernicious piece of
legislation.
Auditor Vic Donahey, with the aid
of Governor Cox, finally managed to
get all of Ohios money in the state
treasury. Donahey, watchdog of the
treasury, has been running Ohios af
= fairs for nearly eight years now, and
there has been no shortage and no
skullduggery with Ohios money. The
people of Ohio are well satisfied with
Vics custodianship and when they
learn the trick put over on them by
the G. o. p. political sharpshooters
there will be raised Il howl that will
reach the skies.
Harvey Smith secretary of state, IA
found hahind thie schnmp inst ae he
has behind others, destined to build
d machine OF surprising political
power. He saw TO It that the legisla
tive survey committee did not en-
croach upon his preserves in the in
terest Of either efficiency or economy
The automobile department, wherein
lies much of Smiths patronage, coul'
well be combined with the board o
administration and practically the en-
tire expenditure for this big depart
ment eliminated But that woul,
take away Smiths patronage and pre-
vent the working Of this latest cou
1.-THE handling Of the automobile la
millions.
II was Smith also who, in mad er
deavor to get arother job for a faitf
ftll and hungry patriot Of Republica
persuasion. refused to recognize tn
civil service appointment of q casl
icr, a former world war veteran,
the auto department. This case
now In the courts.
Daft Af ha IN In,
either Randolph Walton or Gesrl
Ewing as civil service commissic
apnointeea IL also partly to be In
AT the door of Smith, The esteem,
terested in their combinations, unt
they refused to let down the bars 4
his spoils system Then he saw to
that confirmation was denied.
II Is all part OF a game the pol
zeal pirates are playing in the sta
capital just now They want the W
Y open for 1920 when, II they win. tn
viii turn over every board and
partmcnt into the complete control
their plunderLund Ciyil service W
be fiouted ana merry carnival W
ensue. But 1920 is not today. 4
| G. O. l.. legislature and officials mu
stand upon their records and the q
eolute failure Of management a
leadership Is patent to everyone
Ohio. The Grand Old Plunderbu
will receive retuke at the polls
1920 that II will take long while
recover from.
a I'4al|o spa :. Tre,saa cfatao onnuraaa t,iau