The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1920-08-06
Record Of Cox - P~rosrsasivs Law
Maker, Shows Nominee at
His Best.

#HHN 80 &
Thoise who claim that Governor
Cox is a progressive man cite MS
record as recently set forth in the
New York Times. The workmen's
compensation law, passed under his
leadership, is referred to as a model.
Whereas in 1919 there were $4,000
damage suits, last year, as a result
og the law, there were fewer than
fifty. He opened a budget school for
state officers, and after a careful
investigation of budget systems, n
was adopted in Ohio that has met all
the requirements. As q result, not
a single tax in Ohio has been increas-
ed, Notwithstanding the increased
cost of everything during the war.
Tax valuations have, of course, been
raised in proportion to the increase in
the value of property. In n Times
article is this:
All his previous experience as a
teacher, reporter, editor and publish
Ier, and congressman, converged into
his larger career when in 1912. he
made the race for governor of Ohio.
He stumped the state in behalf Of a
progressive constitution and then for
progressive constitution and then for
progressive legislation to carry out
the objects of the constitution. There
were ffty-six of these progressive
measures. Cox called them the new
era" or "the new order of things.
From the budget they extended
through nonpartisan judiciary, state
wide main market and i~ntercounty
road system, prison reform, initiative
and referendum, minimum scale OF
wages for women, consolidation of
duplicating bereaus and commissions,
an anti-profiteering cold storage law
and widows pensions. In every n
of the long list there is a special
bearing on some form of human bet
terment.
His supporters say that one of the
greatest achievements of Governor
Cox was by way Of school. reform.
He began with a school survey. and
followed with a congress of 10000
rural school trustees. Of course,
there was great opposition to any
change, nor was the advocacy. of it
"good politics." However, the gov
ernor persisted. After a hard fight
the congress recommended a new
school code framed by the experts
who had made the survey. The plan
provided for the consolidation of one
room schools into larger schools and
an increase in the number of teach
ers. While instruction in the stand
ard subjects was continued, the
schools were brought into vital touch
with rural life by the addition of the
teaching of agriculture and stock
raising for the boys and home eco
Monies for the girls" In the last
seven years more than 1000 consoli-
dated and central rural schools have
been built in Ohio and as a result
many rural districts have school IA
%cilities that rival the best ones in
cities. The whole rural life of the
State has been transformed. The
Cox program was declared oy the
United States Bureau of Education to
be "the most comprehensive ever
passed by the legislature" The mat
ter of prison reform. vas dealt with
in the same comprehensive and prac-
teal way. The state has established
farms worked by convicts. Industrial
engineers were engaged, and on the
basis Of their reports industries and
night schools have been established in
the prisons of the state. There are
now 1000 acres of farm to each in
stitution. The men have every op.
portunity to present any claims they
may have to the authorities.
These reforms, and others that may
be mentioned, are all fundamental,
going to the very roots of social life.
The governors attitude toward them
is thus described:
He has not been a reformer by &C
cepting new ideas because they sound
good. His method is to advocate
changes only where experience has
shown they should be made. But
once the need is discovered he does
not wait for someone else to take the
initiative.
On the contrary, he assumes the
leadership and makes of himself the
driving force.-Indianapolis News.