Case Name: Dennis v. Simon
Court: Supreme Court of Ohio
Jurisdiction: Ohio
Decision Date: 1894-03-27
Citations: 51 Ohio St. 233
Docket Number: 
Parties: Dennis v. Simon.
Judges: 
Reporter: Ohio State Reports, New Service
Volume: 51
Pages: 233–234

Head Matter:
Dennis v. Simon.
Labor on public highways — Constitutional law.
Section 4717 of the Revised Statutes, which provides for two days’ labor on the public highways of this state, is not in conflict with the constitution, and is a valid law,
(Decided March 27, 1894.)
Error to the Circuit Court of Wood county.
Alfred Simon, as supervisor of road district No. 5, Bloom township, Wood county, Ohio, the defendant in error, commenced suit against William H. Dennis, the plaintiff in error, before a justice of the peace, to recover from him the sum of four dollars, for refusing- to perform two days’ labor upon the public roads, as provided in section 4717 of the Revised Statutes. Judgment was rendered for the plaintiff on his bill of particulars. On appeal by the defendant, the court of common pleas of Wood county gave judgment for the plaintiff for the amount claimed, with costs; and the circuit court affirmed the judgment of the common pleas. A petition in error is filed in this court by William H. Dennis, the defendant below, to reverse the judgment of the circuit court.
Dodge & Canary, for plaintiff in error.
Parker & Moore, for defendant in error.

Opinion:
By the Court.
Section 4717 of the Revised Statutes, which provides that certain persons, therein named, shall be liable, annually, to perform two days' labor on tbe highways, under the direction of the road supervisor of the road district in which any such person resides, is not in conflict with the constitution of Ohio, and is a valid enactment. That section does not, in our opinion, infringe the article and section of the constitution by which the general assembly is forbidden to levy a poll tax for county or state purposes ; nor is it in violation of the section of the bill of rights which provides that there shall be no involuntary servitude in this state.
Judgment affirmed.