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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 29, 1905)
SEPTEMBER 29, 1905 The Commoner. n A BIG FIGHT IN OHIO'S STATE CAMPAIGN Columbus, O., September 20. (Special Cor respondence) The pending campaign in Ohio is doubtless occupying the center or the political stage this year. The result of no other state election will be awaited so impatiently; no other political battle will be watched so eagerly. The issues are clearly drawn. The republi can state platform sought to divert interest from state affairs to those of national import. The democratic state platform would have none of It. It points out that nothing of national concern is at stake except. civic pride; that the sole issue is one of wholesome respect for an honest en forcement of law as against machine contempt for law and its administration by grafters. Home rule for each political subdivision of the state in local affairs is the dominant note in the demo cratic chorus. The opening guns of the campaign were recently fired by the respective party chair men. Senator Dick of the republican committee, "pointed with pride" to his party's past, but sang low as to the present, and gave no encour agement for the future. He insisted that Roose velt's hands should be held up and sought to invoke the hitherto potent slogan "stand by the president." Congressman Garber riddled the ap peal "stand by the president" with the caustic remark that as the sole democratic representa tive from Ohio he would voice the sentiment of the party in the state by standing by Roose velt in the next congress as he had done In the last on the railroad rate legislation passed by the house and smothered in the senate of which Dick is a member; that he would continue to represent a unanimous Ohio democracy by stand ing by Roosevelt in his effort to revise and re duce the tariff, while Senator Dick would doubt less continue a conspicuous stand-patter. Garber insisted that home rule would be pressed; that bosses, personified - in George B. Cox, would be grappled with and that the grafter, busy in every nook and cranny of the state, would be engaged in combat. Evidently Garber's pronunciamento brought blood, for Chairman Dick's literary bureau has been running over time ever since to show that every time the fight lias been made exclusively on home affairs in this state the democrats have won; that four democratic gov ernors and legislatures have been elected and as a result the democrats have captured four terms in the United States senate. The fact that the democracy has been able to make a successful arraignment of republican administrations of local affairs suggests that the rule was offensive; but it may be overlooked in consideration of Chairman Dick's major note of warning, to-wit, that past campaigns fought on local issues awarded senatorships to the democracy. This ghost is effectually dissipated when the simple fact that the legislature to be elected in Novem ber will not be called upon to elect a United States senator is stated. Mutterings against the renomination of Gov ernor Myron T. Herrick began over a year ago and have grown into a deafening roar. Herrick may be a good enough business man and citizen. The Discovery of Herrick He was discovered by the late Senator Hanna and by him made governor. In his first campaign Senator Hanna enlisted the support of the brew ing and liquor interests of the state by pledging Candidate Herrick to veto any proposed legisla tion inimical to them. -Herrick was elected. The legislature agreed on a local option law enabling residence districts to rid themselves of saloons by a majority vote of the electors in the territory affected. Under Governor Herrick's threat to veto the entire measure the legislature was forced to eliminate from the bill the features most ob jectionable to the brewers and liquor dealers which, of course, were considered most vital by the church and temperance people led by the anti-saloon league. Every church society, league, Sunday school, conference, assembly, Presbytery or affiliated organization in the state immediately passed resolutions protesting against Herrick's renomination. Thus a propaganda that had grown every hour was launched. Lieutenant Governor Harding was groomed for the guber natorial nomination by the republicans and was riding to the goal when Boss Cox of Cincinnati, Packed his trunk, handed a "statement" to the newspapers declaring for Herrick's renomination --commanding it. Cox's grip on the throttle of the republican machine in Ohio is undisputed and undivided since Senator Hanna's death. His word was obeyed to the letter. Every office holder, grafter, machine creature in the state sprung to the rescue and despite the protest of respectability machine-made delegates were se lected from every county, and Governor Herrick was unanimously renominated. A more offensive demonstration of the power of a bogs was never made. A revolt started. Ohio never witnessed its like. The anti-saloon league opposition sot tied into stubborn resistance to boss domination. The lines were extended. The grafter was at tacked; a corrupt legislature's record was ex amined. Space forbids reference to but a vory few of the many counts in the indictment against the Cox-Dick-Herrick "Organization." This trium virate which claimed the Hanna machine by direct inheritance ran it to tho limits of selfishness. The Organization" from their standpoint is the republican party. Self-respecting, intelligent re publicans rebel. The machine stifles their voices in primaries and conventions tho machine is dominant in every county and their only redress is to smash it through tho agency of the demo cratic party. Republican Maladministration It has been found that the last legislature created numberless unnecessary offices for the sole purpose of providing places for "Organiza tion" favorites; that it cost tho taxpayers of the state almost twice as much as the last demo cratic legislature cost; that it enacted a new school code for the benefit of tho grafters; that though it feared to reduce the levy for school purposes at the governor's behest, it robbed the school fund of $200,000 per year by passing that sum over to county officials for doing work that had hitherto cost nothing to have done; that it made liberal appropriations for the support and maintenance of the agricultural schools and ex periment stations of the state which Governor Herrick vetoed on the same day that ho signed the judicial appropriation bill carrying an in crease of $200,000 per annum in judges' salaries; that by redistricting of the state for judicial pur poses less than five per cent of the judges can be of the democratic party; that it passed and the governor approved an inheritance tax law laying a levy of two per cent on all inheritances in such manner as to affect moderate sized estates that paid taxes during tho life of the owner; that nothing short of a "petition in boots" prevented the legislature from transferring tho canal prop erty of the state worth millions to a syndicate of which Boss George B. Cox was tho head and in which Governor Herrick was a stockholder. Tho canal people of the state invaded the capitol while this bill was pending and compelled its defeat by a physical demonstration. But tho Protestants know Boss Cox well enough to know that he will consummate his scheme of plunder when he gets a legislature a trifle more daring than the last, and come into possession of canal property in Cincinnati that can be converted Into railway terminals worth millions. Gigantic Schemes of Graft In the general charge of graft against the present administration in Ohio specifications are by no means wanting. For instance, it has been shown that it cost $21,000 last year to mow the lawn about the state house (consisting of a single square in Cplumbus) and feed the squirrels there. There is a small army employed In this work but, of course, it is not expected to keep the walks clear of snow in winter. It is shown that the state senate carries on its pay rolls two employes for each member. It is shown that it costs $110 per day to simply sweep the senate floor. De spite the fact that the constitution strictly forbids it, the general assembly spent over $10,000 last session for telephone tolls. George B. Cox was in daily telephonic communication with the legis lature, issuing orders and commanding votes by long distance, and had the supreme nerve to charge the tolls to the state which paid the bills. Governor Herrick refuses to permit an examina tion of the telephone bills in the executive de partment to ascertain whether or not Cox con versed with him during the legislative session at the expense of the taxpayers. The legislature established a bureau of public accounting. The state auditor appoints the examiners. Their num ber is not limited nor tHelr compensation fixed. None but the auditor knows how many there are, but a great many political "macnlnists" were thus provided for. A few Illustrations of the workings of this law will suffice. An inspector was sent to examine the county records and an other the city records at Bellefontaine where Governor Herrick is to formally open his cam paign. Each Inspector spent several weeks on the books of county and city respectively. The county inspector found some slight overcharges in fees. He made his report and presented his bill which tho stato auditor ordered tho county auditor to pay. It amounts to more than tho llognl fees that ho. charged had been collocted by county officers. Ono item was n board bill for soveral weeks at $2.00 per day. Tho in spoctor of city accounts roportod that tho mayor, who happened to bo a democrat, had collected sovoral hundred dollars In excessive foos which ho was ordered to cover Into tho treasury. Tho mayor put it up to tho city council. That body refused to accept tho refund or to bring suit against tho mayor. But finally a friendly action was brought, to test tho law. Tho stato was de feated. Tho courts hold that tho mayor had collected no excessive fees. But moantlmo tho city inspector had presented a bill for services and expenses, including a board bill at tho rate of $3.50 per day for sovoral weeks which the stato auditor ordered tho city auditor to pay. Ho stoppod at tho samo hotel at which tho county Inspector stopped. Tho maximum rate charged by the hotel Is $2.00 per day with a liberal re duction by tho week. Democrats chargo that there is a suspicion of graft at least about this. A. P. Sandlcs is clerk of courts of Putnam, tho banner democratic county of tho state. Ho was tho democratic candidate for secretary of state last year. IIo must bo investigated. An inspector was sent to Putnam county. In duo course of weeks, at so much per diem and flex ible expenses, tho report was filed. Tho re publican newspapers of the stato proclaimed in flaming headlines "Sandles Must Rofund Collected Excessive Pees." Tho roport showed that in two years Mr. Sandles had over-taxed his cost blllB a few pennies here and there, In the aggre gate $39.04. At tho bottom of tho sensational newspaper account and In small type it was stated that Mr. Sandles huj failed to tax up costs amounting to $105.49 which was due him. Mr. Sandles simply drew the $105.49 and paid over tho $39.04 with a courteous "thank you." On tho same lay that this report was filed there was also filed a report on Mahoning, a rock-ribbed republican county. Every official is a republican and each was properly complimented because he was a thief. The books were found so very straight that the peoplo grew suspicious and demanded that tho court appoint an Investigating committee to review the work of the state In spector. This was done and this committee of taxpayers found and reported a shortage of over $12,000 in one office. Tho Columbus Dispatch recently consumed Its entire front page In wood and black-faced type proclaiming that the demo cratic sheriff of this, Franklin county, candidate for reelection, has drawn illegal allowances of something over $1,000. It is found that this sheriff had not followed a custom established many years ago and adhered to by all his pre decessors. It Is not charged that tho purchases were unnecessary. Indeed a list of them are given jail supplies, disinfectants, cooking uten sils, brooms, etc. But the sheriff had not made the purchase at all. They were made by a re publican board of commissioners. This boomerang information was given out in advance of the regular report of the inspectors. Some three months ago it leaked out that there was an actual shortage in the treasurer's accounts in benighted Athens county. Two republican treas urers were involved and the findings were that these officials had collected $75,000 in taxes and failed to account for the same. This report was held up for weeks. When finally published it occupied in republican newspapers about one fourth of the space occupied by the headlines only falsely announcing the Franklin sheriff's irregularity for which due apology was made by the offending papers next day. This too previous announcement was for a double purpose. Re publicans desire to defeat the democratic can didate, and, more important, Chairman Dick geeks to soften the charge of graft by involving some democratic officials. How Pattison Was Nominated The Democratic State convention which as sembled late in June presented a striking con trast to the Cox affairs a few weeks earlier. Cox named the candidates in advance for the republican convention and then notified the dele gates when he would arrive and when he would depart. All business must be transacted with dispatch. It was. John M. Pattison was a can didate for the democratic nomination for gover nor. He was not supported by a single one of the so-called democratic bosses or "leaders." He was opposed by the delegations from the eight counties of the state containing the eight largest cities. But the delegates from the rural (Continued on Page 9) .uuiabfttiJkw-.. 2 .i, i i n i ' ifim iitti n.i'MtfliiHilaM-im' it IVMHMHHHHHiHHWMHBaHHBIiaiBMBHaBMi WMMkitataM mmmmmmmmmmmmm