Newspapers / The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, … / June 7, 1911, edition 1 / Page 10
Part of The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
What Judson Harmon, a Real Governor, Has Done In By A. V. ABERNETHY. CoI.lMIU’S. O. - (Sperlr.l).— Whfii the bribery r’larfres aj.iinFt inetnbors >if tho Ohio g’pnrr.'il a^sf.r.bly explod'd with th ■ .«iii!(i«’!inesh and force of a bcM'.b ti id s-rt su rts on n hi:nt for ln\v\•tj» iJv-iV' TTior Jvulsi'ii Hartnon took the sjitn? \Mc\v of the personality oi’ ^ull that h did when h roportod to Pr-sldent R ioyovclt that Pnui Morton. A meivbor of h's > abinot, );ad l oon H'.iilty of r. lAtln^ rrbat' S while :’n oiTi- for of tb.- S iPta Fe rnilroaJ. “*'ii:llt Is always personal." ."aid Ilarrr.on to Roou 'velt. and he resign'd his commis sion to investigate rebating because Teddy was Inclined to shield Movtnn. A f'-w h'‘’.irs after the bribery harirs's tv> re fill d the * Miio exei-utlve st nt ot:t an ord^r that no man shonM be spared In the legislative bo«->dlinsr Investitja- tlon. Party and even personal frieiid- nhips must bo set asl i ■. the governor Bald, and the entire situation oleanel up. Thronehotit rlro;;' -n >-.'ars of .' in*ln- UOUB 1 -ntrol li' pul :^' n staN- ;)d vir.'s- tratlons, when el. r >f ii ri':rul>,rili.'s W'-re m.’de inv;>l ;;- £r ” ^^'nbert- -.f th ir p;’rt;>. :*S'>-ti!n d t • :-l ', “Ti’ey .- ro our tl'ieves, ,ir,d >• v;>t :^■fe' ;1 Thrri' 1; an ^! itr.to whi'M', trv t;- In riiun’Ty to every -ine h ■ r ^;t i s I t fore a le::Nlntlvo eerv” ’‘t tl law. t"tr*'ther n i’h a "‘'lit' \> a.^^h brii.;;. hau rr'"'y I'l l-'s'v vio- }.it *r from beir^i; 1. d bet. ro a v-oui: of I-;’, e. X.i'iira ly th:'re wa*= n rnsh by • tf ’.iwht '■•.■•tu’h i . for ' t:;.- ' t.ve 1pi init> H t ■!' ' >r 'n pr : :lv p\i;i> d t'li plui^ The 1 n-r.: r. -N b ifl t'ib .■•Tui pre\--nt. il any -.-r b ;'hi s ill Its s t':... w tvrs by in- fc.iif . fhtt r.u U-’.t-.*1. .e -.nve.'tlijatlrii, I son. They Intrust this to their offlcers, I and to thesft, if w’^orthy of the contl- I dence j iaced in them, the offense is maKnlfied by the multitude of the wronged instead of being reduced bj' division anionsr them after the manner of the unthinklncr or low thinking." In the less than three years of his ad- miiiistrati.n Governor Harmon haa made a record of accomplishment un paralleled in tho history of Ohio poll- ilc.N. He h.i.'s wrought more progress for the jM'ople tban was accomplished in th'- forty years that preceded him. There has been written Into the stat utes lesrlslation that the enlightened oiti.’-ens had been demanding and ■ ple.uifnp for in vain for decades. ■When Mr. Harmon was inaugurated he found authority divided amo^g many, with no co-operation and the I'ublle business managed in a slipshod manner. As everybody knows, the more widely authority is scattered the r-'.oro nearly i’nposylble it Is to get the i.io-^t i'rps.lu.q: niatfers decently attend ed to. Governor Harmon looked around a:id be?an to put Into effect the princi- ! ios oi’ business which he applied to ri hnbiliiate several nearly bankrupt rai!r>iads. Th 'n bo.cran a reorganization, with ^ 'he re.'sv.'t that Mr. ITarnion obtained a ’■u.'-'n rKo eoiu-entration of authority, .vr-n’ ; (lay in i o coinmoiiwealth of the I'T i'ei States do t!ie ordinary princi- l' s of private bu.siness enterprises, }■. sty. ir.rn;^try. IntelHscnce, exact- ne.«s and si brioty ;-o permeate the state seven :ne"t :’.s in Ohio. Ti e .su!--frT.oly in.portatit achieve- rrents >f ti e t>hio Iiemocracy under the leauership of Governor Harmon may be divi,!ed into transactions and lei^'.slanon !3rst. for the elimination of t;rat't; second, such reform In tho tax ■,v vv*!;-* ■ ^ I > Ti..^ m. HON. JUDSON HARMCN, GOVEhNOR OF OHIO. 'r !nt i 'ird that th^ = ru.;.'. j-:y l e the only ?t'r'. * t ^ , 1: of ; trc'V.-. !nu! r.‘s w^re r- ^ Tr.ed Rga1n?t B'’in ^ .-f ti.e h n-ral •is-.v:n- * 'y ti• 'i f‘ e --r • . i-..- -, .,f r- • t ; it i t S*' - • , : r; . .. rj^.- e •■•..e -ur ; viS th.lt * •' *■.«? -'-.r..;.! li ble citi.-en wh.. !*e criminal cl argi s. A cra*s v.h . had been ‘n l;.VOlVrd in ■t'-rle ->t Demo- i?htlng the gov were rr.uiiif Nhe members •rnor'.s b In,I! t ' Ir. . rs» lnr»\-:ri;rri a.i lr- ? Gov ernor H iru -r! i] .hat ^he people 't wii.jj, tl;-!r ’/i.h;le .s‘-rv- ants go wr n«f, and i:e served notlee then th;:f pnrty c of bis guilty ..f a eri vou^d be ^ ’ d. The ' Ivjt' r >r'S' l' ri'-e ;;; mere Itlv. : t; ; u rt," ,.rr-, ,r H;*,rtnon. ''t ; ;s ■ ... t'> be s^er'^rally reullzed tha' I tray>tl -f publh . ,n dence is th•• v. - ,t all ofTense.s In the broad E v. ej. of hureifiii r« sultb. If not handl-d wit], i.ne .-t vl»-..r it qi;|ekly aprf ad."- lt» p ^“on . ; d. by wo.'i re.Hj -t f .r ■ t ;-.r^tv, p'’ whoi- th, r .! >■ . ir;. wr..n«. Private ofTfjnd-Ts> go free be cause there is always a victim who urges the pursuit. T! e victims of pub lic wrongs are the entire pe-.;.le. Th -y are too m;Tier-, is to r i 1 Just* e In j er- system as will protect the taxpayer from the rax spender and will compel corporat:ons to slop dodging taxes and pay along with nil individual property ov.ner.-; third, the application of busl- n ’^lothods and ec'onomy in public e'lrnn i. r s, and, fourth, the enact- 1 -ihl '}' i»Ui-ely nonparti.san laws for the bentfn of the entire people irrespective of political parties and designed to make rule by interest seeking corpora tions extremely difficult and rule by , ‘b.e people easy. After he became governor two years ago Mr Harmon (;uletly began his in- V-stigation of the methods by which pjbllc money had been loaned by Re publican state treasurers. He learned the> put interest earnings in their jioei.ets. lie fc'jnd needed records were ’:ii;-'ing. Those who could testify de- . 'in He wandered for months blind ly Little by little the graft trail be- ’ cam--? clearer. One Republican legisla ture met and declined to investigate. An overconfident Republican press pro- ^ elal.'ned that there was no evidence, 'i aeTi th'- f^ovt'riior sh'^>wed his hand, 'ri.f-re followed in rapid order suits arralnst the e.state and bondsmen of W. S. McKinnon, former .'tato treasurer, for J116.785 and Interest thereon; agairist former State Treasurer I. B. ' t'aineron and his bondsmen for $211,721 r t V t V ❖ % SOME HARMGN EPIGRAMS Quilt Is always personal. I wouTd vote for a Republican for United States senator if the people a by the-r votes declared for a Repubiicsn, and I would be proud to do it, t for I would simply be doing the will of the people. % The party emblem in municipal elections is an aid to the ignorant % I I , , I - - «,«• • CH.VI vw WHO luriurdrii and those who corrupt voters »nd no help to upright and intelligent elec tor*. Both parties would be better off if they were kept out of pursly municipal elections. The people who support the government have to economize. Why X Bhould their public servants not do the same? It is not the existcnc.* or discovery of wrongdoing that brings shame to a stat:, but failin, to put n stop to it. We mi;st make the at-.te governnient more broadly useful, for ita powers are ample to rrrpple with many things which havo been devel oped by new conditions. There can b« no relief so long as tho interests which profit through tariff laws ire allov/ed to frame t'riem. A lawyer s honor is ii j crov/n, and no hand but his own can ever dis crown him. and Interest thereon. They were Re publicans. Another graft Investiaratlon brought forth the exposure, prosecu tion and conviction of Mark Slater, former Rlepubllcan atate printer, on graft charges in lesser degrees, the settlement of an Interest claim of over $5,700 on funds carried In the bank for former Republican State Auditor Wal ter D. Guilbert and the filing of a claim for over $31,000 with the receiver of a defunct bank at Columbus as an inter est charge on funds carried in that bank by Mr. Gilbert as ar.dltor. Then Mr. Harmon sent a Democrat, Engineer Marker, to probe the affairs of the Republican state boarl of public works, which handles th» canal sys tem. It was discovered the state had been swindled out of thousands of dol lars in past administrations by the failure of contractors to comply with specifications. Twenty-flve positions, political sinecures, were recommended for decapitation at a savingr of |S0,000 annually. These revelations during the grover- nor’s first term awakened the civic conscience and paved the way for his subsequent re-election. The Democrats captured the general assembly at the same time. Then Governor Harmon renewed his eftorts in behalf of certain bills two Republican general assemblies denied him. T.he most notable achievement ac complished by the executive during the legislative session was the enactment of the Wyman bill. Including the Ore gon plan of nominating and electing I'nited States senators. A conference committee was appoint ed to frame a compromise senatorial nomination and election bill. "I would vote for a Republican for United States senator if the people by their votes de clared for a Republican," the governor told this committee during the confer ence. “I would be proud to do It. I would simply be doing the will of the people.” One of the committee sug gested the Oregon plan w’as undemo cratic. The executive replied, “It’s the very essence of Democracy to put the government back into the hands of the people and let them say whom they want for United States senator." Governor Harmon took a new tack and had a similar measure offered In the house, the Wyman bill. That body passed it and sent It to the senate, where the governor finally got suffi cient Republican votes to save it. Ohioans had demonstrations recently that their judiciary, one of the most sacred Institutions of a free govern ment, had been Invaded bj’ party boss es in their Inordinate thirst for pow'er. Instead of being places where the peo ple could turn to Invoke the penalties of the criminal statutes on those who had offended, certain courts were be ing used in cases where men of vast political power were concerned to shield violators from the vengeance of the law. But the general assembly took a long step forward from boss domination of the courts by enacting a bill provid ing In the future that all Ohio judges, from the dignified gow'ned justices of the supreme court down to the humble laymen who sit as justices of the peace, shall be elected on tickets absolutely free from party emblem or device. Nominations may be made by conven tions. but the power of bosses to con trol nominations was broken by a clause in the bill which says that nom inations may be made by petitions. There Is not another such law in the United States. Ohio has been hampered by the crude, unwk-ldy machinery of a constitution which was adopted in 1851, and the sub ject of making a new organic law is the biggest and most important propo sition that has com.e before a Buckeye general assembly In many years. Self ish hands were being outstretched to get control of the constitutional con vention to be held in 1912 when Gover nor Harmon took charge of the ar rangements for It and succeeded in getting through the general assembly a bill which will remove the delegates from political Influence and make them responsible to the people only. So well did he manage the campaign that Ohio will set a precedent for all other states to follow when they come to rewrite their organic laws. Nominations of delegates will be made by petition only, thus making it possible to obtain big, independent, brainy men of affairs who could not be induced to engage In a wild scramble for nominations by primary. Nominees will be elected on ballots absolutely free from party device or emblem or any form of party designation. The llQuor question, which has been a sore spot in Ohio for sixty years, will be finally settled when the new constitu tion Is adopted. The state when Governor Hannon grasped the reins of government had nineteen penal, reformatory and benev olent Institutions, with the responsibil ity of governing them divided among nineteen separate boards of trustees, three members to a board. They were so conducted as to secure neither econ omy nor best results. These trusteeships, all honorable po sitions and eagerly sought after, had been used as a sort of currency to pur chase nominations and to repay the boys who had delivered votes In con ventions. The trustees appointed su perintendents and all subordinates, and these combined to furnish the dynamic power for the steam roller which 'the late Mairk Hanna and Boss George B. Cox used to crush the life out of rebel lions against the rule of the Q. O. P. machine. Governor Harmon’s idea was that “the establl 'hments which a Christian state maintains for charity are sacred and that every selfish purpose should perish at their doors.” Acting on this principle, the governor framed and forced through the general assembly a bill placing all employees of the institutions ranking below su perintendent under civil service rules. The nineteen separate boards of trus tees and nineteen stewards under this law were legislated out of office, and the duties of the flfty-seven trustees were placed in a single board of four, while a single fiscal agent replaced the nineteen stewards. Hereafter Instead of the usual competition by nineteen boards for the banner appropriation the general assembly at each session will make an appropriation for all the institutions as a single subject on rec ommendations which proceed from con stant study and experience of them all by the same persons. The advantage of purchasing sup plies for all Institutions in bulk and the reduction in employees will save the state $500,000 a year. This law makes it possible to utilize the woxjk of prisoners and also creates a mar ket for their manufactured products by compelling all Ohio political divisions to purchase such supplies as they need from the penal institutions. Employers and employees locked in a struggle over a workingmen’s com pensation act, and when it seemed there would be no bill passed Governor Harmon stepped in and acted as arbi trator. A bill was framed and drafted that has been approved by both employee and employer. The compulsory provisions which made the New York act unconstitu tional were not incorporated into the Ohio act. Instead the employer could elect either to pay Into the compensa tion fund or not to pay. If he should not avail himself of the law, however, the employee may sue for damages for injuries, or his legal representative in case of death may maintain the action. And In such suits the employer is de prived of the common law defenses of fellow servant rule, assumed risk and contributory negligence. The employee cannot resort to the courts for damages when Injured In the factory of a corporation which pays Into the state compensation fund except when the Injury is caused by the disregard of a law, ordinance or order issued by an authorized public oflicer providing for the protection of em ployees or by the willful wrong of an employer, his officer or agents. The employer contributes 90 per cent of the compensation fund and the em ployees 10 per cent. Awards range from $3,400 to $1,500 and are graded on the scale of wages paid employees. The taxipg laws of the state were a Joke when Mr. Harmon was Inducted Into office. The state needed fairer and more effective rules and methods for taxation of both real and personal property, private and corporate. But the selfishness of those who had escap ed paying a just portion of taxation bitterly fought proposed remodeling of this machinery. The most Iniquitous thing about the old system was that the taxpayers had no means to check extravagance of their public officers. These men decid ed on the amount of money they were going to spend in a year and then made a levy to produce that amount. Tax payers could do nothing but pay. “The authority which demands must be curbed,” said the executive In a message to the general assembly. That body obeyed and passed the Smith bill, which limited the maximum tax rate that could be levied by public officers In each district to 1 per cent of tax du plicates. That was sufficient, the gov ernor held, for an economical adminis tration. If more money were needed there was Incorporated In the Smith bill a provision for a referendum vote on a higher rate. The governor in his first term said Ohioans were not getting satisfactory results under the system of administer ing the laws imposing special taxes on certain classes of corporations. These were a large number of taxing boards composed of various state offlcers, with jurisilictlon over excise and other cor porate taxation, but different boards were made up of different offlcers, so that there could be no uniform and consistent action. Auditors Iri eighty- eight Ohio counties directed the work of assessing private property, and there was no co-operation for the reason there was no statute making them a record disclosed Harmon, while he had corporations among his clients, had never given his talents to appear In a court suit against the people. As an attorney general of the United States ho had proved to be a friend of the people, fighting through court cases which established the foundation of all jurisprudence on the anti-trust sub ject. In private life he was recognized as one of the ablest lawyers in Ohio and had displayed remarkable con structive business ability when he as receiver saved the B. and O. S. W„ C.. H. and D. and Fere Marquette rail roads from bankruptcy and turned the properties back to the original owners without the loss of a dollar to credi tors, stockholders and employees. None of these things was accotn- plished without a fearless and persist ent fight by Governor Harmon. The batteries of Ohio national G. O. P. leaders, intent on saving the Buckeye will countenance no frills and who slta on the edge of a big table that occu pies the center of the governor’s recep tion room and chats with visitors. “Common as an old shoe” is the way Ohio farmers size up their governor after they see him perched on that table, swinging his feet, and hear him talk straight from the shoulder. There is good old fashioned public service being rendered in the Ohio ex ecutive chamber. Governor Harmon has always been drafted for public service. In the practice o? law he has been very suc cessful, and he was content to devote all his time to that He did not seek the governorship of Ohio, He was drafted. When President Cleveland promoted Attorney General Richard Olney to secretary of state to succeed Walter Q. Gresham In 1895, after the death of the latter, he needed an attorney general. jfcooo??cowifl GOVERNOR AND MRS. HARMON WITH CHILDREN. TWO OF THEIR GRAND- coPYH»i#r Sending for a member of congrress, the president said: “I vish you could sug gest a good lawyer to do good service as attorney general, a man who lives somewhere in the west and whose nomination as attorney general would be approved by all who know him. And I would like a new man if possi ble—new in the sense that he is not now activ'ely identified with politics.” “I know the man you are looking for.” said the congressman. ‘ His name is Judson Harmon, a lawyer who stands high at the Ohio bar.” A few days later Judson Harmon in Cincinnati received a letter from Pres ident Cleveland asking him to accept an appointment as attorney general. Surprised, Mr. Harmon meditated alone for a few minute.s. then called in one of his law partners and explained the situation. “Now, the answer to this question rests with Mrs. Harmon,” said he. “If she wants to go to Washington as the wife of a cabinet officer she may. If she prefers to stay here, why. here we will live.” And so it was Mrs. Har mon’s verdict which really made Jud son Hannon attorney general of the United States. While he was attorney general he argued many cases before the supreme court, a.-gued them well—so well that he earned many desenMng compli ments from bench and bar. Among them, and perhaps the most noted, was that of the United States against the Transmissouri Freight association. It was the first test as to the efficiency of- the Sherman anti-trust law when ap plied to prevent an illegal combination engage in intorstat combination went by the boards. Of a similar character were the suits against the Freight Traffic association and the Addyston Pipe company. Har mon was .successful in both, and thus was established the law as it stands Governor Harmon Ctk^hes Fish as WeJI as Votes. cohesive t>ody. The elghty-elght audi tors had nearly eighty-eight different rules of appraising property, with the result that no one got a square deal. Governor Harmon had a bill drafted to abolish all these boards and to place the entire taxing machinery of the com monwealth In the hands of a single state commission of three members. One Republican general assembly refused to' create the commission, but the exec utive worked up so strong a public sen timent for the measure that tWe suc ceeding Republican legislature enacted such a bill. Other new tax laws make it possible to chase out of hiding mil lions of dollars of property and also strengthen and broaden the inquisito rial powers of the state tax commis sion. Ohioans expected big things from Judson Harmon when they elected him their governor. .The achievements of the Democratic general assembly show the expectations of the people have been realized. He had been a leading att6mey for years, but a se?»*ch of his State for the president of the United States In 1912, turned their batteries on the executive. No other Democratic governor has withstood such a wither ing fire for the reason no other Demo cratic governor has succeeded In carry ing a Republican state In the face of the opposition of a Republican presi dent citizen of that state and five of his cabinet officers who stumped the state. In February. 1910, ten months before the state election in Ohio, when Judson Harmon would go before the people for re-election, Ohio Republicans by order of President Taft held a har mony meeting In Dayton. The Re publicans at Dayton did not talk of helping President Taft or of restoring the Republican party; they talked about the chance of defeating Governor Harmon, and they did not talk hope fully. Unconsciously they paid a pat ent tribute to the real strength of the man. It suddenly revealed the tre mendous success of Governor Harmon and his complete mastery of the polit ical situation in Ohio. The plan of op position outlined in Dayton has never ceased. No governor has ever been opposed by so strong a force as Gov ernor Harmon. During his first term of two j'ears a Republican general assembly to dis credit him reduced the treasury bal ance $2,652,858.68 by making appropri ations exceed revenues and also creat ed obligations amounting to $2,000,000 more by deciding to build new struc tures for state institutions. When the revenues were reduced $500,000 a j'ear by voting out saloons and several hun dred thou.sands of dollars were added to the wrong column by the abolish ment of prison labor contracts Har mon’s arms were apparently tied, and his enemies laughed at his discomfort. In this crisis the business genius ofs the man was displayed and his friend ship for the people was exhibited by the method he used to solve the prob- I lem. Instead of levying a general tax. which would fall largely upon the com mon people, to provide sufficient funds. Governor Harmon first exer cised the brand of economy practiced in homes when the salary does not meet expenses. He promptly reduced public expenditures. Then instead of a general levy the proper enforcement of tho excise Iswa provided $500,000 additional every year. The establish ment of a market for prison manufac tured goods and the concentration of authority over nineteen state institu tions Is expected to add another $500,- 000 to the state revenues. Thus was the situation met and the state re- , ^ stored to a sound financial basis w’ith- ' % stock, rates, mergers and service, out any additional burdens being Im- ^ posed on the people who are least able to be further taxed. Voters like to support clean and able men, as has been demonstrated In many localities where the electors dis played remarkable discrimination in honoring exceptional men with an ex ceptional vote. This explains why In a strongly Republican state Judson Harmon was elected governor of Ohio two years ago by a plurality of 19,372 in the face of a Republican plurality of 69,591 in the vote for president. On his record as governor of the state Judson Harmon was prepared to go before the people and ask re-election. With precedent against him, the elec tion machinery against him, with the president of the United States, a citi zen of the same state, fighting him for re-election and In face of strong Re publican sentiment to combat Gover nor Harmon nevertheless was given a majority of 101,000. Ohio repudiated her favorite son, William H. Taft, president of the Unit ed States. Go^’^emor Harmon won the greatest Democratic victory In the his tory of Ohio or of the middle west. It was a crushing blow to the president. There are some things in Ohio more popular than the Taft smile. One of them is the Hon. Judson Haxmon. who polntment, he said at a banquet- -tv* are here because we know that k eminently quaUfled to dlscharg. J* dutlM Of his Office with unbound ! credit to his country, the admin^t tlon to us, his friends, and himself'• There is an odd series of colnciri - in the careers of Governor ^ ^*’®sident Taft. Always Pa'n!° has followed Taft or Taft has foiio?°!i Harmon. Harmon resigned as , in Ohio, and Taft took his place, vk ’ Mr, Taft became solicitor genera' the United States. Harmon fo him to Washington as a cabinet 4 ber. Will he follow Taft to Wash S ton again? Governor Harmon was bom in ' town, Hamilton county, O, P«b 2 i kTo and he therefore is in his sixty-fiflv year. One not acquainted with thLl i would take him to be no more fifty-five. He is just as vigorous man of znany years under fiftv-gv! and as fond of sports and of the out oi He rides -K\ti doors as a schoolboy, the grace of a regular army cav^rv man, plays golf, competes wl*'i crack rifle shots of the O. N. a anr, ally and makes good scores; goei Michigan every summer for htg vaca. tlon and fishes and fishes, and h- is baseball fan of the species that re nrg, each play made during a game ,r n score card. ‘ • He was for years pitcher In a in. composed of business men wh 'm.t every Saturday afternoon out in th« suburbs of the Queen City, and h would pitch nine straight innini^s all ,he \igor of a big leaguer. Mr. Harmon’s father was a Baptist minister, and from him he received his ^rly education. In 1866 he graduated from the Baptist college at Denison Licking county, and in 1892 the school honored him with the degree of ll, d He attended the Cincinnati Law school and graduated in 1869. Mr. Harmon’s Idea of what Democ racy should do can be summed up in the closing words of an Intenie;? which he gave, as follows: I take It that the true platforrr; of the Democracy Is the presenation to the utmost of the rights of the ■ om- mon man—the man who has not mipht or wealth to twist the current of events to suit himself, to observe to the strictest possible degree the limits of authority imposed by the constitution, to administer the government eco nomically, and in doing that to levy only the amount of taxes, direct or through a tariff, which will meet the expenses of the government.” “Am I a believer in the income tax'”’ said the governor in response to a Question. “Most assuredly.” he continued “Without such a tax the expenses of the federal government, which now amount to a billion dollars per year, cannot be fairly distributed. Thevc-re now collected by tar ff and other taxes on consumption, and the enormoui' vested wealth of the country escapes A few states have undertaken to tax incomes, but, as I am advised, with little success. Changes of :e.fral re.'^i- dence are too easy to make. The ' :!i- ciency of a federal income tax has nnen proved. The Iev\Mng of one would '.- Ip secure tho lowering of tariff taxes so greatly and generally desired, while the people will watch more close!-’ what is done with their money wh n they know thsy are paying taxe- and how much.” Governor Harmon had the followi.ag to say about state rights: “We must make the state govern ment more broadly useful. Its powers are ample and undoubted to grappia with many things which have been de veloped by new conditions and gi e general concern. For instance, it has* absolute control of all corporations oi Its own creation and of the terms on which corporations of other states may do business here. Why. then, stand by and let the general government assurr." to regulate state corporations becau.'t they engage in interstate commen ? not e cor.; merce, too, and congress has the san 3 right concerning their personal affai"^ as with those of state corporations, no niore and no less. If congress gets general jurisdiction over u.s. ■* . ,,, , ; w® engage in commerce outside t;.e today, and likewise was made good the { stale, we may as well turn over the prediction of Judge Taft when, upon i capltol to a federal commission and the occasion of General Harmon’s ap- home.” I SOME BIG BILLS A REAL GOVERNOR I OBTAINED FOR PEOPLE 1[| OHIO i 4* Oregon plan «f nominating and sleeting United States ’* 4, by direct vote of the people. Z judiciary beyond the o^Sutches of party bosses by v ►j. *‘®cting oil judges on-nonpartisan ballots. I A workingmen’s compensation act, so that injured employees can get J j damages without expensive and tedious litigation. > A public utility commission with authority to regulate issues of corrupt practice act that will make vote buying in primariss and ^ elections a dangerous undertaking. A limited initiative and referendum for OMe erftw. ^ A central board of control for nineteen state institutions to take the p ace of mneteen separate boards of trustees with their corps of em- •> V P.'oy®®** bill places subordinate employees in the institution unde-- f ^ civil service. T A shorter ballot by abolishing boards of infirmary directo.-s of three ‘ ^ members cach. •f’ T election laws to prevent corruption and fraud. *be 1912 Ohio constitutional convention nomi- ? nat^ by petition only and elected on nonpartisan ballots. X ♦ by requiring agriculture to be t taught in all Ohio village and country schools. Ratification of the proposed Income tax amendment to the federal constitution. congress to call a convention to provide for the direct ■> election of United States senators. ^ =}> honest handling of all state money by depositina in banks % under the competitive bidding plan. ^ i- - r ® $3,000,000 every year by general levy to give Ohio a % system of improved roadways equal to the best in the world. A complete reformation of tax laws that will put tax dodgers out of ?harh!5/h compel corporations and owners of intangible property f, lame a* '‘«®s to place their holdings on the duplicate tho -i' U^t b*n. oy,ners. Included in this is a 1 per cent tax levy | ina alL^^^n construction of a women’s reformatory and plac- | wlman!^^ correctional institutions under the control of a % P^«®t*c®s act and the initiative refer- ? comr^‘t^ ‘^«® conference commtwtec T^t-se bills will become laws in satisfactory form. > ».t« n, a; el X ' V 'I 1: f i. - ’4 ' i i • ( O' SI.. I Kl'i'i! Jcnk , ■'i ■ ! ^'-.c : :al iri.iT i . ■! 0 '41 ■'asi " Tf V-% G: Ric!- I)r.\ Vrd] Ecn iV' vS r.,;t e: I,;:; n a i'r nr; a Rei lie! ten a Hoi to T bee by bui b'.i of ?0' \va wit i ’ei his lue is S'it Soi A,1 O’c hai as Scl
The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
June 7, 1911, edition 1
10
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75