Part 5 (1/2)
Without syht to foment trouble in America, the Governor clearly expressed his conception of Americanization as a voluntary spiritual, and not a compulsory, process The policy he had in o in March, 1920, in which he said:
”There must be no compromise with treason, but the surest death to Bolshevisht of public view We ainst extreedies of revolution can be charged to theoverneful Our fathers in specifying what huuarantees for its preservation, recognized that a the necessary precautions was the protection of individual right against governnorant of our laws and custooverns are much the same the world over, and he may become and easy convert to the doctrine of resistance The skies will clear but overnment must be firm, yet judicial, uninfluenced by the eovernment we have, consistent with safety to life and property, the better for both happiness and morals A policeman on every corner would be a bad index to the citizenshi+p of the community, for it would reflect a foolish concept of conditions by the municipal officers”
The vision of Governor cox in legislation is best to be studied in the statute book of Ohio The fact is that he was a pioneer in soh the years he has insisted that government must deal with its problem by evolution lest revolution overtake it It was this sentiment that led him to deal with the industrial injury ainst the courts, a discerning eye knew so that wrong His creed, not recently as a candidate, but in the years of his public career, has been expressed in this summary: ”Our view is toward the sunrise of toress and its eternal pros”
The expression is found so frequently in his state docuht properly be set forth in the forreat Roosevelt called ”lip- service to progress The forward steps became a part of the laws
In health affairs he asked for the appointment of a commission to study the need for adequate local aded its adoption before the General assembly so forcefully that Ohio to-day has what is universally recognized to be the best syste coovernment, case was taken to place it where it cannot be prostituted to partisanshi+p There has been a growing nuovernmental departments under Governor cox in which partisanshi+p is utterly forbidden They include the Board of Ad with the wards of the state, the social agencies, the educational, and the Fish and Game Department An actual census in all the varied public office activities in Ohio would disclose that although the Democratic party has been in possession of the Government for nearly all of the past twelve years, the number of members of the Republican party on the public rolls is alreat as that of the victors The Governor has found that er compensation than the state has afforded, the type of men he has most often selected for responsible posts It is one of the curious effects of progress in governress in business and in civic life
In social service there has been evolved the cold storage act which has served as a islation
under its provisions a strict li of food With this has gone strict legislation against adulteration of food and honest enforcement of the laws
Other states have accepted as ain effective co-operation with state departnized social agencies One of the greatest steps foras the establishment of a bureau of juvenile research with Dr L H
Goddard at its head
Second to no other refor of the prison probleh work in the healthful out-of-doors on highways, in plants forroad material, and on farms There is a system of compensation to the fain life anew
Twelve hundred consolidated schools in Ohio attest the successful workings of the rural school code which was brought into existence in 1914 after careful study and after the state in general s had carefully studied the plans The old one-roo way in the country to there of the country school to the plane of those of the cities, it will be possible to check the alar drift to the cities and depopulation of the countryside Governor cox does not believe that the federal government should interfere in the affairs of local communities but he does believe that it ”can inventory the possibilities of progressive education, and in helpful ed public interest in this subject”
Along with the ihway progra an annual outlay of hways are improved they will, under the state policy shaped in 1913, be taken over by the state
The agricultural legislation was in consonance with the other subjects touched Ohio was long a duround for inferior fertilizers, diseased livestock and ied all this Still, these are police ricultural matters
The boldest step ever taken was the establishment of pure bred herds of cattle by the state with opportunity afforded through breeding service at institutional farms to extend these pure strains to the small farms The success attained is reflected in nuh-bred cattle
CHAPTER VIII
FIGHTING ”SLUSH FUNDS”
Developiven a peculiar interest to past history with respect to the record of Governor cox in dealing with can expenditures The Governor's reports, which have been filed under the Ohio Corrupt Practice law, show that he has never been an extravagant spender in cans In his various races for the Governor's office in Ohio one of the points which he has claies es he advocated and secured the enactned to reduce the evils attendant upon the presence of a legislative lobby He found upon the statute books of Ohio a corrupt practice act and this was strengthened by laws passed during his ter hold as Governor in 1913, he deid lobby law Of this he said:
”Conditions not only justify but de hiislation will not, if hishis na, with the secretary of state, or sonated by your body If his activities be of such nature that he does not care to reveal them in the ered It is no uard to have it knohat influences are at ith respect to legislation There ought to be no te with this situation”
In the first year of his administration he combated an attempt to annul the workorously cleaned up the situation by causing the arrest of those who had conspired to falsify names to petitions The Governor followed up his activity for clean administration of the referendum system by comprehensive laws in 1914, since when no abuses have been discovered What he said to the General asseave a further indication of his policy in this respect He said:
”The underlying spirit of the corrupt practice laws in the state and nation is the ascertainment of the influences behind candidates or measures We can with profit compel a sworn ite all iven or pron of 1916, in which Governor cox was re-elected, assertions were e improper expenditure ofJanuary at the regular session of the General asse for a special legislative inquiry The stateround for the developments of the year At that time he said:
”Letthe suffrage thought of the state froers of corrupt influences The sums ofsuch ly well- founded alariti exceeded Unfettered by law, this tendencypoisoned at their very base Reduced to sin is to inforermanely joins to the issues and the candidates Any step beyond this, and any project opposed to it in erous