USA > Ohio > Franklin County > Columbus > History of the city of Columbus, Ohio, from the founding of Franklinton in 1797, through the World War period to the year 1920 > Part 18
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The Sons of Veterans adopted vigorous resolutions demanding a eitizenship 100 per cent. American, urged the deportation of unregenerate aliens and declared that Congress should investigate the social unrest and apply the proper remedies. Henry D. Sisson, of Pitts- field, Mass., was elected Commander-in-Chief.
The Woman's Relief Corps eleeted Mrs. Abbie Lynch, of Pittsburg, National President, and Mrs. Hattie E. Lear National Senior Vice President. The presidency of the other or- ganizations was bestowed as follows: Ladies of the G. A. R., Mrs. Lillian Clark Cary, Dubuque, Ia .; Daughters of Veterans, Mrs. Clara G. Yengling, of Cleveland; Sons of Vet- erans Auxiliary, Miss Mary L. Tredo, of Paterson, N. J .; National Daughters of the G. A. R., Mrs. Graee T. Armstrong, Detroit; Army Nurses of the Civil War, Mrs. Aliee Brady, of Columbia, Mo.
The local expenses of the eneampment, estimated at about $25,000, were met by a fund raised by popular subscription. Former Gov. James E. Campbell, chairman of the Citizens' Committee, estimated the number persons in attendance at the encampment at 90,000
The election November 4, 1919, presented to the voters of Columbus (women this time ineluded, under the amendment to the eity eharter) a multiplicity of propositions. The offiees to be filled were those of Mayor, Municipal Court Clerk, two Judges of the Munie- ipal Court, four members of the Council and four members of the Board of Education. There were proposals for additional city and county tax levies; bond issues for a Riverside park, water works extension, completion of the grade crossing elimination, a Greenlawn avenue bridge, and an addition to the County Tuberculosis Hospital. The "wets" had also caused to be submitted four propositions to interfere with prohibition.
Women were permitted to vote for Mayor, Municipal Court Clerk and members of the Council and Board of Education. They asked for the election of but one woman -- Mrs. William MePherson, candidate for the Board of Education-but organized efficiently to make their influenee felt in the mayoralty contest. Two organizations prominent in the campaign were the Franklin County League of Women Voters, Mrs. Orson D. Dryer chair- man, and the Women's Political Committee, Mrs. J. G. Battelle president. Emphasizing the viee issue, they were severely critical of the Karb administration and demanded a change. The registration for the election, men and women, totaled 72,000; about 65,000 votes were cast, approximately 16,000 by women.
The count of the preferential ballots, all choices included, showed that James J. Thomas had received 31,188 votes, George J. Karh 26,288. Fred P. Zimpfer 19,260. John J. Dun 6,533. Other successful candidates we're: William M. Jones, Clerk of the Municipal Court; Frank E. Ruth and Edward F. Berry. Judges of the Municipal Court; Milton W. Westlake, Joseph C. Nailor, W. 1. Millikin and Charles E. Justus, members of the Couneil : Fred D. Connolley, William H. Conklin, Frank L. Holycross and Lucretia ( Mrs. Wm.) MePherson, members of the Board of Education.
The city and county voted "dry" on all propositions except that they went with the re- mainder of the State against the act of the General Assembly for enforeing prohibition. The tax levy proposals were approved, as were all the propositions for the issue of bonds exeept that for a Riverside park, the major'ty for that being not the required two-thirds. Every official elected, with the exception of two councilmen, was rated a Republican, and there was consequent Republiean elation at party control of all branches of the eity govern- ment.
Mayor-elect Thomas reiterated his promises of an efficient and economieal government, but warned the people against expecting too much in the way of immediate tax or debt reduetion. He was inaugurated January 1, 1920, and in his address advocated many polieies for a progressive eity-the relief of traffie congestion north and south, the parking of the Seioto, the ereation of a eity planning commision. increased recreation facilities, eloser eo-
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operation between city departments, no further issue of bonds except for permanent im- provements, the postponement of street paving, except for the great thoroughfares, and a civil service supervision that will eliminate all inefficient employes.
The Mayor's first appointments were: John P. MeCune to be Director of Public Safety, and William H. Duffy to be Director of Public Service. The inaugural ceremonies in the packed Council chamber were in charge of a committee, M. A. Pixley chairman, on which there were two women-Mrs. J. G. Battelle and Miss Georgia Hopley.
General John J. Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Force in France during the World War, visited Columbus by invitation, December 17, 1919. He arrived at 3 p. m., and was met at the station by a committee headed by Mayor George J. Karb, former Governor James E. Campbell and President Frank L. Packard of the Chamber of Commerce. The automobiles carrying the guest and the reception committee and escorted by the Barracks Band and four companies of troops from the Barracks proceeded down High street, cheered by throngs of people and greeted by a battery of guns in the State House vard. General Pershing held a public reception in the rotunda of the State House and afterwards addressed the General Assembly in the hall of the House of Representatives. After a reception for the legislators, General Pershing was escorted to the Hotel Deshler where at 6 o'clock he was the guest of honor at a dinner attended by 500 citizens and legislators. Governor Cox and Mayor Karb spoke in welcome and praise and the General felicitously responded. General E. F. Glenn, General Charles G. Treat and the officers of General Pershing's staff were other guests. At the close of the dinner, General Pershing went to Memorial Hall, by invitation, and spoke to a gathering of negroes in appreciation of the part of the negro soldiers in the war. Leaving the city en route to Toledo, he was escorted as far as Springfield by a committee from the latter city, headed by General J. Warren Keifer.
In the early part of January, 1920, a drive under the direction of a committee, headed by Rabbi Joseph S. Kornfeld, for the city's quota of $85,000 for a national fund for Jewish relief in the war-torn countries, resulted in a subscription of $115,000.
The census of 1920, taken under the direction of John Pfeifer, revealed a population of 237,031. Of these, 199,159 were American-born, and 176,349 were born in Ohio. Males numbered 119,436, females 177,595. There were 220,315 whites, 16,637 negroes and 79 of other races. Of the foreign-born, 7443 were from Germany, 2,363 from Ireland, 2,114 from Italy, 1,995 from Russia, 1.471 from England, 1,267 from Hungary, 1,068 from Austria, 867 from Canada, 697 from Wales, 112 from Switzerland, 400 from Greece, 358 from Scot- land, 195 from France, 171 from Turkey and 624 from other countries. The total number of families was 55,691, children of school age 57,926, males of voting age 79,525. The increase in the number of foreign-born whites during the decade was 4,965, increase in negro popula- tion 3,898. The illiterates over ten years numbered 5,788.
CHAPTER XIV. FORMS OF GOVERNMENT.
Director Appointed by the General Assembly in 1812-Town Incorporated in 1816-Mayors and Councilmen of the Borough-Columbus Created a City in. 1834-City Watch of 1849-City Reorganization of 1852-First City Hall in the Central Market House- Municipal Code of 1869-First Board of Police Commissioners-Board of Public Works Regime of 1890-Partisanship Runs High-Municipal Code of 1902-Corrupt Offi- cials-The Federal Plan of 1908-Marshall Efforts at Reform-Home Rule Demand Met by the Constitution of 1912-Columbus Charter Commission-Present Charter Adopted in 1914-Principal City Officers Since 1834-Suburban Villages.
The act of February 11, 1812, locating and naming the capital of the State, set up no particular form of government. The legislature appointed a director who assumed charge and the business under the contract with the proprietors of the land proceeded. But to meet the needs of a growing community the Legislature on February 10, 1816, passed an act incorporating the town of Columbus. After describing the boundaries of the town, the act made it lawful for the qualified electors, resident six months, to meet at the Columbus Inn on the first Monday of May and elect by ballot "nine suitable persons, being citizens, free- holders or housekeepers and inhabitants of said town, to serve as Mayor, Recorder and Common Councilmen"; the persons so elected to choose out of their own body by ballot a Mayor, Recorder and Treasurer and to determine their terms as common councilmen-three for three years, three for two years and three for one year-three new members of the body to be elected each year in May. The Council, Mayor, Recorder and Treasurer were made a body corporate and politic, with power to receive, possess and convey real and per- sonal estate for the use of the town; to appoint an Assessor, Town Marshal, a Clerk of the Market, a Town Surveyor and such other subordinate officers as they may deem neces- sary ; to give such fees to officers and impose such fines for refusal to accept office as may seem to them proper and reasonable; to levy and collect taxes, to erect and repair public buildings; to make, amend or repeal ordinances and to fine and imprison persons who offend against laws and ordinances, "provided always that no person shall be imprisoned under the provisions of this section more than 24 hours at any one time."
The Mayor was vested with the powers of a justice of the peace and the Marshal with those of a constable. The Marshal was also required to collect taxes and empowered to sell property for delinquent taxes, the original owner being given one year in which to recover. The Marshal was directed to pay all tax money received to the Treasurer, and both Marshal and Treasurer were required to give bond satisfactory to the common council. The Re- corder was required to keep a true record of all laws and ordinances passed and of all the proceedings of the Mavor and Common Council, which should always be open to the in- spection of any elector who, if he felt aggrieved by any judgment of the Mayor, could appeal to the Court of Common Pleas.
The Mayor, Recorder, Treasurer or Common Council, or any three of them were made judges of the annual election, and were directed to make a fair record of, and publicly declare, the result on the same day, as well as to give personal notice to those who were elected. A vacancy in the office of Mayor, Recorder or Treasurer was to be supplied from the Common Council. and a vacancy in the Common Council was to be supplied by the re- maining eight from the electors of the town. In case of misconduct in office by Mayor, Re- corder, Treasurer or Councilman or subordinate officer, the others were given power to remove bv a two-thirds vote. In the absence or inability of the Mayor, the Recorder was authorized to act in his stead. This act was signed by Matthias Corwin, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Peter Hitchcock, Speaker of the Senate.
The first borough election was held at the Columbus Inn May 6, 1816. Those elected were: Jarvis Pike, John Cutler. Henry Brown, Robert Armstrong, Michael Patton, Jere- miah Armstrong, Caleb Houston, Robert W. MeCov and John Kerr. These Councilmen met at the same place May 13, and elected Jarvis Pike Mayor, R. W. McCoy Recorder and
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Robert Armstrong Treasurer. They also appointed these offieers: Assessor, Daniel Lig- gett; Marshal, Samuel King; Clerk of the Market, William Long.
At the end of the first year, the Couneil found that it owed $126.783, with $165,61} in the treasury. The Treasurer had personally advanced $20 to pay the Marshal a quarter's salary; there were stationery bills amounting to $16.314; $88.50 was due the councilmen for fees, and there were many small bills outstanding. The couneilmen relinquished their fees for the benefit of the corporation," and the indebtedness was thus reduced to $172.674.
In the 18 years of the borough organization, from 1816 to 1834, the following, in addi- tion to those already named served as councilmen; James B. Gardiner, Christian Heyl, Wm. MeElvain, James Kooken, Townsend Nichols, Ralph Osborn, P. H. Olmsted, John Jeffords, Eli C. King, Lincoln Goodale, Charles Lofland, W. T. Martin, John Greenwood, John Laughry, James Robinson, John W. Smith, Wm. Long, Joel Buttles, Nathaniel McLean, Joseph Ridgway, George Jeffries, John Warner, Robert Brotherton, Jonathan Neereamer, Robert Riorden, Samuel Parsons, John Patterson and Moses R. Spurgion.
The Mayors during that period were: Jarvis Pike, 1816-17; John Kerr, 1818-19; Eli C. King, 1820-21-22; John Laughry, 1823; Wm. T. Martin, 1824-25-26; James Robinson, 1827; Wm. Long, 1828-29-30-31-32; P. H. Olmsted, 1833.
The Reeorders were: R. W. MeCoy, 1816-17; James B. Gardiner, 1818; Ralph Osborn, 1819; John Kerr, 1820-21-22; Wm. T. Martin, 1823; Wm. Long, 1824-25-26-27; Lineoln Goodale, 1828-29-30; Nathaniel MeLean, 1831; Ralph Osborn, 1832; John Patterson, 1833. The Treasurers were: Robert Armstrong, 1816-17; Christian Heyl, 1818 to and includ- ing 1827; R. W. MeCoy, 1828 to and including 1833.
The appointive officers in the order of their serviee, were: Marshal, Samuel King (two years ) ; James Fisher, Wm. Richardson, Samuel Shannon (four years), Benjamin Sells (two years), Samuel Shannon (again two years), John Kelly, Benjamin Sells (again two years), J. G. Godman, John Kelly, Benjamin Sells, George B. Harvey; surveyor, John Kerr (four years), Jeremiah McLene, Jolin Kerr (again two years), Jeremiah McLene (again eight years ), Joseph Ridgway, jr., Byron Kilbourne (two years) ; Clerk of the Market, Wm. Long (two years), Wm. Richardson (two years), Samuel Shannon (seven years), John Kelly, Ben- jamin Sells, (two years), Julius G. Godman, John Kelly, Bejamin Sells, George B. Harvey.
The first change in the form of government for Columbus eame with the enaetment of a new charter by the General Assembly, March 3, 1834. After deseribing the boundaries, the aet ereated Columbus a eity and its inhabitants a body corporate and politie, with all the usual powers. It divided the eity into three wards-the first consisting of all territory north of the center of State street, the second of all between the center of State and the eenter of Rich street, and the third all south of the center of Rich street. It provided that the Mayor should be elected on the second Monday in April, biennially, for the term of two years, making it his duty to enforce all ordinanees, to punish official negligence, to sign commissions and issue lieenses and permits granted by the city council, and giving him the authority and jurisdiction of a justiec of the peace. It provided that the qualified eleetors of cach ward should at the April election choose four freeholders or householders resident therein as members of the eouneil, one for onc, one for two, one for three and one for four years, to be determined by lot, and that at each subsequent annual election. one councilman should be elected in each ward for a four-ycar term.
It was made the duty of the Council to cleet from their own body a President, a Re- corder and a Treasurer, each for one year, and appoint Assessors, Tax-Collectors, a City Surveyor, Clerk of the Market, street commissioners, health offieers and all other officers necessary for the good government of the city. The Council was given custody and control of all city property, with power to purchase, hold and sell for the benefit of the city, but it was prohibited from selling any public landing, doek or wharf used by those engaged in trade and navigation, also from issuing money and engaging in banking. It was directed to make ordinances for the peaec and safety of citizens. It was given power to establish a board of health, to ercate a police and a fire department, to prohibit the ereetion of fire-traps and eause their removal, to regulate taverns and all places where spirituous liquors are sold, theatrieal and other exhibitions and auctions, to require the abatement of all nuisances, to keep open and repair streets and regulate traffic, to establish new streets and alleys, to levy and collect taxes on real and personal property, to erect a eity prison and provide for its government.
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It was required that all moneys raised by tax, license, penalty, fine or forfeiture should be paid into the city treasury and should not be drawn therefrom except on order of the City Council; that the City Treasurer should give bond to the satisfaction of Council; that the Recorder should keep a true record of all ordinances and proceedings and perform such other duties as required by ordinance; thit the Couneil should elect annually a City Marshal and fix his fees, giving him power to appoint deputies and making it his duty to execute and return all writs directed to him by the Mayor, to suppress riots and dis- turbances and to make arrests for violations of law.
The Mayor was required to issue proclamation of elections and to receive the returns except those of the election for Mayor which were to be sent to the President of Council ; and the returns of all elections the Recorder was required to tabulate and enter in a book pro- vided for the purpose. Every white male inhabitant having qualifications as an elector for members of the General Assembly, if a resident for one year, was made a qualified city elector. Judges of the election in each ward were appointed by Council from their own number, never, however, candidates for re-election, and Council was given authority to make by ordinance other election arrangements as deemed necessary.
The General Assembly, in granting this charter, reserved the right to amend it at will. It was signed by John H. Keith, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and David T. Disney, Speaker of the Senate.
The first election under the new eharter was held April 14, 1834. John Brooks was elected Mayor, and councilmen were elected as follows: First ward, Joseph Ridgway, R. W. MeCoy, Henry Brown and Otis Crosby; second ward, Jonathan Neercamer, Noah H. Swayne, Franeis Stewart and Wm. Long; third ward, John Patterson, Christian Heyl, Wm. Miner and Wm. T. Martin. This council clected Robert MeCoy President, Wm. T. Martin Reeorder, Wm. Long Treasurer, J. A. Lapham Surveyor, Abram Stotts Marshal and Clerk of the Market.
On February 18, 1846, the Council, exercising the power given to it under the charter, divided the city into five wards-all the territory north of Gay street being the first, all between Gay and State the second, all between State and Rich the third, all between Rich and Mound the fourth and all south of Mound the fifth-and fixed the number of council- men in each ward at three. In 1840 the office of City Clerk was created by Council and ten years later that of City Reeorder was abolished.
In 1819 the Couneil created the "eity watch" and assumed the duty of appointing annu- ally in May and November as many watchmen as were deemed necessary for the ensuing six months, these watchmen to be ex officio police officers for the enforcement of the laws and ordinanees. They were to assemble at the eity watchhouse every night, precisely one hour after sunset, for evening roll call. They were to serve during the night as the Mar- shal directed and to meet again for morning roll call; the absentees were to be noted and reported to Council, and two absences without satisfactory excuse was to mean dismissal. Thus Council sought to meet the complaints of ruffianism, breaches of the peace, obstruetion of the streets and sidewalks, the accumulation of garbage and the openness of vice. The government, it will be observed, was by Couneil which passed ordinances, eleeted offieers to enforce them and sought to punish official neglect. The Mayor was little more than a justice of the peace.
The next significant change in the city government was in 1852 when, under the then new constitution of the State, the General Assembly passed a general act for the organiza- tion of cities and incorporated villages. By this act the Mayor became the chief executive officer of the city, charged with the duty of enforcing the laws and ordinances and super- vising the conduct of all officers. In cities like Columbus the Mayor remained police judge and was elected at the polls for two years, as were the Marshal, Civil Engineer, Fire Engi- neer, Auditor, Solicitor and Superintendent of Markets. The councilmen were clected, two from each ward for two years, their terms to expire alternately. Thus the Council lost mueh of its executive power and became more directly responsible to the people. In the appli- cation of this law to Columbus, each ward had four councilmen in 1853, three in 1854 and two in 1855. The personnel of the large council in 1853 is interesting. In it were Wm. Dennison, jr., afterwards Governor ; J. Wm. Ballwin, afterwards Circuit Court Judge; John Miller, John Noble, Luther Donaldson, Robert W. McCoy, Theodore Comstock, Lewis Hoster, Jacob Reinhard, all variously prominent in the city's history; M. P. Howlett,
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Benjamin Blake, Robert Cutler, Dwight Stone, Wm. Domigan, Robert Hume, Augustus S. Deeker, Wm. Miner, John Butler, James H. Stauring and John Rader.
In the meantime (1851) rooms for the Council and city officials had been fitted up in the second story of the new market house on Fourth street. A room 92 feet long, 27 feet wide and 19 feet high was appropriately furnished as a City Hall. The Council held its meetings in the southern part of this chamber, and there were offices adjoining for the Mayor, Mar- shal, Clerk and Surveyor. Cells for the confinement of prisoners were on the same floor, though the County Jail was still used for all but temporary purposes. It was not till 1855 that the first station house was erected at a cost of $2,800. It was a two-story brick and was located across the alley from the market house; on the first floor were the cells in two rows, while the second floor contained a hall for the use of the police. The force consisted of twelve men for night duty and three for day; they were paid from $150 to $500 a year. In 1858 ten regular and 20 special polieemen were elected by Couneil and Henry M. Wakeman was appointed eaptain. In 1860, John Uncles was chosen captain, with the fol- lowing members of the force: H. M. Wakeman, Israel Lyon, O. T. Huff, Albert Hazleton, Solomon Justice, Albert Fox, Charles Gain, W. B. Huffman and Nicholas Ketzel. B. MeCabe was captain of poliee in 1861 and reappointed in 1862.
An act of the General Assembly, April 29, 1862, provided for election at the polls of a City Marshal for one year and a City Soleitor for two years, also for appointment by Council of a City Clerk for two years. In 1867 the General Assembly passed an act extending to Columbus the provisions of the metropolitan police system, and John Field, Harvey P. Baneroft, Nelson Rush, John J. Janney and James G. Bull became Police Com- missioners by appointment of the Governor. An injunction on behalf of Columbus was seeured and, on May 24, was made permanent and later, the act insofar as it applied to Columbus was repealed.
In 1869 the General Assembly passed a municipal eode for the State, giving the Mayor, in Columbus and other cities of its class, the judicial powers of a justice and the police powers of a sheriff, but leaving the organization and control of the police in the hands of the Council. The elective officers were Mayor, Clerk, Treasurer, City Solicitor, City Commissioner and Marshal. The last named was declared to be the "chief ministerial officer of the corpora- tion" and was given power to appoint one or more deputies. When a petition bearing nearly 6,000 signatures was presented to Mayor Meeker, asking him to close the saloons on Sunday he pointed out the fact that under the law of 1869 he had no more power than the petitioners and that they should address themselves to Council and the committee on police.
A Board of Police Commissioners appeared for the first time in April, 1873, when Francis Collins, Joseph Falkenbach, Theodore Comstock and Luther Donaldson were ap- pointed by Governor Noyes as a bi-partisan body, in accordance with an act of the General Assembly. The Mayor was er-officio a member of the commission. The following year the General Assembly passed an act making the police commissioners elective and fixing their terms at four years each. But still there was dissatisfaction with the results. In 1882 an un- successful effort was made to exclude the Mayor from the board and in 1883, as the Council was still dividing police authority with the board, the General Assembly passed an act giving con- trol of the force, including appointments, discipline, ete., to the board.
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