The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1868-09-17
PLYMOUTH. IND, Sep. ID. 1868.
Ed. Plymouth Democrat, Dear SIR.

Lu. tIHtOuM DcWocTW, HcUr SIR:
1t is well known fact that two repub-
lican candidates have during the campaign
made speeches in every township through
cut the county, and il nearly every SCHOOL
district outside Of Plymouth, and that in
each Of those speeches they made grave
and specific charges against the officers of
this county, and their management of
county affairs, which charges If proved to
be trae, would in any court having juris-
diciion cons;gn the IF, p9ers to tie peui-
Tertiary as delaGters and thieves Now
the people are deeply Interested IN know
ing whether these charges are true Or
false, and no man who has tie least re-
gard for his oga reputation or that of Ike
county would make such charges unless
he knew them to Je true. IF they are
true the county records will prove it, and
those records are open 70 the public at all
times during business hours, and outside
Of those records there can be no proof.
By them tie parties making the charges
must sustain them or fail. Knowing this,
in your paper Of the 81 inst. took the
responsibility Of inviting any person who
might feel interested TO examine the coun-
ty records. and offered reward OF four
bundled dollars TO any person who should
prove hy Ike records tie truth of four
specified charges therein mentioned, or
500 FOR each charge therein sustained.
However, instead of accepting ny offer
which was certainly most fair one-and
proving the truth Of their charges, they
attempt to evade the issue they themselves
have made. The last weeks RepuJfican
comes 70 the rescue and seeks to avoid
accepting my offer by saying that there is
not time to make the inyes tigation befme
the elections. That the gentlemen L
named IS a committee cannot be got to-
gethcr, That the use Vi their names was
unauthorized, and a proposition backed up
By some person whom they are careful not
to name, offering $4,000 if can prore
certain stfteme7,ts 10 be untrue, which
statements have about as much to Do with
the questions az issue as that of "who
struck Billy Patterson ?"
Now this attempted dodge of the Re-
publican won't work. First, there is
plenty Of tiue teforo the election to make
thorough investigation Of the county
records. And if the persons who have
been 50 busy circulating those slanderous
charges to the people Of the county have
been doing so without first examining the
records TO prove ihe truth OF their state
ments, what position are they left in !?
Simply that Of knowingly, wlfuIly, and
falsely sIandering their tellow-ci citizens,
with the most rrupt motives to accom-
plsh their own base purposes. If they
desire to remain before the people N that
position | certainly have 40 objection.
What authority has the RpaJIican to
assume that the gentlemen L named as a
committee cannot be got together, or that
the use Of their names is unauthorized.
| Business calls two Of them here on the 9TH
day Of October, and the other one xil
come ii requested It is the business Of
tie person who makes an assertion to
furnish the proof, and if the persons who
have been making the charges spoken of
viii search the records aud present their
evidence to the committee they can decide
it ia very fen hours. The committee
simply acting as the judges TO hear the
evidence offered pro and con. As to
whether wrote letters to IL. Ii. Dodd OF
not, or whether was a '.Son of Liberty"
or not, has nothing to DO with the ques-
ton of the county finances, or the charges
of malieasance against the county officers,
and therefore needs no reply. If they
mean business they viii accept my offer
made in your paper of Sept. Sd; but if
they mean to cowari-liko eyade the issue
they themselves have presen ed. then they
will continue to dodge as they did in the
last weeks Il publican. In the mean time
We shall see
Yours. truly,
TAvTNr ~ DJTcTJNAN