Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1869-10-07
"HOnosty is tho Best Policy"

lost TO common honesty as to re-
sort to falsehood and base misrep-
resentation in political contests,
for the purpose OF affecting their
objects, or the election of fovor-
tie candidate. A candidate who
cannot be sustained before the
people by fair means, is certainly
unworthy Of being sustained by
foul means, and those who resort
to Misrepresentation and detrac-
ton in order to secure official pro-
motion for their friends or them
selves, may live to learn that "hon-
esty is the best policy"
We have been led to these rehec-
tions from the fact that for several
days past a most wilful and mali
cious falsehood has been industri-
ously circulated, charging that Mr..
McCandless, our present County
Auditor, is incompetent to dis.
charge the duties Of the Auditors
office; that after three years cxpe
rience in the duties of the Office, he
was unable, in consequence Of in
competency, to make his settlement
with the County Treasurer, and was
obliged to call on the Ex-Auditor,
the present "Independent" candi-
date for the Office, to make the set
tlement for him. But this false
hood being completely exploded,
as the VIII Die story was wickedly
false, it failed in it's object, and il
became necessary, just at the eve
of the election, to manufacture
another falsehoOd, and to spare no
time nor opportunity to give 1t q
lively and widespread circulation,
with many hypOcritieal manifesto
tiOns Of sorrow for poor McCand-
less, that he should not be able to
discharge the duties of an Office to
which the people, through their
sympathies, had elected him.
This slander consists in a story
that Mr.. McCandless had made a
gross error in his accounts with
the Treasurer of the County, vari-
Ously estimated to be from $4,000
to $4,000, and that the county was
likely to be a great looser by
McCandlsss' inoompetency, and
that the County Commiss toner's
had to be called together, and set
In the Office with closed doors, for a
couple of days, investigating this Z
awful blunder Of our County Audi /
tor. This story lost nothing from
travelling, and was believed by
many. 1t turns out, however, that
there is not a shadow Of truth in
the whole story, but that 1t Is a
falschOod in every particular, re-
sorted to for the purpose Of break
ing Mr.. Ia. down and defeating him
for reelection to the Auditors or :
fee. A more unjust and wicked
never was resorted TO for ,
the purpose Of defeating and ruin I
Ing the character Of an honest man,
than this. Who originated and put
the falsehood in circulation, we do
not know; but we do know that 1t
has been circulated with a spirit !,
void Of the Characterization Of NOR. !
al honesty, Itis a low resort to !
persecution.
Mr., McOandless has performed
bis duty with credit and commend.
able ability, although, in Conse- !
quence Of the additional work and
complicated duties of the Office on
lccount Of the is or 20 pixies that
nave been made in the county since !.
le came into the Office, the duties !,
of the Auditor have been nearly If q
rot double what they were under =
he official term Of his predecessor, " :
If fthese prosecutions against the 4
Auditor who is o candidate for re- II
lection, do not reooil with double 9
'orce upon the heads Of those who y
AVE sought TO defeat and destroy :,
dr. NJ, we miss our guess. q
Admitting the fact that Mr., Nc "a
Jandless Is fully competent to dis Al
hafge the duties Of the office, and u
hat as he has proved himself, he Is y
and always at his post,
that other claims has he upon the \,
,eople Of the couAty for their suf. Al
rageH 1t is well known that when
is country needed the assistance ),
4 strong hands and brave patriot y y
0 hearts, to save 1t from destrgc- .,
ion by rebels, he did not wait TO 81
70 drafted, but at ence volunteered, b
houldersd his musket and went to y
lie country's defense in an hour Of =
IS peril, where be received a wound
rom 3 gun in the rebel lines, which q