Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-02-15
REFOR &c.

REFORM, &c.
There never was a time in this
country when corrupt officials were
more successfully detected, arrested
tried and punished than now. The
efforts of the Government to purity
the civil service will be highly ap-
proved by the people. We freely
acknowledge that corruption in Of
fee exists and every effort to
root out dishonest, unworthy and
incompetent official has our approx
al.
But we would like to see some con-
sistency. Wha. confidence can the
public have in the man who is con-
stantly prating about intemperance,
while his moral character is public
stench2
The truth is that corruption exists
more or less in every society and de-
partment of business. Do we not
hear Of defaulters in religious as well
as political service? Do not bad
men hold high positions in church as
well as in civil government? Do not
men frequently prove dishonest as
Township. County and State Treas
urers2 Have not secret associations
had occasions to regret that their
funds were placed in the custody of
certain menl
And does not experience also
prove that men, who have crept into
Office by virtue of their loud profess
sions for retrenchment and reform,
have turned out the grandest scoun-
drels? Look to Chicago. Several
of the advocates of reform, who were
elected at the last November election,
have been convicted of corruption
and are now serving their betrayed
constituents in jail!
And there is one grand system of
corruption in our State to which we
wish to direct the attention of the
public. We mean the "Public Print
ing" If the people of Ohio knew the
amount of money that has been stolen
from them under the guise of 'sPub-
lie Printing" they would be aston
ished. The county printing is given
to the Editor who does the dirty
work Of the successful candidates.
And as these successful officials want
to reward said printers. for the dirty
work performed and also for print
ing their tickets and puffs, out of the
County Treasury, they use every job
Of printing as pretense by which to
pay, under the guise Of legality,
three and four times as much as such
work is actually worth, and the inno-
cent people foot the bill. So it is
with legal printing. Men who have
occasion to go to law and legal no.
tices are required, they frequently
fall into the hands Of unprincipled
publishers who make them pay out
rageous bills, because the litigants
can't help themselves. This matter
ofcounty printing ought to be gov.
erned by law. The law should pre-
scribe the manner of publication and
the price to be paid for it. Senator
Jones, Of Trumbull County, has in
troduced bill, having for its aim
the correction of some, of the evils
that have thus crept into practice
and because of his efforts in t is di.
rection, the very men, who are loud
est in denouncing political corrup-
ton and advocating retrenchment
and reform, brand him ga damn
fool" Is this right9 Let the peo
pie remember that corruption exists
In their local affairs, right at home, as
well as a Thousand miles Off. Let
them also remember that it is ia their
power to root out this corruption. II
they will lay aside their pre)udices
and select for positions men who
have shown integrity and ability ir
the management of their own bust
ness, they will soon see a handsom,
reduction In their tax bills. We sa,
watch eorruptionists abroad ans
while yaa intently do SO. don't oyer
look those at your doors.