The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1875-04-08
THE STANDARD.
From the Cincinnati Gazette-l
Wood County Bribery Case.


the popular vote trick, is but small vii
lage. Perrysburg. the only considerable
town in the county, has but about 1000
inhabitants. Therefore, Wood is a coun-
ty, from which large amount of money
could be raised to operase on the Legis
lature in such contest of localities as
the question Of again submitting the
county seat location to a vote of the peo-
pie. OF course. Perrysburg has much
more pecuniary ability than Bowlin"
Green. But there is a general inpi. >
sion that this Democratic legislature
q very low priced body and that much
may be done in it with little money.
The testimony taken by the commit
tee appointed at the instance of Mr.. Cor
don, OF Hamilton, to inquire whether
any members were bribed in regard to
the bill to submit the removal of the
county-seat back to Perrysburg to a vote
of the county, appears to have come
about as near to the proof of bribery as
can be expected in these affairs, in which
is the interest of both parties to the
transaction to keep it secret, and to de-
ny it if it gets bruited The most posi-
tive testimony to the direct offer of mon
ey to member for his vote is that of
Mr.. Gordon. He swears that Mr.. Coo
ley, Representative from Cuyahoga. told
him he had a pecuniary interest in the
bill, and that there was Sl00 for Gordon
il the bill passed. and that he answered
that if he was in the market he should
want more money than that.
He testifes also that Mr.. Haag, Repre-
sentative from Henry, came to him and
said: There is not much money in this
thing | can get 500 for voting for it; if
the bill passes, you will be handed CT
gar with 500 wrapped around it, Also,
that Mr.. Murlin, Representative from
Mercer, said to him, after the bill had
been once voted on and lost, aft you had
been here to vote for the bill, l had 500
in my pocket for you"
In the way of corroboration there is
evidence that the lobbies from the con-
tending towns had money for expenses,
and, in the case of Wood, at least. did
not keep a record of expenditures; also,
as an example, that Mr.. Cooley told Mr..
Richards, Representative from Jefferson,
that if he would make a speech for the
Wood county bill he could have $780,
DR.. Hamilton, head of the Perrysburg
lobby. stated that he authorized this
offer, and that it was a consideration for
the trouble of posting himself for the
speech, ne being already in favor of tine
bill But when bribery is going on, such
propositions are set down as covers for
it. But this illustrates what we before
remarked, that there was not a great
deal of money in this thing, but these
lobbies thought little would go far in
this General Assembly.
There was also much testimony among
certain class of members-that is to
say, the class that gave character to this
General Assembly-about there being
money in particular bills, and about the
the price of votes.
The members implicated by the testi-
mony as having offered bribes claim that
the talk was joke. There was much of
this bantering which might cover serious
approaches Mr. White, Representative
from Crawford, testified that Cooley ask
ed him how he was going to vote on the
bill, and he answered it was none of his
business, and that Cooley then said he
would give him $l00if he would vote for
the bill, and he replied that if he were
offered that he would vote against the
bill. even if favorable to it, and that he
thought Cooley was joking
Mcuser, Mayor OF Gallon, testified that
Haag asked him about Whites circum-
stances, and told him White could get a
couple of hundred dollars for his vote
for the bill, and that he thought the con-
yersation in earnest. But Haag says he
was trying to find out whether White
had been influenced by money in his for
mer persistent opposition to the bill.
Without any prejudice to the other
testimony against Mr.. Haag it may be
observed that this is more probable than
that he went around in this free and
easy way offering bribes through chance
third persons, which would be almost
: like offering them at public outcry.
Naturally, they who are prosecuting
the matter hold that all the talk the
men they are pursuing have had about
money for votes shall be set down as Sc
rious, while they claim the joking immu
nifty in their own behalf There is testi
money that Gordon INDUCED in thi.
kind of humor quite as broadly and a.
polntedly as any, and in a way that coulC
easily be made an opening for business
Two witnesses testify that Mr.. Gordor
said to one of them in the hearing of th'
other that he would not vote for tn,
Wood county bilt for less than $500, anC
then repated the assertion, placing tn
figure at 81 900. giving as a reason tha
the Northwest was against him when h.
wanted the nomination for Secretary o
State. They state that he opened tn
conversation by declaring that he wa
pretty drunk, which also might be a con
Venience for retreat. Another witnes
testified that Gordon said to him: "Yor
Wood county fellows don't pan GU
we'll"
The foregoing is the most direct test
mony to bribery that this investigation
has elected, and while it is probable tha
there has been much chatting about th
price of votes, yet the testimony to br
berry is, we suppose, as near as it can eve
be expected to get to such fact.
But is it probable that all this chatting
banter and raillery about there bein
money in particular bills, and the pric
of votes, and how muech money ther
was in certain things, and that the lobb
did not pan out well, and these banter
ing demands of higher prices for vote:
low tone in those that have been manas
ing legislation in this Democratic Genel
al Assembly, and an acceptance of tn
fact that the use of money was regula
thing in measures which were of specia
interert to any persons or class? 1t is
matter of common notoriety that tn
various acts and expressions which max
up what is called the moral atmospher
OF this General Assembly have made th
impression on air that have come in cor
tact with it that it is bad, and that it ha
greatly lowered the character of the Obi
Legislature.
A notable feature in all this testimon
is that the offers to bribe-if such the
were-were made in an unguarded an
free and easy way, as if in the course
regular business. The manner of til
offers Gordon testifies to would indicat
that the negotiators had complete cont
denee that he was on the market, or,
use the current phrase, on the make. S
unguarded way of bribery would max
the thing incredible if it were not for tn
very bad character this General Assem-
bly, has succeeded in making for itself