The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1876-09-07
The above documents are accom-
panied by the following statement
from Mr.. Dickey himself:

of the Ross County Register, well as its informa
| ton as to my trip to Philadelphia, Is MOST POSI-
dence, except from about O'Clock to O'Clock dur
| ing the evening or night of the 22d inst. de
nounce the author as fabricator, and if 1 can OBJ
tain his name from the editor, which have de-
manded, shall hold him responsible. As to the in
| formation of the editor that 1 was intoxicated
while on my way to the Centennial have only tC
say that 1t Is WHOLLY, UTTERLY AND NALICIoUsLY
FALSE. There is not particle of truth, nor the
least foundation in the world for the statement
neither saw, tasted smelled particle of intox-
icating liquor of any kind. To show that the whole
ter to the Conductor of the train TO refue his state
ment in the Register. HENRY L. DICKEY.
So much for Mr.. Dickey's side Of
the question. Now for the other
side.
TIE Ross Co. Register of last Sat
urday re-asserts it's charge that Mr..
Dickey was drunk on the night OF
Aug. 22d, in Greenfield, and in sup
port of the charge, presents the fol
lowing statement of facts:
The exposure in the Register caus-
ed such stir that on Monday last Mr..
George L. Wolfe, one of the editors
of the Scioto Gazette, determined to
visit Greenfield and ascertain for
himself the truth or falsity of the
report before making use of it. Mr..
Wolfe is recognized in this commu
nifty as a particularly conservative
man, who measures his words, and
anything he asserts as of his own
knowledge needs no oath to assure
anybody in Chillicothe of its reliabil-
ity. Mr.. Wolfe, as we have said,
went to Greenfield, investigated the
subject for himself, and on his re-
turn published the result in last
Wednesdays Gazette, from which we
take the following:
Feeling that If this charge was true, Mr.
Dickey not the man to represent this District in
Congress, and also if it true, the people of the
District ought to know IT, and put the seal of their
condemnation on him next October, went to
Greenfield, Monday last, to satisfy ourselves as
to the truth or fasity of the charged.
AS is usual in such cases, we found come of the
citizens q little lOath to say anything about the
matter for purely personal reasons, but after
awhile We began to get the ''trute inwa 1ness" of
the affair, and constrained to say, In view
of the facts given us, that Henry L. DieEsy t1as
drunk on the ereRtRg Of igust 22d 1876 IN the torn
Of Greenfield, Ohio, substantially charge by the
correspondent of the Register.
We say this more in sorrow than in anger, but in
view of all the circumstances we deem 1t duty we
owe to the public to take cognizance of the matter
There is class of items that. in Justice 70 mans
family and friends, should be passed by in silence
but when q man occupies, or is a candidate for,
public Office, anything rejecting on his character
and qualifications for the Office are legitimate sub
jects of criticism and that it is a privilege nav
more, duty, however unpleasant, of the press
to give any facts capable of substantiation, bearing
on the matter.
The matter has assumed such a shape that 1t be-
comes necessary for Mr.. Dickey to put up" or
''shut up" and if he is able, he claims he s, to
procure the affidavts necessary to clear himself of
these charges, il is duty he to his friends 10
do so, but we can say to him that evasive, milk
and water affidavits will do. They must be clear
and distinct, for those which come in rebuttal will
be square 10 the mark and from good and respon-
sibLe citizens be found in the to,Cn of Green
deld.
While in Greenfield we were "interviewed, by
some of the friends of Mr.. Dickey, who were very
positive In their assertion that the charges were
false In every particular, but investigation has
led US irresistiby to other conclusions.
Thursday last one of the editors of
the Register attended the Demorcat-
ic Judicial Convention at Greenfield,
and while there made it his business
to inquire into the details of the af-
fair. Like Mr.. Wolfe of the Gazette,
he found difficulty in getting a full
and free expression from those per-
sonally cognizant of the affair. 1t
had created such breeze and as
sumed such prominence that those
who saw Mr.. Dickey on the night
named, especially those who were of
the same party as himself, did not
like to put themselves in shape to
appear in print. The principal wit
ness in the case, however, was Mr..
George W. Sprung, editor of the
Highland Chief, and one whose word
no one questions. Mr.. Sprung also
very naturally dislikes to have his
name go before the public, but he
had seen Mr.. Dickey on the night of
the 22d ult., aoas sure he agas drunk,
he said SO to other citizens, and was
willing to swear to his assertions if
it became necessary, but Mr.. Dickey
not having produced any sworn tes-
timony, Mr.. Sprung did not wish to
go through that formality until it
became necessary, although, to those
who knew him, his affidavit would
not make his simple statement more
entitled to belief. In private. con
versation over the matter, Mr..
Sprung characterized Mr.. Dickey's
condition in much more emphatic
terms than those given in his state