The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1876-09-07
The Head or the Democratic State
Ticket

A correspondent Of the Cincinnati
| Gdzette furnishes some very direct
evidence that William Bell, Jr., the
Democratic candidate for Secretary Ol
State, is q dyed d.in-the-HOOl ''re.
former.n His long and successful
practice of the reform tactics makes
it eminently fitting tnAt be should
hold the first place upon the Demo
cratic ticket in the present campaign,
Newark and Licking county, the
home OF Mr.. Bell, have always been
Democratic, and as q natural result
county and town politics there have
become politically rotten. The beau.
ty and strength Of the present erpOse
is that it is derived entirely from
Democratic sources, and therefOFC
cannot be denied by the Democratic
organs.
In 1869 there was real estate pool
owning a large amount of property in
East Newark. This association de.
eided that the value OF OF its property
would be enhanced by the erection oil
a new bridge across tue North Fork ol
Licking river, connecting their prop
erty with the maln part of The city.
They accordingly went TO work,
bringing to bear all ths influe1eG
within their power, for tile ae-
eCmplishment OF their prof.
ect. But the people were des.
perately opposed to the scheme
The old wooden bridge would prob
ably have lasted yet for twenty ysars
and they did not desire the extra tax
necessary for the erection OF che new
1 IT,,
were also understood to be opposed to
what was considered an Unnecessary
outlay. But suddenly the erection OF
the new bridge was ordered and rapid
lily pushed forward to completion.
Probate Judge Taylor who was presi-
dent of the pool, when cfOwded with
inquiries as TO how the thing was got
through, finally replied "Why, we
bought your men, as we always have
to do when we want anything" As
all concerned were Democrats, It was
thought judieiOus to hush the matter
up. But it was destined not 10 stay
hushed up. In suit which Judge
Taylor brought before T. J. Anderson,
]. 2 >, two years after, against Col. +.
H. Wilson, another member of the
pool, he took occasion to detail the
whole history OF the now famous
bridge building scheme under oath.
Jddge Taylor swOTe in substance as
follows:
William Bell Jr., then Auditor OF
! Licking county, offered to put the
case through for the pool for $50
The effer was accepted and Bell went
\ to work Oh the Commissioners. Bel
1902, ha Il
| flpence as Auditor was not sufficient
to bring over one obstinate Commits
sioner Hill by name TO the desired plan
and that fifty dollars more would be
necessary with which to buy him.
The fifty dollars was paid, and the
bridge was built. Mr.. Bell maintained
a judicicus silence in regard to all
these details, and few days after
wards Judge Taylor came out in s
very carefully WOrded card, in which
he stated that 1t was not intended, in
his testimony, to criminate Mr.. Bell
or any one else, an an official cdpdci.
H.
But Mr.. Bell, the injured COmmis.
siOner, was not In the most happy
frame OF mind. He bore up under the
charge of bribery for two
Gt @9GRtgPts5 Pt5 6s a1d Io tasR az Affairs De s,
came out in a short, shsrp dOniel. snf
the other TWO Commissioners Joined
with him in q statement that Mr.. Hill
had always been opposed to the bridge
scheme and had fought it to the bit
ter end. The conclusion, then, which
the Democrats of Licking county
have logically arrived at is that Mr.
Bell pOcketed the money all himself
thus getting 500 for his services in
stead OF $50, as his continuing en-
plOyes had supposed.
Judge Taylor was disciplined by
the county saehems for his testimony
but as he was blunt and open in hi
talk, the conclusion was reached tina
"the least said the soonest mended,
Mr.. Bells ayidIty for the acquire
ment of filthy lucre, is partially &C
counted for by the fact that he hal
previously held the Sheriff's Office o
the county, and had come out 81 so
behind in his account which defici
he was at that time struggling man
fully to raise.
Mr.. Bell is exactly the man to lea
the Democratic "refOrm" hosts on Il
their inevitable Sedan this fall
Licking county furnishes rich fiel
for Investigation, and before the cam
paign closes the people will be showI
other pictures OF the manner in Whicl
the Democrats, in undisputed posses
sion of affairs, administer them.