Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1878-09-12
Democratic Opinions of Hon. Geo L.
Converse.

o. S. Journ al.
Hon. James S. Gordon was a Demo-
cratic member of the Ohio Legislature
from Hamilton county during the session
of lS74-5. He had been before a regular
correspondent of the Cincinnati Enquirer,
and he is now, over the signature OF
Ithuriel. Geo. L. Converse was a CO.
member of the same body, and Gordon's
opportunities for knowing him political
| ly and personally were abundant. Cor
| don was Chairman of what was called the
! Wood county committee. He was put at
| the head because he was considered COM
| petent and honest. Proceedings under
| that committee were vast and varied, and
| George L. Converse was active in them.
| A reporter of the Cincinnati Commercial
had a conversation with Mr.. Gordon, and
the interview is published in the CONNER
cidl at length. We have room but for a
few extracts at the present time.
The following is from the Cincinnati
Commercial of May z, 1875:
| Reporter-Can you give me any light
on the matter of the Wood County Inyes-
tigating Committee?
Gordon = Mr.. Converse, Speak
er of the late lamented House, does not
seem to recognize the fact that he has been
relegated to the position of private citi-
zen and continues his efforts to protect
legislative thieves with as much vigOr as
when he occupied the chair.
the same question: -
The fact is, Mr.. Convere threw all the
obstacles in the way of the investigation
during its progress (fOr the benefit of the
party), and has attempted to haye pub
Iished a garbled report of the testimony
since, for the same patriotic purpose, no
doubt. Mr.. Converse is very fond of the
Democratic party, you know. Suspeeting
that some game of this kind would be
played, 1 took occasion to inquire into the
matter, and found that my suspicious
were well founded, whereupon I pro-
eeeded to make arrangements by which
an ungarbled report will soon be pub
1ished.
Reporter-You don't seem to have a
very high opinion of Mr.. Converse?
Gordon-No; 1 took occasion to tell the
gentleman so several times on the floor of
the House. He is, in my opinion, to-day,
the most unmitigated scOnndrel in Ohio.
He is treacherous and cOwardly. He
never harbored an honorable thought in
his life, nor did a generous thing. He
delights in duplicity, and seems to take
JOY in meanness, even without motive.
[ am not alone in this opinion of this gen.
, tleman; some of the best men in the par
: ty despise the crawling creature, and
while some tolerate him from motives OF
, policy, others are more outspoken. John
6. Thompson, for instance, does not hesi.
tate to deneunce him as scoundrel, and
|
: his ancestry by publicly stating that he
: believes him to be a "cross between 8
Modoc and a monkey" Bill Parr, OF
Licking, whom Converse sold cut in the
e organization of the Penitentiary Board
! told him to his teeth, on High street il
Columbus, that he was "hypocrite
: liar, villain;' and Converse, by th,
way, was too big a coward to resent it.
t His public record is pretty wells known
= and l propose before l get through AC
make his private and professional history
as we'll known, have been investigat-
ing this recently, and have struck SOM
S very rich leads.''
o John G. Thompson and Hon. William
. Parr. of Licking, seem to haye enter
tanned very humble estimate of the Hon
George L. No man can for a momen
doubt their Democracy. 1t stands un
s challenged. We should like to hear Sen
q ator Thurman repeat the opinions he use(
to entertain respecting Converse. H
: used to utter them in plain English ant
C does he merely grit his teeth, swallow
q the dose and labor to cheer on others t,
labor for a man whom he despises AM
{ scOrns? If all the honest Democrats il
: this county could be enrolled who hav
u no confidence in George L. Converse, tn
h number would be thousands. Do the,
expect to reform Congress by putting il
) such a Represe ntative? Is the name o
e Democracy to be thus disgraced? Is
e not the duty of every Democrat to he'll
q defeat this trickster and force the part
to nominate trustworthy and reliabl
- candidates They should not want a maj
1t for whom they must blush and apologize
# but one of whom they can be proud. On
% who is not charged with Villainy by hi
J." own partisan friends, but one like Loren
J. 20 English, who has no smell of smoke Of
is his garments.