Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-02-27
sheriR,s Advertising.


Democratic Butler county has given a
portion of the Sheriff7s advertising to the
Hamilton Telegraph, the Republican pa
per of that city, and for thus giving sus=
tenance to the Republican press, the DEM
ocrat has undertaken to bulldoze the
Sheriff. The Telegraph gives the follow
ing explanation of the reasons for giving
it portion of the priAting:
s'The Butler County Democrat made
furious attack on Sheriff Thomas, last
week, because a portion of the sherif7s
advertising finds its way from time to the
Telegraph; and there is hardly any reason
to doubt that when the facts are known,
the public will regard the attack as who'll
ly inexcusable, and our contemporary
will himself be constrained to admit its
inconsiderateness.
One would infer from reading the Dem
| OerGt, that Sheriff Thomas had made new
| departure in the manner of disposing of
his advertising, and had started the fash
ion, to use the highly poetic figure of our
contemporary, of pouring into the veins
of the Telegraph the life blood that should
go to enlarge the waistband of the DEM
OcTdt.
Everybody knowns that the sheriff's
advertising has been divided between the
| Telegraph and the Democrat since 1862; !;
and there are a half dozen good reasons
why the custom will continue to be OBJ
served for good many years to come.
In the first place, the sheriff is employ
ed in the service of the people of the en-
tire county. The duties of the position
employ all his time, and the statutes pro-
vide for his compensation. He is an Off
GER of the court, in daily business rela-
tions with lawyers and suitors of differ
/ ent political faiths, and it would natural
ly be his, and their desire, that relations
T. L. 10 81, 10 oI,o
lied by the most perfect harmony and the
greatest good feeling. Consequently the
sheriff would be disposed to- accede to q
request from attorneys or their clients
/ touching the paper in which a sale should
be published.
Again 1t is mistaken notion that iu
| dicial sales must be conducted, by the
sheriff. The sheriff knows, if the Demo
.crdt doesn't, that it is within the power o
attorneys to take from his control the sail
: of all property sent to the hammer by ju
J diciaI Decree. An attorney can, at AM
time, have a master commissioner ap
pointed, who will assume, for the tim
being, all the functions, of the sheriff
D and appropriate to himself all the fee
that otherwise would go to the sheriff.
Now, one-half of the members of tn
Butler county bar are republicans. Il
1862 they requested the then sheriff t
. give the sales in which they were inter
| 0SbclAs dS dGbOIHeySS 10 JIlC L eteqf0tpfl, AM
= they coupled this request with the state
\ ment that it was in their power to appoin
. master commissioners, if he declined IAN
if the commissioners were appointed, tn
e Telegraph would not only get the sales
: but the Sheriff would not get his fees.
n 1t was pure business arrangement, b
. which Republican lawyers agreed not
: exercise their rights, provided the the
/; sheriff would do the fair thing betwee
= the papers. And this arrangement, mad
q sixteen years ago, has been faithfully oh
served ever since, and, as said above,
{ will continue to be respected.
p The sheriff has the right to take all hi
e advertising wherever he wants to; but s
Il also have the lawyers the right to diver
a large portion of it into channels of thei
II own choosing. So long as the sheriff an
D the lawyers agree, the sheriff controls a
1t of the sales and makes his percentages
profit; when they disagree, master con
missioner steps in, and pockets the she,
iff's fees. The relations between the she
a iff and the bar are now harmonious; "
n must not be understood as making an
i threats, for we are not; but the DenlOcr
- now denounces the Sheriff as a traito
- and demands that he break the compa
% made sixteen years ago. Suppose tt
: Sheriff was weak enough to listen to tt
n Democrat, it would not get a single one
the sales that come to us; nor would IL
I' Sheriff get the fees, and the result woul
m be bad blood. We feel sure our cotenp
at rary will see how unfair its assault on Il
o. Sheriff was, and will hasten to make Il
: proper reparation."
- In connection with this subject, we a
- pend the following article, which we fir
in the Cincinnati Commercial, Feb. 14t
" f'Fhe Sheriff's advertising is giyi1
SC trouble in Butler county. The Butl
If county Democrat has claimed the offici
e. printing of the Sheriff. and he has replit
If in letter, of which the following is
= extract:
q was elected and am serving as She
iff of Butler county, andnota' Sheriff Fl
10 the Democratic or. any other party
10 have endeavored heretofore, and will her
:, after endeavor, to administer my office f
u the best interests of the people and ta
r. payers of the county, without referen
of to party or clique of any, kind. AS an i
,es dividual, have heretofore done, al
W. shall hereafter do, my full part in su
tanning the principles and in advancit
% Ihe cause of the Democratic party.
-as an ofhcer, shall perform my duty as +
It's qulrea by law, and for the best interes
lot oL ILe Wnole people of the county, wit
or out regard to party In the year 1851
ed 1862, when Maj. Phillips was Sheriff.
he rule was. ADOPTED in this office to alI0
n attorneys and parties having business
al this Office to dictate in what newsnan
rs IegaI advertisements snail be publishe
Iv That rule has been uniformly continuI
IS. down through the administrations of She
tb i ifs Rees, Allen, Andrews, and myself
the present, and 1 shall so continue to t
an end of my term. 1 believe that the pa
!" ties having buiness have the right to q
* signate where the printing shall be dor
Lr. and know that proper courtesy will II
to denythem the privilege
- ''In this communication Mr.. ThoIna
Z the Sheriff, utters sound. doctrine. It
y, the first fair and clear utterance on t
subject that we have seen from Sheriff