The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-09-25
To the Public.

To the Public.
My attention has been called to an anony-
nous sheet that Is being circulated through
this Senatorial District, containing asper-
sions upon my personal character. Did /
consult my own incliuatons should treat
this slanderous document with the silent con-
tempt Il deserves, but justice to the party
that has honored me with my nomination,
seems to require that turn aside from the
more copgenial discussion Of the political
Issues of the campaign and answer the
charges contained in this unsigned publica
ton. Naturally when . man is stabbed in
the back, his first thought is, what hand has
hold of the daggers Who Is the assassin
Even casual analysis Of this attempt to
destroy my reputation shows me, first, that
1t was written by q coward, because he dare
not put his name to it 1 regret that am
forced to make public, that subsequent
events and facts that have come to my
knowledge and are now in my possession,
justify me In saying thar this infamou
sheet was instigated and widely circulated
BY my competitor D. L.Wadsworth, notwith.
standing the fact that at present he'd. L.
wadsworth-is asserting to my personal
friends, and those who he knows are best &C.
quainted with me, that my reputation Is
without blemish, and without stain, and
that he believes me to be an honest, reliable
man. Every statement in his scurrilous
circular that reflects In the least, is false, abb
soluteiy false.
There is, however, mixed with these
statements, just enough of truth to make
them seem plausible: hence the explana-
tions and denials which shall give over
my signature.
In reply to the charges contained In the
said publication, I deny unqualifiedly and
unconditionally, and without mental reser-
yation; First, that made anything by
Miner, Parker & Co.'S failure. Second, that
prepared either of the contracts referred
to, or that wrote, dictated or suggested O
single sentence In them, or that they origi-
mated in any form or shape, directly or in
cirectly with nc, and here publicly assert
that Judge Hale, of Elyria, at that time at
torncy for Miner. Parker & Co., has person
al knowledge that in this denial state but
the simple truth. Third, I deny that
made . single dollar out Of the chee.e
factories that were decided to me. / assert
that the foregoing denials are true in sub
stance, as we'll as form. 1 affirm that not
. creditor Of Miner, Parker & Co., had the
slightest right to blame me for his loss
that was induced to furuish the large sums
Of money that did to the firm, wholly and
simply by my regard for an old friend, and
upon his representation that the firm owed
money 20 the First National Bank, Of Oher-
lin, and the Phoenix National Bank of Ne.
dina, both Of which banks refused further
extension. This l know TO be true, as !
paid the Indebtedness at both the above
named banks. insisted on q deed of the
property instead Of q mortgage, simply be-
cause believed and was advised by friends
on whose judgment on a question of this
kind / had more confidence than I had in
nv own, that under a mortgage the prop
erty would not prove sufficient security,
though ample II conveyed by deed. A
moments reflection will convince any fair
minded man that such really WAS the case
The mortgage would have matured In the
winter just when factory men would be en-.
gaging their milk for the ensuing season,
but not In time for the foreclosure of q
mortgage, and the requirement Of such q
title as would enable me either to lease Oh
sell the cheese factories In time for next
years business. Under these circu instances
the patronage would be divided and the val
ne Of the factories very materially injured, II
not wholly destroyed. On the witness stand
did testify that charged no interest on the
ten thousand dollars, but / also testified
(Which was unfairly omitted from Mr.. wads-
worth's indictment) that as q compensation
or Offset had the use Of over three thousand
dollars for one year without interest. In.
duenced by these business considerations, ]
took deed Of the property and gave to Mi
ner, Parker & Co., awritten option to re-pur-
chase the property before jan. LIST. In the
meantime Miner, Parker e. Co., assigned
this option to Judah Miner and these facto-
ries were sold to various parties by him. !
decided the factories direct to parties pur-
chasing them, instead of to judah Miner, for
the very simple and obvious and sole purpose
Of saving the expense and trouble Of execut-
ing and recording two sets Of papers.
Mr.. Wadsworth well knows that every
transaction referred to In his indictment that
concerns me has been reviewed In fercely
contested litigation between Judah Miner
and q creditor who did not sell his claim to
Judah Miner, and that not one taiut nor sus.
picion Of taint of fraud or collision on my
part has ever been proved. For proof of this
I refer to the Hon. j. H. Dickson, Judge J.
C. Hale, Judge Tibbals, who tried the case,
and to the public records of the Common
Pleas Court Of Lorain county. Now as to my
part In the settlement between the firm Of
Miner, Parker & Co., and their creditors. 1
had nothing TO DO with the matter until the
creditors, who had sold their claims TO Ju.
Wellington to appoint referees to decide the
amount going to each creditor by the terms
Of said contract. The creditors selected the
heaviest loser by Miner, Parker & Co., j. C.
Ransom, President of First. National Bank,
New London. Judah Miner selected me.
and Ransom and selected L. B. Sprague, ss
the third. Wadsworth's anonymous circular
said was made referee by the terms Of the
contract. This is not true. l did not know
until the day of the meeting that Mr.. Miner
WIKI y me to act in that capacity.
IN. N ,hree met and took an oath to Impair
lpprsise said property, and SO far as I
1--WE did our duty to the full satisfac-
don o. both parties. After ascertaining the
liabilities of said firm, we found property
would pay forty cents on each dollar Of In
debtedness. The hrm owed about $65, Coo !
had nothing to dc With their claims until
nearly e55. 900 Of them had been sold and
transferred to Judah Miner. Then Mr.. John
Bowlby who had been paying these claims
for Judah Miner, quit his employ, and he,
judah Miner, placed funds in the First Ma
tional Bank and asked me to say to any of
the creditors who might wish to sell their
claims to him according TO the terms Of the
contract, that they could do SO.
Up to this time I had never urged any
Of the creditors TO sign either contract;