The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-09-29
INC VIVIAN Road Aenin.

In the communication in last weeks
DEMOCRAT on the matter of the Wyatt
Road, which was written by Robert
MILLER, ESQ.,, and signed by EPHRAIM
Cook, it was objected against Mr.. HARSH
MAN that the new deeds were all made
in the back room of the Auditors Office,
and that therefore Mr.. HARsHMAN was
cognizant of and a party to the whole
fraud. if there was any fraud. We can
not say where Mr.. HARsHMAN or the 9th
er Commissioners were at the time the
deeds were made, nor does it matter in
the least. If Mr.. HARsHMAN and the
other Commissioners believed that per-
sons receiving deeds for a part of the
land made them lawful voters, ifthey at
forwards signed the petition, it made no
difference whatever il the deeds were
made in the presence of the Commission
ers or where they were made, and the
attempt of the writer to injure Mr.. HARSH
MAN by his reference to the matter, needs
only to be understood in order that it
may be detested and despised.
Again, in the communication the writer
seeks to make it appear that the Com
m~issioners, or rather Mr.. Harshman
alone, in order to defraud and swindle
the opponents of the road, f~raudulently
altered or scratched out certain records
of the Commissioners. Now, what is the
truth about this charger The Auditor,
Mr.. Oldfather, before the Commissioners
acted on the petition the second time,
marked the original petition s'refled,"
and made an entry of the fact on the
journal, but this journal entry was not
signed by the Commissioners. The Com
missioners on consultation with their le-
gal advisers were instructed that it was
improper and unnecessary to mark the
petition ''refled," or to make a journal
entry of the same-that the petition must
stand just as it originally was-and the
Commissioners in order simply to correct
what they~were advised by counsel was a
mistake, did correct the same, both as
to the refling of the petition and as to
the journal entry, and this they had the
lawful right to do, and wal their duty so
to do if an error had been made.
With this explanation we close this
matter in regard to the charges against
the Commissioners. Sifted to the bot
tom there is really nothing in them, but
clearly show that Mr.. HARsHMAN's Is
sailants are only actuated by partisan
malice and hatred. As an evidence of
this fact, take the communication to
which Mr.. Cook attached his name and
examine it and a stranger would think
that Mr.. HARsHMAN was the only Com
missioner in the County. No n would
dream that he had two brother Commits
sioners who were acting and agreeing
with him in everything that was done.
Why place the other two in the back
ground and put everything on the back
of Mr.. HARsHMAN? The answer is only
too clear-partisan malice and spite
Mr.. HARsHMAN is unquestionably q man
favorable to economical and prudent inn
provements, and desires that Preble
county, as far as she is able, shall keep
pace with improvements of the age and
of the State, and no man should be elect
ed to the office of County Commissioners
who does not entertain this view. Neither
the people nor the Democratic party can
afford to be wrong On this question, and
more than that, they will not be put
wrong on it, no difference from what
source the opposition. The nan who at
this day and age opposes on principle
the construction OF turnpikes and other
public improvements, is an "Antedilu-
vian' and a "Mossback," and should
be SO regarded.
Mr.. HARsHMAN made a most excellent
County Commissioner, and we submit
his claims to the intelligent voters on
their merits, and we opine that no anti
improvement emissaries can successful
ly detract from the good name which he
bears as an honest, intelligent and prac-
teal business man and a faithful public
official.