Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-09-07
CHARLES FOSTER.
A Graphic sketch OF the Man and His
Methods.

II
During our editorial life we have
studiosly avoided offensive personalities
and bitterness. We have never resorted
to those except under the most severe
provocation. We had hoped that the
present campaign would pass without
necessity for their use. In this we were
mistaken. At Republican meeting.
held IN the city Of Akron. on Saturday
last, Charles Foster, Governor. made a
speech. The Cleveland Leader, lead
ing Republican organ, reports him as
having said:
cit Is the question Of school-houses,
churches, law-abidine citizens on one
side. against saloons and prostitutes on
the other"
No tongue has ever uttered o more
malignant SANDER than Is conveyed in
the above quotation. That, Governor
of State should have uttered it is a
matter OF great surprise. That corrupt
Charles Foster should have uttered it, is
not a matter of surprise. Elevated to
the public place through no conmenda-
BILE merit Of his own; possessed of a mere
minimum of intelligence; destitute of any
qualification necessary to makea board,
honest andcomprehensive public servant
noted for no excellence except success,
and hungry for additional honors, the
least of which he is unworthy Of, he can
afford. without injury to his character,
to slander and malign one half of the
people of Ohio. Leaving vocation in
the conduct OF which he had exhibited
great cleverness and thrift, he entered
politics and Immediately introduced the
most corrupt practices ever known in his
district. Casting behind him the little
gentility he had acquired in private life,
he adapted himself to the most disgust
ing methods known to politics. At the
close of his first successful canvas it was
| truthfully said that he had purged the
Democratic party of the old Tenth Dis
trict, by attaching to himself every VEN
al, corrupt and debauched character with
which our party was afflicted. His mon
| ey was in the pocket of every saloon
keeper IN the district. He had utilated
every hummer, and gained the friendship
and supprot of every loose and aban-
doned character who was voter. His
success was recognized as the triumph
of money expended by an INSCRIPTIONS
man on the wost elements of society. He
never reached public place, except by
the practice of methods which the vir-
tuous condemn. Nominated for Cover
nor by the purchase of delegates in his
own party, he unloosed his purse and res
traurants and vile saloons in the great
cities flowed with free beer and whisky.
No man OF either party, who ever ran
for office in the State of Ohio, spent a
tythe of the money Charles Foster scat
tered to secure place. His second can
vass was repetition of the first in ev-
erything that was venal and corrupt. It
was left for his administration to produce
the first case Of bribery known to Ohio
Legislative life. The corruptionlsts knew
that the Governor of the State had spent
thousands Of dollars to corrupt the cleo
tors, and thought that they could safely
i expend two or three thousand in bribine
! a few uaAmbers of the Legislature. Only
q year ago, he stood as a breakwater be.
/ tween the liquor interest and the tenn.
/ perance sentiments of his party. That
4 was to secure his reelection, and it did
To-day he is the sounder of key notes
/ and the slanderer of the Democratic par.
| ty. Where will he be tomorrow? What
Traditional degradation is there for him
to reach? One of the most despicable
characters in literature is that of "Fagin'
Of the great Dickens. He taught the
youth to steal systematically and adroit.
1 ". Charles Foster is teaching the young
men of the Republican party the Corrupt
methods of reaching public place. He
has. to a greater degree that any man
who has ever been in politics in this
State, corrupted the sources Of political
power, and now, stinging under the con
sciousness of his own political venality
he becomes the loudmouthed malignant
slanderer of one-half of the people ol
Ohio. 1t is the duty Of the Democratic
press and the orators who may take the
stump in the present canvass, to show up
the political mountebank who disgracef
the Office or Governor q the State.