The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-09-03

were members of that convention, or had
any voice in It, and to permit the Introduction
of affidavits which they had not been allowed
to see, and to which there was no opportun
ity for reply, would have been manifest
injustice and an outrage, beside which all
complaints Of gag law" or unfalrness
sink into insigni6cance.
Our readers can safely withhold their YER
dict brief time longer. The charges of
fraud, slander and perjury which have been
with well simulated indignation charged
upon the friends OF Mr.. Webber, and upon
Mr.. Webber himself, are only peice of
miserable pettifogging by man who has go
many years managed the affairs OF the Re-
publican party In this county, that he has
come to think he owns 1t, and who In the
Judgment OF large number OF leading Re-
publcans (some Of them the supporters of
Mr.. Nyel has been manifesting such spirit
and making use of such. methods as to raise
the. question whether. in the interests of
Republican unity and harmony, the time had
not come when the party must unload itself
OF its "polticsl boss" or see our large major.
ity fade out and the county be given over to
Democratic ascendency.
The only other alternative seems to be to
submit to the control of one man, who, II
he cannot dictate the nomination, wlthdraws
and sets himself to defeat the candidate,
forgetful OF the fact that the people who
gave power, did not release 1t forever after
Into the hands OF the machine to be run at
Its pleasure and will.
We support Mr.. Webber because we be-
lleve he had very little to do with the case,
and In its settlement was not consulted; had
no part or lot In the arrangement of It's
terms, did not share in the proceeds and had
no legal or moral responsibility In the trans
action. II we believed he had, II 1t can be
proven to our satisfaction that he had any
such connection with II as to give him q
share in the moral responsibility, he can
have our support no longer, and we shall
promptly demand that he withdraw from
the canvas and new man be substituted.
The afiidavits, though apparently explicit,
are not conclusive. They are inconsistent
with themselves and each other; they Involve
contradictions and absurdities that preclude
one who compreheuds them from placing any
confidence In them. Manyiof the statements
are absolutely false, and the theory OF
"a Fair Hearing" which can be safely
credited to Mr.. johnson, puts the whole
Hinckley case In such a supremely ridicu.
lous position that no legal mind can be
induced TO think that its author belicYes In
II himself.
We believe the evidence which appears to
connect Mr.. Webber with the settlement Of
the Hlnckley case, will be contradicted and
discredited, and when that is done the whole
opposition 10 him is without standing
ground, No man In Eyrla stands higher in
the estimation of the people. His character
is free from suspicion or taint. Even the
friends Of Mr.. Nye aud johnson who are
opposing him, give hearty testimony TO his
moral purity and uprightness, and the sup
position that he would perJure himself with
reference to the Hinckley case, for the sake
of the paltry Office of prosecuting attorney,
is the height Of absurdity.
Our time and space is exhausted.
In our next issue we will take up the |
Hincklcy case in detail. Notwithstanding
all that has been said on that question there
is meat in 1t yet. The lying has not been on
our side, nor have VIC overstated the facts.
The facts are more damaging than have
been represented, and since Mr.. johnson
puts himself In an attitude OF defiance, and
challenges Investigation, we shall try TO shed
all the light possible on this transaction.
Notwithstanding his assumption Of lofty
ideas and spotless purity, and fierce denun.
Citations Of lying and slander Mr.. johnson
has not yet told the plain unvarnlshed truth
about the settlement OF the Hinckley case,
and we do not believe that he could by any
possible means be made TO do so. II II is SO
clean, II everything is fair and honest, why
not open up the whole case to the people OF
this county, and let them Judge whether the
parties to 1t were guilty of any moral or
legal ofense.