Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-10-29
Lftio MuD-SLiNGERS.
Contemplate Conduct of the Educated" -.
Republicans.

4
Contemplate Conduct of the Educated -
Republicans.
When the Ohio campaign was opened
| the republicans were the first to de-
| clare that the battle. should be fought
| On living issues, that personalities
| nhould be kept out of the fight, in
| short. the campaign should be one of
| education. It was not necessary to Sc
r'ure the assent of the democrats to
| this as it was known by republicans
| shat mud-slinging was not habit of
| Femocrats. In one of his opening
| speeches Gov. Campbell spoke in the
Highest terms of Maj. Mckinley, of his
sterling honesty, of his character as a
rublic man and as a private citizen.
fle feelingly expressed his admiration
| tor him and declared him to be his per-
fonal friend. 1t was not long, how
ever, before the republicans discovered
fheir inability to cope with the demo-
Traits in campaign of education. From
| Protection. their hobby, they shifted to
fhver. But on this. as on the tariff,
| sney We're worsted by Gov. Campbell
:nd his aids Left without an issue,
routed from their protection break
water. the disorganized, demoralized
republican army was forced to load its
| smooth bores with mud and fire them
st Gov. Campbell. The guns were not
trained upon his character; no word
<7as uttered against his honesty or in
| tegrity: no intmation that he had
| committed a dishonest act during his
overnorship-there was absolutely
| rothing in Gov. Campbell's public or
Private life for the hardpushed repub-
sicans to assail Then they thought of
Ills financial condition. This, they
claimed, was not such as governor in
| II highly protected country should en-
| 10Y. He was not rich. He had not in
@ested his money in any of the monop
olies fostered by the law of which his
| opponent was the creator. He was not
wealthy, but they averred he was worse
.han poor, that he was in debt. Fabu-
| fous sums he was said to owe to his
friends. To Mr.. Cleveland he was said
% be indebted many thousand dollars,
so Mr.. Brice sixty-fve thousand dol
sars, to Mr.. Mclean fifteen thousand
! dollars, and to one Wilkinson, "a
/ prominent Ohio politician" seven thou
sand dollars.
| Republican papers printed these
stories without making any effort to
| ascertain the truth of them Thus it
was that Gov. Campbell decided to call
/ halt He had simply denied the
| stories as from time to time they had
,, been hurled at him from the stump.
but when the press printed them as
gospel truth he resolved to defend him
self. This is the method he took and a
| very effective one it is, too
COLUMBUS, O.. Oct 6.-Commercial Gazette,
Cincinnati. o.: I'm less you retract in your next
ISSUE in the broa dest and clearest possible Ian
guaye, the publication made by you this day,
and purporting to be copied from the New
York Recorder, shall bring suit against you
tomorrow. The man whom you call Ralph w.
Wilkinson, and to whom these monstrous lies
attributed. never heard Of do not pro-
pose to let you shield yourself behind some
| mythical person, or to escape because you are
attempting to ruin my credit and reputa alton as
an honorable ma n by printing from papers in
New York what you have not the hardwood to
print direct. Your meek editorial comment to-
day is worse than would be bold and open
sumption of responsibility. Your screed taken
from the New York Press the other day was
untrue and libelous, and shall bring suit upon
that also unless you retract it.
JAMES E. CAMPBELL.
A message was sent by Mr.. Campbell
to his New York attorneys in reference
TO Ine hecOrOeT anu the EuilduelpuId
Press which had printed similar stories.
But this is not all. The men who
are conducting the campaign of educa-
ton for the republican party in Ohio
so far forgot what little decency they
may have possessed as to drag Mrs.
Campbell, the governors wife. into the
campaign. No woman in Ohio stands
higher in the estimation of the people
than Mrs. Campbell The men who
are trying to daub Mr.. Campbell with
mud surely might have had respect
enough for their mothers and sisters
to leave Mrs. Campbell alone. But
they did not, and the word was passed
along the line and heralded by the
organs that Mrs. Campbell was an ex-
travagant woman.
Think of what an issue that would
make if the republicans only pushed
it. The governors wife extravagant.
What subject for a stump speech.
How the orator could enlarge upon
such vital question! Ohio could be
made republican state eternally by
such an issue.
If there was any doubt about the
elect ion of Gov. Campbell the publica-
ton of these attacks on his financial
condition removes it. The respectable
memb ers of the republican party will
not approve of such despicab BILE meth
DDS to defeat an opponent.-Chicago