Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-11-05
OHIO Mup-sL,NcERs.

OHIO MUD-sLiNGERS.
coatenptibls Conduct OF the ssEdue.ted"
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
should be kept out of the fight. in
short, the campaign should be one of
education It was not necessary to Sc
cure the assent of the democrats to
this as it was known by republicans
that mud-slinging was not habit of
democrats 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
public man and as a private citizen.
He feelingly expressed his admiration
for him and declared him to be his per-
sonal friend. 1t was not long, how
ever, before the republicans discovered
their inability to cope with the demo-
Gratis in a campaign of education From
protection. their hobby, they shifted to
silver. But on this. as on the tariff,
and his aids. Left without an issue,
water. the disorganized, demoralized
republican army was forced to load its
smooth bores with mud and fire them
at Gov. Campbell. The guns were not
trained upon his character; no word
was uttered against his honesty or in
tegrity; no intimation that he had
committed q dishonest act during his
governorship-there was absolutely
private life for the hard-pushed repub-
licans to assail Then they thought of
his financial condition. This, they
q highly protected country should en-
Joy. He was not rich. He had not in
vested 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
than poor, that he was in debt Fabu-
lous sums he was said to owe to his
friends To Mr.. Cleveland he was said
to be indebted many thousand dollars,
to Mr.. Brice sixty-five Thousand dol
lars, 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
q 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
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 cearest possible lam
guage, 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
are attributed, I 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 reputation as
an honorable man by printing from papers in
New York what you have not the hardihood to
print direct. Your meek editorial comment to-
day is worse than would be q bold and open as
sumption of responsibility. Your screed taken
from the New York Press the other day was
untrue and libslous, 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 the Recorder and the Philadelphia
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
What a subject for a stump speech!
How the orator could enlarge upon
such vital question! Ohio could be
made = republican state eterna1ly 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
members of the republican party will
not approve of such despica BILE meth
DDS to defeat IN opponent
Globe.
SOLIDITY OF THE SOUTHWEST.
The Farmers Retrenching Against Mo-
nopollstic Oppression.