Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-10-11
Inside History
OF The Career Of Dewitt, Repub.
liCan Candidate for Con-
STeSS,

We clip the following from a CORE
spondence TO the Toledo Bee, which
gives some inside history of the Re
publican candidate for Congress in
this district:
From the outset Dewitt has been a
purchasable commodity in politics,
and a traitor to his own party. He
worked night and day for John L..
oyer, a Democrat, for the legislature,
in opposition to John Crow, Of Def
ance, the nominee of his party, and
managed thereby to grab some 200
acres OF the reclaimed lands when the
Antwerp reservoir was abandoned.
He attempted another grab of realty
in the center of this town. In the
legislature he has ever been interest
ed in Doodle and nepotism. He secur-
ed a job in the state house for his
brother-in-law. Besides his school
election ripper bills, in the interest of
the A. p. A., already mentioned in
the Bee, he supported the extension
of the terms of auditors and other
county officials, for the pushing of
which big fund was raised. He is
one of nine members of the legislature
who received fifty dollars each for
aiding the passage of certain pri-
vate bill. GHe was active in support
of the biAeao take the bridge and road
work from a Democratic county sur
veyor; but did nothing for the measure
for joint ditch on the state line to
prevent the flooding, from Indiana,
of lands in the western part of this
county; thereby forcing the Paulding
commissioners to pay $4,000 to Allen
county, Indiana, to be assessed on the
whole county of Paulding. He also
voted to pay himself salary as mem
Der next year, when there will be no
session.
1t is understood that DeWitt's cleo
tion cost him $780, With what he
succeeded in grabbing during the ses-
sion and his salary of 5000 he went to
West Virginia this spring and bought
string of trotting horses. He is now
blossoming out as half sport and half
farmer. Though the legislature rec
ord puts him down as a lawyer, he
now claims to be farmer, with the
idea of fooling the agriculturists. But
the heads of Paulding county farmers
are like their lands-pretty level
and they have had opportunities to
know the wide difference between
what Mr.. Dewitt claims to be and
what he really is. They know that
his political career has been one of
plunder, that his commercial dealings
have been shady, and that his social
and private life has been a disgrace
to his family and friends.
Another reason why DeWitt's man
ayers fear to have him appear before
the electors of the district at public
meetings is because of the comparison
that would thus be forced between
him and Mr.. Shook. Dewitt cannot
make speech, and his efforts to do
so are painful to his hearers. Shook,
on the contrary, is graceful, easy
and convincing speaker-pleasing in
address and persuasive in arguments.
Besides he has the arguments to pre-
sent, and his opponent has not.
Shook, unlike his opponent, is a man
OF clear record and clean character.
The most bigoted Republican cannot
find a flaw in him. He is meeting
with such success in his appearance
before, and open and honest inter-
course with the people, that DeWitt's
LhtShbSoClS cbI0 Ill ucSIJulT. lueN CdD-
not cope with him, with such a can
didate as Dewitt, in the open, and
have been driven into the woods
They are working in shady paths,
and their only hope is through the
lavish expenditure of money. Nhey
know that the holding of meetings,
with Dewitt, would be worse than
useless, so they save their cash for
bribery. They are openly boasting of
the purchase of votes, so much so
that they are forced to purchase Re
publicans. They cannot get men of
their own party to work without the
cash in advance. This is rendered
the more necessary to them from the
fact that Frank Hardesty, whom De-
Witt hired three years ago to show
the electors how to mark the Aus
tralian ballot for Dewitt, had to sue
the latter for his pay. The case was
brought before Justice Jackson, of
Crane township, and Hardesty got
judgment against Dewitt, who then,
and not till then, paid the money
promised. Hardesty is now advising
all Republicans approached in behalf
of Dewitt to get their money before
they do anything.