Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1896-07-30

his paper from Columbus, Ohio, under
date of June %. says:
~ showed in my dispatch to the
World last Sunday that the state debt
of Ohio was greatly increased under
McKinley's rule as governor; that the
Ohio state institutions were given over
to political plunderers and contractors
with pulls; that Gov. Mckinley reveal
ed a singular weakness and infirmity in
dealing with wealthy corporations,
and that Mark Hanna was able to take
possession of the governors prisate
ONCE, send for state senators and die
tate to the legislature, while Gov.
Mckinley stood passlvely and ohe-
diently in the background.
major Mckinley sonly embarrassed
by a promise when he has to keep 1t.
This has happened occasionally. There
is one instance known to every man,
woman and child In the state Of Ohio.
It is historic. 1t briefly and keenly
sums up his character: When McKin-
ley was a candidate for the governor
ship Of Ohio he promised every office
in the gift of the executive to almost
every person politically useful. Nat
urally, as events progressed and the
state campaign developed, the lines
OF the candidates promises began to
cross each other and things were slight
ly tangled. Mckinley was in des-
perate position. He had lost his seat
IL In, Of 70
corruption fund poured into his dis
trict by the trusts and corporations he
had served, McKinleyism had been re-
pudiated by the people at the polls. Ii
was necessary to be governor Of Ohio
in order to be a serious candidate for
the presidency. Mckinley bribed the
politicians. He promised the office of
state inspector of oils-the most lu-
crative political sinecure at the dis
posal of the governor-to at least five
different persons. Mr.. Mckinley was
elected. The clamor for Office was APP
palling. The candidates for the oil
inspectorship besieged the governors
office. Two of them-George w. Can
field and B. L. McElroy-were politi-
clans of Importance, and each was in
a position to prove that Mckinley had
solemnly promised the Office to him.
There was savage contention. The fol-
lowers of the two candidates uttered
threats of war on the governor Mr..
Mckinley induced the legislature to
pass a law creating two oil Inspector
ships, instead of one, and thus redeem
ed his promises.
There is another interesting Illus
tration of Mr.. MCKinley's official meth
DDS we'll known to the people of Ohio.
Two years ago bill was introduced in
the legislature to provide for the
abandonment of the Hooking Valley
Canal for canal purposes and for leas-
ing the same to the Columbus Hooking
Valley and Athens railroad company
This law gave the railroad company
the right of building road along the
Hooking Canal, and turned over the
whole canal property to the corporation
for the sum of $4,000 paid down and
an annual retail of 100000 There was a
storm of protest. This wasan exceeding
" valuable franchise, for the route par
alleled the lines of the wealthy Hooking
Valley railroad and penetrated the great
coal fields. The Chicago, Columbus
and Southeastern Railroad company
offered to pay 100000 in cash and $15,-
900 a year for the franchise. In spite
this the original act was forced through
the legislature. Gov. Mckinley made
no secret of the fact that he regarded
the transaction as corrupt bargain
The representatives Of the Chicago, Co
lumbus, and Southeastern Railroad
company tried to have the law amend
ed so that the franchise should be sold
to the highest bidder They offered to
value the canal property at $500 900 and
to bid at the rate of annual interest
upon that sum, which would have
amounted to at least $4,000 a year
twice and half times as much as the
Columbus, Hooking Valley and Athens
Railroad company was to pay. The
governor privately announced that he
was in favor Of the amendment but he
did nothing to aid its passage. He
grew timid when the promoters Of the
steal threatened to retaliate politi-
cally. Mckinley was seldom in his Of
fee. He was a presidential candidate,
and his time was occupied chiefly by
speech-making in various parts of the
state. The amendment was killed.
"This was followed by a petition
signed by representatives of the as
ISOLATED canals and prominent citi-
zens representing $3O,OOO,OOO of prop
erty, askins the governor to direct the
Encouragement of Ohio to bring quo
warranto proceedings in the supreme
court to test the validity of the law.
The petitioners went to the governors
office and their case was presented by
Gov. Foraker, ex-Judge Harrison, Gen.
Powell and other prominent lawyers.
They insisted that the state had been
robbed, that the law had been passed
by corrupt means, that it was special
legislation forbidden by the constitu-
ton, and that it violated the agree
ment between the United States and
the state Of Illinois under which $780,
900 acres Of Federal lands were acquir-
ed for the purpose of a canal. Gov.
Mckinley had privately promised 10
order the attorney general to begin