Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1897-09-27
a'LEAN WAS A CANDIDATE.
The Amounts Expended In Certain
Counties Which Are Named.
PERJURY, RAsoALITY, BRIBERY
"Mr. Boodle Mclean" and the Way His
First Senatorial Campaign
Was Run.

1
senator! man who was guilty, as
alleged at the time, of spending $780,
600 in 1855 to fulfill the same ambi-
ton. 1t will probably occur to most
people that no man can honestly ex-
pend 100000 in single campaign in
Ohio TO be elected to any Office. And
yet ip the fall of 1885, after the Octo-
charged that Mclean expended this
enormous sum in obtaining nomina-
tions, elections and crimes to hoist
| himself into the United States senate.
|. And he came within one vote of ac-
complishing his purpose!
Allen o. Myers, who Is now Nc
Leans confidential man at Democrat
ic headquarters in Columbus, was de-
feated for reelection to the legislature
that fall. In his book, Bosses and
tention to John R. Mclean and his
senatorial ambitions of the fall OF 1885.
The following extracts from Mr..
Myers book give the impression that
Mr.. Myers knew exactly what he was
talking about when he penned an ac-
count of the political boodling and
crimes of 1885 in his great and only
historical work:
Mr.. Mclean wanted to go to the
United States senate"
He was a candidate, and had the
| money and the power"
There was one Democratic vote
short in the legislature, and this
chasm lay between Mclean and his
ambition. He had his agents out look
ing diligently for that vote, but they
never found it,
There is no doubt but that if a
Democratic member could have secur-
ed certificate of election by fraud.
that Mr.. Mclean would have been will
ling to pay for it."
Perhaps there was never a crime
committed around which clustered so
much perjury, rascality, treachery,
bribery, double-dealing and cross pur-
poses as distinguished the famous, or
rather Infamous, Columbus tally-sheet
figures of 1885. The field OF fiction
does not afford an equal. The mind
of man can not conceive such turpi-
tude as was displayed but never re-
vealed 1t would take volume to
give the details, and master to prop
erly portray the plans and purposes Of
the two leading characters. We (thaI
is, Mr.. Myers may be the one chosen
for this work, but this is not the
place"
The following article on this same
subject was printed in the Cincinnati
Commercial Gazette on Dec. 10, 1885,
and was d&;ed at Columbus Dec. IA.
1t was written by special correspond
ent of that Influential newspaper. The
article is as follows:
There hSs been, since the October
election, a vast deal OF going to and
fro and wandering up and down the
state by the agents of Mr. Doodle. To
some extent the nature of these pill
grimages has been made public, but in
others it is hid under a bushel. There
are certain preliminary things which
should be understood preparatory to a
full understanding of the whole mat
ter. In series of recent conversa-
tions with two orthree gentlemen who
are seized with vast deal Of informa-
ton in the premises, l gain considera-
Bile insight into the nature of these
comings and goings to and fro of the
Doodle agencies. l don't mind impart-
ing a modicum of that information.
Mr.. Doodle is not a man of ambi-
ton, in the usual and proper accepta-
ton OF that term, but he is a man of
practical ideas. Two years ago he was
Immediately possessed of an idea he
would buy the next senatorship upon
the market himself. He opened SEN
atorial bank account and deposited
something like 5000 900 to its credit.
feeling that that was not an extraya-
giant price to pay for a toga, all things
considered.
II am told, and no doubt told truly.
that he has checked very heavily
against thai deposit, and that the bal
ance has run low, with no senatorial
dividends in sight. Early last fall,
while nominations were being made,
be had to check out some $4,000 to
get the right men nominated in GER
.ain counties and districts. After that
t required a good many checks to Sc
:ure their election, which wasn't Sc
,Ired In a fatal number of cases.
THE sum total of these checks out
ide of Hamilton county is set down
t $4,000, although the actual amount
8 said to be little above that, owing
o the fact that the enormous sums of
5000 in Perry and $4,000 in Knox |
yere required to elect Mclean repre-
entatives there. The sum checked |
ut previous to and including the day
election in Hamilton county is
laced at trifie less than $4,000.
But when the election was over a
sw trouble arose. After counting In
e whole delegation from Hamilton
hich had been fully settled on previ-
is to the day of election-Mr. Doodle
as still short Of vo.es in the legisla-