The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1902-07-11
c. D. CAMPBELL
MAKES REPLY
70 An ATTACK.
He Was Away From Home
When Ii Was Printed
But Has Taken Time To Write
An Answer
Which the Reading Public VIII Find
Very Readable.
To the Republican.

To the Republican.
BELLEFoNTAINE, o., July z, 1902.
Having been out Of the city last
week l did not see the attack made by
the Index upon the Investigating Com
mittee and especially upon myself,
until my attention was called to it,
since my return.
| Aside from the abuse in the article
the Index makes the following in
situations:
1st, That the Committees work was
whitewashed.
I'd, That an expert would have made
a better report for $50.
Sd, That the Council limited the pay
for making the report to 500.
4th, That, without the knowledge OF
the other members OF the Committee,
| had tried to beat them out of their
pay and draw all but $25 OF the money.
9Th, That afraid to have my bill in
spected by the Council / sprsng il
upon them at their meeting, last week,
hoping to have it allowed without in
| vestigation.
For fear that some one may have
seen the article in the Index, land
thinking he was reading some other
paper,) and believed the charge OF
whitewashing and extravagance on the
part OF the Committee, ask leave to
reply.
On March IS, last, the Council ap-
pointed Messrs. Will X. Niven, Ray
F. Trerain and myself an Investigat-
ing Committee to look into alleged ir-
regularities in city affairs.
We went to work and handed in our
report on May %, two months from
time Of going to work. Almost every
day OF the time we were at work.
Most of the facts found were not on
the books, and it took careful, eau
tious, painstaking and diligent work
to run many Of them down. We were
shadowed by parties seeming to have
great interest in our work, and two or
three times found one OF the editors of
the Index mysteriously and quietly
standing outside the door of our room,
he taking q hurried leave when the
door was opened. A great deal of our
work had to be done very cautiously
to prevent witnesses being tampered
with. We gave almost two months OF
hard work to the investigation. Not
one of the committee asked for or
wanted the place, and they only ac-
cepted it from sense OF duty.
On learning that my name was pro-
posed as a member l went to the May
or and told him would not serve. He
asked me to reconsider my decision,
stating that one OF the editors, of the
Index had been running arpund to
get the Council to appoint a different
committee from the one he, the May
or, had selected, and that my refusal
would embarrass him as the matter
would come up at Council meeting
that night. / left him with the re-
quest that he try and find someone to
take my place, but agreed if he found
it necessary, to beat the parties who
were trying to obstruct his efforts, that
| would serve.
| / have no doubt that il it had been
left to the crowd that was trying to de-
feat the Mayors plans for an investi-
CATION that an rexpert" could have
been found, who, for $50, would have
made report better to the taste OF the
Index.
As to whether our report was g
whitewash, or whether it was worth
lanything to the city leave that to the
lpublic, only quoting few extracts
from the Mayors message to the
Council on last Tuesday night, az
follows:
1.-The work of investigation was, in
fact, directed and undertaken in com.
pliance TO the demand of an indignant
public. Following this action the
II Committee spent two months In patienl
labor, investigating facts and examin.
ing the city books, records and papers
in minutest detail, with care and zeal
Pending its final report, but as the di.
rect result of the explorations OF the
committee. facts developed that result
ed in the Indictment Of three city Off.
cials, two of whom were convicted
without trial."
'1n compliance with q plain duty this
} Council and the city officials have
! adopted and begun the enforcement oil
Is policy directly in harmony with the
ore urged by the Committee
The methods Of bookkeeping have
been reformed"
positive regulations now exist and
form a safe system for the allowance oi
and accounting for the expenditure oi
the public funds"
"The Board Of Revision has resumed,
or rather has assumed its duties"
Contracts and contractors have been
and are being investigated, and theiI
present status in relation to u inter
ests OF the city is being fixed"
There is a persistent effort 10 decry
the efforts of the Mayor, rnd prevent
his enforcement of the law, and th's
attack upo- the Committee Is for the
purpose of hiding the main issue.
The Index knew that when the Coun
oil appropriated 800 for the investiga
i tion, that it did not limit the pay to tha
. amount, for, but a short time since, i
appropriated 800 to the Tree Commits
sion, for buying trees, and when tn,
ltrees came il appropriated $50 more, Q,