The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-09-26

gained by this smooth scheme. The
attorney generals attention was call
ed to this by the committee and he
was duly asked last spring. by tax.
payer of Cleveland, and again by
taxpayer of Columbus, to bring suit
accordingly. This he has failed and
refused to do, giving no reasons. As
a member of the board of deposit, was
he not also in duty bound to keep
some track of the doings OF his asso-
ciates? There has been too much CO.
operative serenity about those state
offices. There should be little sani.
tary disturbance.
People Must Decide.
am not framing an indictment
against these officials for technical
crime. am addressing the common
business knowledge and moral sense
Of the men of Ohio. To that supreme
tribunal I submit these proofs. II sits
for judgment in November. II will
not sit again for two years. It admin
listers higher justice than the courts,
because its code of right and wrong
the people, so there is no escape
through technicalitics of definition.
From its Judgment there is no stay
nor appeal. It inficts no penalties. It
simply decides who are most worthy
OF public trust and confidence, which
of the men proposed are best qualified
TO conduct the business of the govern.
ment and which give the best assur-
ance, by character and past conduct,
of diligence in the performance of
duty. This tribunal will surely con-
denim dealings by public officers with
themselves or with companies in
which they are interested, whether
the law which forbids such dealings
generally has left loophole here or
not
Holds Harris to Real Issue.
There are many other instances re-
vealed by the evidence of the thrifty
craft with which the state funds have
been handled and Of apparently care
less methods which It is hard to ac.
count for except by a design to con
ceal the facts. leave the telling Of
them on this occasion to others.
have chosen to open this campaign,
on my part. on the direct and simple
facts have stated, will not obscure
them by now discussing other matters
or even further details. They can
come later. AND I SHALL NOT LET
MY OPPONENT ESCAPE TO
OTHER ISSUES, REAL OR PRE-
| TENDED.
He now says his election is assured
by the promise Of Democratic support,
so he intends hereafter to devote him.
self to saving the presidency. He
| does not tell who has pledged him
this support, but I warn him there
are not enough gullible Democrats in
| Ohio TO replace the Republicans who
| will desert him 10 he runs away from
| this challenge to the administration
of which he has SO long been the
head. He has himself recognized
| though he has not met this challenge,
in his speech of acceptance; and the
conduct OF public officers is always in
issue.
/ GONCTnOT lnGONolblGHbs
He said i'm that speech Speaking
from the knowledge OF personal and
official contact, | am confident that
| the present state officers are both
| competent and honest, and that my
associates on the Republican state
ticket, without exception are worthy
| OF your most earnest support" Then
| why. the taxpayers OF Ohio want to
know. did the governor wish to spend
| S5, 900 OF. their money in investigating
/ the conduct of these officials? He
asked the legislature In March for
that amount for that purpose. This
was while the senate Investigation
was in progress.
Surely II can not be that the gov
ernor was induced, as was openly
charged at the time, to lend himsen
to a scheme to head off the senate
committee. But If he believed his
| present and proposed future official
associates needed five thousand dol
lars worth of investigation last
/ March how can he now praise and
commend them to the voters, without
qualification and without exception
Misconduct found in one part of an
administration throws suspicion on
other parts which at.the time may be
innocent. But wrong doing usually
has small beginnings. II cautiously
feels its way keeping up some pre-
tense of justification. If not promptly
checked nibbles soon become bites
and the evil example quickly spreads
Vote the state House Honest.
The men of Ohio will vote thef
various localities dry or wet, as they
choose, but they win vote the state
house honest from top to bottom anC
from side TO side. They will tolerate
there neither men who are not faith
full to the trust reposed in them nol
men who for any reason, prove lack
ing in perception or diligence TO de
tect and thwart wrong-doers.
regret that time does not permit
me now to deal with the fast swelling
expenses of our state government
which are more than Two and hal
times greater under Governor Harris
than they were under Governor Camp