The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-09-26
DURBIN DEALS
WITH DETAILS
Which Show How state Auditors
Office Has Been Conducted
by Guilbert.

w. w. Durbin, Democratic candi.
date for state auditor, discussed the
duties of that Office and the methods |
of state Auditor Guilbert, whose dep.
uty, Il. NJ. Fullington, is MIR. Durbin's
opponent Mr.. Durbln said
consider myself fortunate 10 be a |
candidate upon a platform that de.
mands that common honesty be OBJ F,
served in the administration of public |
affairs. The present state auditor has /
held public Office for 2S years. 81 of
which have been In the state auditors
Office. lie started as an oilicehollci
in 1881 as auditor OF Noble county.
which Office he held until 1883. when
he was appointed deputy state aud.
itor. He held this position for two
terms of four years each, and I'm 1895
was elected state auditor lie was re.
elected In 1899 and again I'm 1908. AS
a matter Of fact his has been the d.
rccting mind OF that Office from the
time he stepped into It until now.
In 1883 the Office OF state auditor
was a comparatively small bureau,
with few clerks Under his manage
mcnt he has so increased mis- own
power that he now has the appoint
ment and direction OF not less than
240 officers lie has induced success
sive legislatures to grant him more
and more power until now practically
the entire taxing machinery of the
state is in his hands. This was finally
accomplished by the vesting of the
appointment Of the boards Of review
in the various cities of the state In q
state board composed of the state
auditor, the state treasurer and the
attorney general. This same board,
perhaps under another name or
names, but composed Of the same Off
cials. has been clothed with vast pow
ers in the matter Of assessing, equaliz.
ing and remitting the taxes OF almost
every corporation IN the state.
GuiIbert's Machine.
Contemplate the power Of a political
machine so constructed! It is un-
paralleled in this state and added to
II is the bureau of public accounting
manned by shrewd politicians with
power to whltewash friendly local
officers who may be crooked, or crush
those who refuse to be bo3sed though
honest
Naturally such huge political ma
chine attracted and commanded the
allegiance of the political posses Of
the great cities. With It aud with
their cooperation Mr. Guilbert NOM
mated himself for a third term and
IL is not ,strange that when he sought
TO name his deputy Edward NJ Full.
lington, as his successor he had the
aid of George b. Cox and other lesser
bosses throughout the state, who
pushed for the nomination OF the slate
for the various state offices. With
| this vast power, insidlously achieved,
! Auditor Guilbert is now the most po.
/ tent lobbyist in our legislative halls.
! Also he practically dominates all state
/ Offices. His machine strikes terror to
, politician and corporation alike, and
II pays them to have his favor. Rep
resentative Demuth, Republican
/ leader In the last legislature from
Paulding county. in communication
, TO the Toledo Blade on July II last,
| said: May the gods of decency de.
| liver us from such creatures as Brown,
Cox and Guilbert" In the same letter
Demuth prayed that the next speaker
Of the house might be stricken deaf
! and dumb, so as to be unable to ask
! Guilbert what TO do on every meas
ure. In the same letter he ayerred
that threefourths OF the Republican
members in the past three sessions
! could not express an opinion until
advised by the floor leader, and the
floor leader did not dare to advise
until he had received the tip from
Guilbert. Thus Guilbert dictates legls.
lation. The corporations are served
first and the people get what Is
left.
/