Evening journal., 1910-12-31
BALLOT BOX
CORRUPTION
Iudle B.air Of Adams County,
O., Makes a Statement
dow HE WAS THREATENED
BY COUNTY C0MMITTEE

ny United Press Leased Special WIRE.
WEST UNION, o.. Dec 3l-Ihe
proDe by Juuge a. Il. Blair, OF Adams
county. Ono, into the wholesale corr
rLpuon Oh tho paiiot box tneie, and
ln which nearly LOO voters have al
ready been indicted Tor selling their
votes, has revealed condition With
out parallel in the history OF the
country. The situation is so unique
that the United Press has secured
from Judge biair, VINO iiie has Deen
repeatedly threatened because Oh has
n, estgation, the specially written
statement on conditions IN Adams
county.
Hy Judge 4. y. Blair.
(COpyright lgiU by the Umled Press
AssOClauOn.)
II has been stated that / have had
personal knowledge LOT many years
OF the traffic I'm votes that has pre-
vailed in Adams and other counties IN
my judicial district, and this IS quite
true. have had both the personal
knowledge and the positive proof OF
this practice IN my district for a long
time.
In the fall Of 1906, | registered q
VOW that / would put an end TO vote
buying I'm Adams county the very FIRST
oppoi tunity / had In tnat year, Judge
Edwin +. Corn, of lrontOn, and my
self were candidates on the Republi-
can ticket for Common Peals Judges
and Henry C.. BannOn, of Portsmouth
was the Republican candidate foi
Congressman. A short time before
the election the Republican Execu'
tive Committee Of Adams county made
a demand that we three candidates
put the sum of $4,000 into the county
campaign fund. When we refused Il
donate n cent above a small amount
each for legitimate expenses, The
County Committee threatened that il
We did not accede TO their demands
they would throw every county can
didate on the ticket.
Judge Corn Judge Bannon and my
self would not give I'm and the result
was that the committee made good "a
threat and depleted the county ticke
of every candidate But even this
did not have the desired effect and "a
the eleventh hour. a new ticket wal
gotten up with part OF the old ticke
and some new names, and this is tn
first opportunity / have had to carr,
out my resolve.
The barter in votes. ] believe, ha.
prevailed to a considerable extent ir
about eight other southern Ohio coun
ties for perhaps the past thirty years
Two years ago. du ing the local op
ton campaign I learned Of money BE-
ing used i'm Scioto county by tn
"wets" and I promptly called a spec'a
Grand Ju y and had indictments ne
turned against many parties and tina
b stopped the vote-buyiug IN that cam
paign, and ! believe prevented tn
] use of money to any great extent Il
{ elections following in that county.
Z AS TO the present investigation De
. ing started AT this pa -ticular time,
, viii say that the people Of Adam
: county including the politicians {
, both parties have importuned bot
! Judge Corn and myself TO break 81
5 the practice Of having to raise bi
F. corruption funds every election a
e it was communicating more and NOR
' people eve y year and bankruptin
many of the candidates.
Knew Where to Press Button.
= Judge Corn was not acquainted wit
the inside workings Of the game. a
4 played in Adams county. and ! wal
. knew just where TO press the Va
ious button IN each party to brin
! the desi ed result and for that rea
son, !. instead of Judge Corn. cam
here TO begin the inQuisition Fror
esults already obtained there vii
be no move vote selling in old Adams
n When this investigation clio es whic
s win be about the middle of next weci
p the county will have had a thoroug
g political renovation.
p The good influence OF this probe wi
permeate the body polite of the entii
Stote. I am we'll satisfied and eve