The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1910-09-30

was twice rejected by the majority
in control of the General Assembly.
The taxpayers can draw their own
conclusions.
At Kenton last week Mr.. Harding
speaking of all this, far from denying
the facts, said everybody knew" the
funds were not kept in the treasury,
as they were supposed to be" (by
whom, if everybody knew they were
not?) and that "the knowing people
of the state winked at the transgres-
sion."' Surely this confession and
excuse only make a bad case worse.
If everybody knew, why the re-
sistance to the committees investi.
cation and the chorus of denial of its
findings?
The knowing people" who wink
ed at the transgression" we're GER
tainly not the great body of The peo-
pie, but the official associates and po-
litical confederates Of the grafters,
many of them personally honest them
selves, who covered up the crime and
shielded the criminals lest the indig-
nant voters of the great party whose
good name was in their keeping
should cast them out together from
control of its organization. For these,
like all other good citizens, wish to
be served only by men who will take
all means in their power to discover
everything that ought to be known
about the business of the state and
will not wink at a public wrong, from
any motive whatsoever, no matter
who commits it.
No Sinking of Duty.
Wasteful, careless and sometimes
crooked practices were found to pre-
vail in some departments and insti-
tutions. This was not true of them
all, but the infection spreads fast If
not checked. In every case which
cane under the authority of the gov
ernor these have been corrected, SO
far as discovered, honest and busi-
ness-like methods established and
these entrusted to faithful and COM
petent hands.
1t has been difficult to secure evil
dence to sustain criminal proceed
ings in some cases where there was
moral certainty of guilt. The facts
have been brought to the notice Of
the department of Justice, and this
course will be followed right along.
Time fogbids recital of instances.
but they have been widely published
and are generally known. 1t Is sufh-
cient to say that there has been no
hating, shirking or shielding by the
Executive in the work Of reform and
that it S proceeding and will proceed
as rapidly as conditions permit.
Canal Exposures.
The department Of Public Works is
the last to receive attention. The
Governor has the appointment there
of only the chief engineer. The great
Importance of this position is shown
by it's being the very first Of the
many filled for me by my predeces-
sor at the extra session he called for
the purpose just one week before my
term began. Until the appointment
Of the new chief engineer, recently
had no adequate means Of getting at
the true inwardness Of things in that
department. 1t is already apparent
that wastefulness, nepotism and po-
lltlcal jobbery prevail, if nothing
worse.
There seems to be distress in some
quarters because it is thought that
the fuse of these particular exposures
was purposely cut long, as 1t were.
This is not true and could not be, for
the reason just stated. But IL 1t were
true, 1t would carry wholesome les
son: Never keep explosives concealed /