The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-10-07
When Ruling Was Changed
Paid Back The Money
As Fire Marshal Saved The
State $4,000
Made The State $4,000 As
Interest On Funds

COLUMBUS, o., Oct. 4-Finaaly 1t
came. Mr. Harding has attempted to
shield Republican grafters by imput-
ing a like reflection upon State Treas
urer Creamer for $310.60 personal ex-
penses charged to the state when
fCreamer was fire marshal.
Now let us get right down to brass
tacks on this subject for a few min
utes. Let us consider all the facts
and the reasons therefor. To do so 1t
is necessary to begin at the begin
ming
When Horace M. Ankeney, a Re
publican was state dairy and food
commissioner, a ruling was made by
the Republican attorney general of
that time, John M. Sheets, which en-
abled Mr.. Ankeney to charge the state
his travelling expenses in passing back
and forth between his office in Colum'
bus and his home in Greene county.
Mr.. Ankeney served two terms in that
oiIice during all of which time he re-
sided at his home in Greene county.
No doubt it would be found, If any
person would take the time and trou-
BILE to investigate, that other state Of
ficials availed themselves of the rul-
ing of Attorney General Sheets to col
lect such expenses, all state officials
at that time being Republicans. At
any rate, Hy d. Davis, when he was
fire marshal, collected personal ex-
penses of the same kind to the amount
of s95955.
None of these vouchers for personal
expenses were ever questioned by
State Auditor Guilbert, that valiant
Republican official who held up the
vouchers for an investigation of Geo.
b. Cox's corrupt government OF Gin
.cinnati and Hamilton county.
Republican officials having charged
such personal expenses to the state
in accordance with the ruling of the
Republican Attorney General Sheets
and had them paid without question
by the Republican state Auditor Gull
bert and Republican state treasurer'
Cameron and McKinnon, Mr. Creamel
charged the same kind of personal eX
penses after he was appointed fire
marshal until he removed his family tt
Columbus from his home in Belmon
county believing such charges TO p'
legal according to the precedcnts es
tablished by Republican state officials
under the ruling of a Republican at
torney general.
Mr. Creamer's successor, W. 5
Rogers charged the same kind OF eS
penses, amounting TO nearly $llOO.
All the time that Hy Davis and Rop
.ers occupied the office of fire marsha
they continued to reside In ClevelanC
These precedents are cited to sho'
that Mr.. Creamer charged simply wha
Republican officials before him an
after him had charged without an
question being made as to legality
The ruling of the present Republic
AN attorney general, Mr.. Denman, tins
such personal expenses should not b
charged to the state was made Ion
after Crcamer had retired from the o
fce of fire marshal. The ruling OF tn
present attorney general reversing th
ruling OF Attorney General Sheets wa
made not only a year or more aftt
Creamer retired from the office of iii
marshal but was made even att
Creamers successor In that Office,
S. Rogers, was retired.
The investigating committee whiC
held that Davis had Illegally charge
TO the state S959,55 and Rogers hi
Illegally charged nearly $l,iOO all
held that Creamer had Illegal
charged $247. .50-according to the n
ing made by the attorney general
er all three OF them had retired fro
the office of fire marshal and revel
Ing the ruling OF a former attorn
general which was In force while
of them served In that Office.
MIR. Creamer promptly paid back
10 the state treasury not only [
$247.50 which the committee rul
against him but added to 1t SJS
more to cover the expenses of an
fetal trip to Washington to attend
national convention of fre marsaa
making $31O5O which Creamer p'
back into the treasury. Mr. Cream