The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1912-10-18
AUDITORS OFFICE
WAS CONDEMNED
BY ANTi-MAcHINE REPUBLICANS
WHO WANTED REoRGAN-
IZATION.
INVESTIGATION WAS WANTED
Republican Legislature Blocks At
tempts to Learn What Has Been
Done in Auditors office-Vlc Dom
ahy viii Turn on the Light.

There seem to be pressing reasons
why there should be a change in the
state auditors office, the only state
office held by Republican, and these
reasons, according to Republican au-
thority, have existed for many years.
There was a well-grounded convic-
tion among honest Republicans, all
over Ohio, in 1908, when w. D. Gull
bert had finished his third consecu-
| tive term as auditor and a dozen
years as clerk in that Office, that his
chief clerk who had grown gray
haired in the same department, should
not be nominated as Guilbert's sue
cessor, but that new man would
be nominated who would renovate the
office.
A great clamor was raised about
Ohio by anti-machine Republicans. S.
A. Sidwell of Lebanon was solicited
and consented to make the race
against Fullington. The Republicans
openly charged that reports of in
vestigations had been manipulated
and in instances withheld for a pro-
pitious time to force county officers
into line for the bosses, who were
working to perpetuate their rule in
the state auditors office. Extracts
from one of several letters that were
signed by Republicans and sent to
delegates to the Republican state con-
vention of 1908, read: "The bureau
of inspection and supervision of pub
lie Offices was instituted some years
ago with e. H. Fullington as chief
auditor. Some phases of the bureaus
work are good, but the manner in
which the inspections are reported is
species of character assassination.
At this time you have an opportunity
to make a change in the state audi
tors office that will put an end to
the above methods. A united effort
on our part will break down the ma
chine that has branded us as we are"
After the convention nominated
Fullington there was such a clamor
against the machine that put him
over that Governor Harris, who sell
dom saw any corruption in his party,
was forced to make an effort toward
ending conditions in the auditors de-
partment. Governor Harris sent to
the legislature a special message in
which he asked for an appropriation
of $4,000 for an investigation of the
operation Of the state auditors office |
and the state bureau of inspection.
The Republican legislature paid no
attention to the message. From that |
time to this it has been impossible |
for the public to find out just what |
has been done in this department,
which was so severely condemned a
few years ago by Republicans. The |
state auditors office needs to be in
spected, and the only way to get this |
is to elect Vic Donahey, the Demo
cratic candidate, who announces in |
his platform
1. If elected auditor Of state all |
records, reports, examinations, ETC.,
will be open for inspection by the
press and the people at all times.
2. Statistics and other internal
data will be complied with and sent
to all the county papers in the state
for publication The state auditors
office shall be an intelligence bureau
and the people are entitled to the
facts. will turn on the light