The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1913-10-21
GOVERNORS BOLD CHALLENGE FOR
PROOF OF UNFAIR ATTACK ON HIM

exerted as the result OF assumed appoint
ments on the part Of any persons Be-
sides, we want no one to believe that by
supporting .his bill his chances Of prefer
ment win be strengthened. These county
| boards will be made up purely on the
base OF efficiency and integrity
Very truly yours,
"tSigned) JAMES NJ. cox
| Mr.. G. G. Meekison, Napolec~, Ohio"
Il had no response to this letter
and never saw Mr. Meekison after it
was written. In the latter part of
July was told of meeting that had
been held by the organization formed
by Mr.. Meekison, and | sent him the
| second communication, which is here
with presented:
July "a, 1913
| my Dear Mr. Meekison:
you will recall that under date OF June
1 2lst / wrote you stating that information
4 had come to me to the effect that as
| pirants for the position of county tax
commissioner were formulating an organ
izaton TO resist the referendum move
| ment. 1t was made perfectly clear TO
you then that any service which any ap-
! plicant might render In support of the
| Warnes bill, providing a referendum were
| invoked, could not be used by him as
| credit to his candidacy, because the Sc
| lections would be made purely on the
base OF efficiency and integrity.
1T Is reported to me that a meeting was
held in this city yesterday Of a number
| Of applicants over the state for these
positions, and that methods were dis
] cussed to prevent the circulation Of ref
erendum petitions
Let me assure you again with all em-
phasis that we are not opposed to an
honest referendum. If the petitions are
being circulated in good faith and signed
| by electors, II Is merely a procedure in
| which the citizens are exercising their
right No man who raises his hand against
an honest referendum i'm Ohio can expect
| any faVors from this administration.
VERY truly yours,
"(Signed) JAMES M. cox.
Mr.. G. c. Meelisou Napoleon, Ohio"
1T seems to me that In connection
with this controversy an observation
might be made with profit to the peo.
pie of the state with reference to the
character and calling of the men WHO
organized the fight against the work
mems compensation law and who
were associated with the referendum
movements, which were so fraudulent
and disgraceful that they were driven
|
remain and face the disclosures made
at the hearing before the secretary
of state and conducted by the atto--
ney general, Mr.. Hogan. Since then
an anonymous circular has been dis
tributed over the state which, by art
full insinuation, mentions the names
of Attorney General Hogan, Secretary
| n tVaV n,,1 ait
account Of the alleged operations of
Mr. Meehson. This circular seems to
be the combined effort of three men.
First: Charles S. Gongwer, secre-
taFy Of the Equity association. Mr..
| Gongwer has not made dollar in
years except in the guise of legisla-
tive agent. In the disgraceful days
of old he hung about the legislature,
representing himself as newspaper
man and gaining thereby the privilege
of the floor of both the house and the
senate. This was such an obvious af-
tront to a great profession that the
newspaper correspondents met and
eXpunged his name from the CORE
spondents' roll During the legisla-
tive sessions his business has been to
advise certain interests of what was
going on in the legislature. He trav-
eled the state all summer in an effort
to procure funds and assistance from
business men on the representation
that the workmen's compensation bill
and the two taxation laws ought to be
defeated.
Second: Edgar M. Eckert of To.
ledo. He was indicted six times for
the attempted bribery of council in
that city. He had notorious afIilia-
tions with Mr.. Kirby, now under in.
dictment by the state for alleged par.
ticipatlun in Legislative bribery opera
tions. In the grand jury investiga-
tioas in Columbus the evidence tend.
ed to show that Eckert played the
part of sending members of the legik
lature to second party who sang the
siren song of corruption.
Third: Otto X. Shmansky. His
title has been that of legislative agent
and he and Charles Gongwer have
worked together for years. When re-
cent untoward events in this state
compelled change in the head OF the
state board of commerce in this state,
Shimansky was employed to fiji the
place The function of that institu.
tion and OF Shimansky and Gongwer
themselves. because the Equity asso.
citation and the state board of com
merce worked in harmony and con.
cert all during the summer has been
to alarm the business interests in
such measure as to inspire a fund to
be participated in by this famous tri.
umvirate, in alleged defense of the
people Of the state of Ohio. Gongwer
and Shimansly, representing the
same interests then as they do now.
established headquarters in Columbus
when the constitutional convention
first met and endeavored TO organize
it along reactionary lines and to pre-.
vent the adoption Of the initiative and
referendum. | was the only candidate
for governor in this state who spoke
in practically every county in favor of
the a. R last yenr md I intand