The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1913-09-04
TaxSpenders' Conspiracy
AGAINST RtFfRENDUMS
Is Absolutely Proven
BY SWORN STATEMENT

association as a clerk in their Office at
Cleveland, and Cn the afternoon of
Saturday, Aug. 2, was told to go to
a room on the fourth floor OF the Hol-
lenden hotel.
Information was revealed that q
gentleman from Ashtabula, interested
In the refer endum ON the Warnes bill,
wished to talk matters over with me.
met c. o. Smith, Democratic mem.
ber Of the Asntabula board of review,
in a room On the fourth floor of the
Hollenden hotel about 4 O'Clock in the
afternoon Of Aug. 2.
| was sitting in the room when
someone knocked at the door. open
ed the door and stepping back a few
steps | saw a gentleman come in.
Il am Mr.. Smith of Ashtabula," he
said.
My name is Dimm," | answered,
and know you. met you and your
brother in your real estate office in
Ashtabula about year ago"
That is another Smith, said he.
i am not real estate agent, but
large landowner in Ohio"
We then had some conversation
about Ashtabula people and general
conditions. What is it you wish of
me?" then specifically asked him.
He answered: Il am interested in
the Warnes bill, ! suppose you under,
stand the importance of that bill?"
| answered: Yes, | do"
He then said: we think this is
one OF the best bills ever passed gov.
erning assessments and collection OF
taxes in the state of Ohio, and | do
not want it repealed. These petitions
that are circulated are to be filed the
fore part of next week, and | under
stand there are enough of these petit
tlons in the Equity offices to put the
Warnes bill to popular vote"
Il don't know how many names are
on the petitions to be fled" | answer.
ed. But | understand that all the
petitions are not in yet think Will
nams, Fulton, part of Henry and part
OF Paulding and Wood counties have
not yet been heard from"
How many names do you think are
short" said he.
About 20000," l answered.
do you think they are short that
many?" he said.
| said: Yes, heard from converse
ton to that effect in the office just
before | came over here" He leaned
forward in his chair and, moving his
chair closer to me, he said in a conf
dental tone:
NOW, Mr.. Dimm, what we would
like to do is to skim the cream from a
lot of petitions before they are filed,
and we did not know but what you
could find some way of helping US
out"
There are several people in the
office constantly watching me-" | re-
piled. two men and a girl, and it
would be utterly impossible to take
any of these petitions without being
found out"
Now after that said to him. What
would there be in his for me il
would get the petitions for you?"
He answered: There is large
fund provided for just such purpose.
| This fund is now in the shape of
checks that will not be available until
Aug. 6. Another thing, you will be
| well provided for out of this fund.
The people who are behind this move.
ment are men of influence, and if this
could be brought about you can have
anything ycu want."
l did not reply to this, but sat look
ing at him.
Isn't there some other way we
might secure these petitions?"
l looked at him moment and sug-
| gested: "You have a key to the office?"
He looked at me closely and after
a pause, answered: Yes, have"
Smith then told me that if l would
help him get these petitions out of the
Ohio Equity associations Office that
he would furnish a man to help me
get them
At this point I told him had gone
as far with Che proposition as l cared
to go and that would not do anything
in this connection that savored of
criminality and l would not go over
to the office on such an errand for the
whole of Cleveland
There would be nothing criminal
about it," he said. LAS l understand
the petitions would have no value and
it would not be a criminal offense to
take them"
| then said: Il understand that the
petitions you want are alleged to be
fraudulent and there will not be
enough genuine names to repeal the
law"
He did not comment on this. | then
said to him. Now, l would not ad-
wise you to go over to the Equity Of
flee. Houses have ears. l will not
say any more"
Mr.. Smith then got up, shook hands
with me and went out.
(Signed) CHARLES A. DIMM.
Subscribed and sworn to before ms
this Sth day of August, 1918.
tSigned) ARTHUR F. WICKES,
Notary Public Clyde. o.
II Governor Cox really thought that
| hha maaSur,lS he forced thrOuph tha