Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1914-10-09
JONES DENIES
COX CHARGES
Quotes Wills Speech Derounc-
ing Cincinnati Ripper Bill.

ecutiVe committee, has issued the 1Ol-
lowing statement relative to the at
Lack on Hon. Frank B. Willis by Gov
ernor Cox in his speech at S~mithfeid,
Jefferson county, Sept. "a:
Ohio today beholds the spectacle of
q governor of this state lowering the
dignity of his office to the extent of
deliberate Misrepresentation in his
endeavor to save himself from the
crushing defeat which he sees daily
approaching.
1t is not necessary for me to make
any defense of Mr.. Willis against the
governors false charges and insinua-
tons. MIR. Willis is amply able to
take care of himself as the people of
this state are coming to understand
Some estimate of the u~nfairness and
reckless character of this attack may
be drawn fran the governors charge
that Mr.. Willis favored the Cincin-
| natl ripper bill that was up for con-
sideration in the general assembly
| March 1, 1900. Mr. Willis Wig
orously opposed it in a speech
that was widely published at the
time. No more f~orceful refutation of
Governor Cox's misleading charge
| can be found anywhere than in the
following excerpt from the story of
the fight on this ripper bill, published
in the Cincinnati Enquirer of March
2, 1900:
"Then Mr.. Willis of Hardin county
made the really brilliant speech of
the day. He declared that he was
opposed to the bill under all condi-
tions, and to the amendment, and to
| the amendment to the amendment.
81 ain opposed to the ripper. The
making of this amendment means the
final enacting of the bill. The ripper
will go through in some form. I want
to warn the members of this body of
the true meaning of this amendment.
I do not want to reflect IN the sim
cerity of the members from Hamilton,
but we cannot tell what the senate
may do.
"The only way to grapple with this
monster, for to me it is a monster, is
to crush it here and now. 1t is not in
harmony with the principles of the
government or with the principles of
the Republican party. 1t is ruinous
to my party. We once declared
against an extension of slavery, and
said that no outside powers should
ever dictate to the people of our ter
ritory. Remember what Stephen A.
Douglas said on a well-remembered
occasion, 1t is not that the govern
ment proposed by Mr.. Buchanan is
not a good government, but it is not
government the people want
Wears No Collar.
ut is a long step backward to pass
this ever in it's amended form. 1t is
said that the president favors it. !
don't know that, but I do know that
Senators Hanna and Foraker favor it.
| know that Governor Nash wishes it
passed. Yet / want to say here that
there is no man, be he even the presi-
dent of the United States, OF. a sena-
tor of the United States, who can lay
down such a proposition and force me
to support it He cannot say to me:
This is my policy, and you, al g repre-
sentative of the people, must carry it
out He cannot say: L have bound
myself by certain promises entered
into before the election and you must
carry out the bargain 7 have node"
"Mr. Willis praised President Nc
Kinley's conservatism, and declared
that he yielded to no man in admira-
ton for him. He referred to Foraker's
matchless %eloquence in the defonse Of
the administrative policy, and declar-
ed Hanna a magnificent American.
But | want to say to you the ora.
tor continued, that even if we had
sitting in the gubernatorial chair the
archangle himself, and he would guar
antee to appoint only angels to gov
ern Cincinnati, | would oppose this
bill. 1 do not altogether approve of
the methods sometimes used by our
great party leaders, when they say
to us, You vote this way, and We'll ex'
plain III reasons afterwards When
it comes to a matter of conscience ]
do not bow to them. I must first sat
isfy myself. 1t will be a bright page
in the history of this legislature when
it will be said that the Republican
party of Ohio refused to bow to the
dictates of a master-refused to sacri
fee principle and manhood, simply be
Gauss certain leaders say the sacrifice
must be made as a matter of party
policy. I deny the right of any leader
to say this to me.
"Get in touch with the common peo
pie, and you will find that they do not
want this bill passed If any man
thinks this is a party measure let him
take it before the next state cOnven-
ton. Let me get the Endorsement of
that great gathering to a ripper bill"
This speech is in refreshing COLI.
trast to the partisan subserviency OF
the Democratic members of the Cox
legislature. 1t completely exhibits a
spirit of courageous independence
that has characterized Mr.. Willis
through his entire public career, has
marked him as the champion of I'M
bossed Republicanism in the state and
has brought him support in every con
test before the people from men of all
classes ar1 all parties. The COVER
nor's reckless and misleading refer
ence to his attitude on this measure
can only S, ell the tide in favor of Mr..
Willis all over the state.
This mis- representation by Governor
Cox as to tie ripper bill' is a sample
of other Misrepresentation, which
will be pointed out later.
EDWIN JONES,
Chairman Ohio Republican State Elk
ecutive Committee.