The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-05-08
FINLEY ASSUMES
WHOLE BURDEN
Pleads Guilty TO Technical Viz
Iatinn Of Civil Service Law.
FINED FIFTY AND The COSTS,

Indictments Against Three Stats ~.
ficisis No!.ed On Prosecutor TOR
ners ndstion-Democrs+i
Stats Chairman AsssiIs Turn,r,
Who In Turn Attacks the civil gar
vice Act.
Columbus. o., May s. = Debating
himself innocent Of any charges at
moral turpitude, william L.. Finley,
chairman Of the Democratic stats
committee, admitted in common pIeas
court a technical violation of tho
state civil service law in soliciting
contributions to the Democratic press
bureau fund ~
Prosecutor Turner, in a statemeat
to the court declared the violation
( mot to have, been wilful one, but
done through ignorance OF the law,
and recommended. the minimum pen
atty Of $50 apd costs. which vas as-
sessed. by Judge Rathmell. Il
All other Indictments against MF.
Finley, together with those against
State Superintendent OF Banks Emery
Lattanner, NJ. A. Collier, chief clerk
in the state banking department, and
A. ". Abernathy, secretary Of tho
state tax commission, were nolled on
Mr.. Turner's recommendation. They
never will be tried. Mr.. Finley
promptly paid his fne to the clerk Of
courts. Thus the civil service cases
are closed.
In his statement to the court, Mr.
Finley declared he was not familiar
with the provisions of the civil SER
vice law and also said attorneys differ
greatly as to its Interpretation He
called attention to the fact that none
Of the acts complained Of had been
regarded as wrong, ether legally or
morally, in the past. He said the pro-
ceeds collected had been used by the
press bureau to disseminate. both to
Republican and Democratic news
papers, issues before the legislature
and the laws which were enacted, to-
gether with their application.
Prosecutor Turner scored the civil
service law. though he declared that
as an official he believed it should be
enforced upon all alike. He declared
1t to be revolutionary, so far as past
practices in partisan politics are con-
cerned, and branded it the work of
| 'faddists," who had been more intent
upon protecting themselves than
| NJ -
places in the law, but contended that
! the phrase under which the indict-
ments were drawn, "or be in any
manner concerned in." was broad
enough to cover all elimtnations that
had been made in attempting to re-
draft the federal statute 81 feel sat
isfied that while the law was igno-
rantly violated. it was not an inten-
tional or willful violation" Mr. TurA
ner said
In Mr.. Finley's statement TO the
court he charged Mr Turner with
bad faith, with playing politics His
alleged humbuggery and insiucerity
were shown up, Mr.. Finley said He
continued; His bad faith in the
whole thing is shown by his willing
ness to nolle indictments against
| public officials in order to fasten a
plea of guilt on technicaltty against
me. That he brought the names of
three public officers into disrepute
and subjected their families TO heart
aches and worries for the purpose, as
is now apparent, OF making those in-
dictments trading stock against me.
is to be expected from him He gloats
on blood A taste Of mine may tenn
porarily satisfy a perverted taste"