Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1914-10-30
A WORD TO THE VOTERS.

A WORD TO THE VOTERS.
The political campaign for 1914
will practically be closed this week
and | find it impossible to meet all OF
the 5000 voters of this county and
exchange a friendly word of greeting
as I would haye liked to have done,
l have devoted several weeks of hard
work in an effort to do this, but the
task is too great and I am compelled
to use the newspapers to make a few
plain statements.
Ten years ago the Republican par
ty in this county was torn asunder- by
fractional strife. A great delegate
county convention was held here and
each faction was determined to nomi-
nate its candidate for prosecuting at
torney. Several ballots were taken
without making a nomination and
the fight was growing so bitter be-
tween the factions that it was evident
that if either side nominated its candi-
date that candidate was doomed
to be defeated in the coming election.
1t was at this time that both factions
without consulting me, nominated me
as the compromise candidate for
prosecuting attorney. l was not a
candidate for the office and the nomi-
nation came to me as a complete
surprise. I was given a second term
with no opposition in the Republican
party and with very little from the
Democratic party. My salary as
prosecutor was S1250.00 per year.
When John M. Sheets was a Com
mon Pleas Judge in this district in
the '90's, he appointed me his court
stenographer for the counties of Put
man, Henry and Fulton and for that
service l received for this county a
salary of $4,000 a year. The court
stenographer for Fulton county now
gets a salary of $4,000 a year.
During the five years that I was
prosecuting attorney of this county,
| gave the best that was in me to
protect society. life and property and
at the same time guard the interest
of the taxpayer, knowing full we'll
that all public funds come out of his
pocket. With this in view. I avoid
ed useless prosecutions and kept the
other expense of the office at the
lowest cost possible. The total
amount of money paid for assistant
prosecutors during both of my terms
as prosecuting attorney of this coun-
ty was less than 100000 and the
amount of money / paid for clerk hire
never exceeded $500 a week while
now it is $500. This is my expense
as prosecuting attorney. and I invite
the taxpayers of the county to COM
pare it with the expense of the prose-
cutors who preceded me in office. or
who followed me. My record as
prosecuting attorney stands, and for
economy at least it stands second to
one
l have gone into detail concerning
the length of time that I have held Of
flee, the amount of salary that I re-
ceived and the expenses that I in
Cured while 1 was prosecutor, be-
cause false statements have been cir
culated over the county concerning
the anne I have given you the facts.
/ ask you to take no mans word for
the same but go to the records and see
for yourself.
If a party nomination means any
thing to candidates, when the candi-
dates have all been selected after an
honest, clean, fair campaign, hen
every candidate nominated in the last
primary election in this county in en-
titled to the united support of his par
ty. Good, clean politics and a square
deal to all demands loyalty of a party
to its candidates, especially when
they are as honest, capable and fear
less as the opposing candidates.
I am reminding you that the voters
of this county m probably electing a
probate judge as we'll as a common
pleas judge next Tuesday for the
tax payers of this county can not af-
ford to pay two judges a big salary
when one can do all the work and
save more than two thousand dollars
in salary. The term of COMMON pleas
Judge is six years and undoubtedly at
the end of two years the probate and
common pleas court will be combin-
ed so it is well that this probate
judgeship received your careful at
tention in the selection of a judge at
this election.
In this campaign l have left the
of every person as clean
and untarnished as it was before it
If I win, I want no poll
teal trickery to play a part in it.
My life is before you, my political
record is an open book, my service as
a public official yoN know, and if
these meet your approval, l ask for
your vote and influence in the cleo
ton to the office of common pleas
judge of this county next Tuesday.
My name will appear upon the nom
partisan judicial ballot.
Very truly yours,
EDEn ur.vTTnT Il