Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-07-14

| am reminded at this time that III
this city on the first day of the month
another state convention met. On
that occasion Ex-Governor Cox, Mr..
Finley's candidate for Governor, deliv-
cred What is characterized by one OF
his personal organs as a characters"
tic speech" He commenced these
characteristic speeches very early in
the year. with an attack full of bitter
ness and inuendo against the present
administration. Since that time lie
has toned down considerably and
much Of the assurance and bravado
of this early pronunciamentos has dis
appeared. In fact. certain of his re-
cent utterances are to his former dia-
tribes as June breeZes to a February
blizzard In all OF his speeches he up
braided the people for failing to re-
elect him two years ago. This is the
only thread of unity that runs through
what he has to say. Outside of that
all is medley OF contradiction and
chaos of confusion.
It is notable that in none of his
speeches has he ever attempted to re-
fUte the charges of Notwithstanding
Of1ce-creating, salarygrabbing and
bank-wrecking so freely, deliberately
and repeatedly made and proven by
Republican speakers. He will not re.
fute these charges, because they are
irrefutable. He dare not brave the
wrath of an outraged people by chal-
lenging the history of his autocratic,
undemocratic administration.
Some time ago, the Ex-Governor de
cfared with much emphasis and pre-
else fnality that ne wished to enter
the contest to help deliver che elec-
| t0ral votes to President Wilson On
| the surface that seemed like very
generous thing for a Democrat to do
i was claimed at the time, however,
that my predecessor, in making this
declaration had his eye on the main
chance and that it was his real pur-
pose to attempt to slip back ir TO office
under the coat-tails of Presid 3nt Viii
son. This theory seems to he borne
out by subsequent events. He H.
longer declares that he is in the fighs
to help deliver Ohio's electoral votes
to the President There is a reason.
The Presidents coat-tails are shrink
ing SO fast that they can no longer
hide even the attenuated anatomy Of
Ex-Governor Cox.
IN announcing his candidacy fer r~
nomination, my predecessor made one
declaration with which I heartiiy
! agree. He said: "NIanifestly it is tht,
| belief that my candidacy tyDifies he
opposition which automatically as
serts itself against the p ,esent state
/ administration l thinF that state
ment is absolutely correc'. "Automat.
ically'' is good. I thank Ex-Governor
Cox for it. I shall probably have oc.
casion to revert to it somewhat fre.
quently in the coming campaign
|. thank my predecessor for the high
/ compliment he pays the present Re
/ publican administration in Ohio by
saying that his candidacy typifes the
opposition to it This is an acknowl-
edgement of merit graciously accepted
by the Republican administration in
Ohio. 1 know of no finer tribute to
the Republican party's fidelity to the
people than this admission on high
authority that the opposition to it is
typified by my predecessor. This
proves that we have kept the faith
Republicans believe that the only 1x
cuse for the creation of an office is tie
needs of the public service; my prede
cessOr acted as if he believed that Of
fees should be created, not because
the public needed them, but to reward
political fav0rites; we Sought to re
duce expenses, his administration
sought to increase taxes; we restored
the taxing power to the hands of the
people, his administration concen
trated it in his own hands, because he
| deemed himself wiser than the people
we practiced government by the peo
pie, he preached it; we saved banks
for the benefit of depositors. the last
Democratic state administration wreck
ed banks to furnish feeding grounds
for political parasites we decreased
salaries and abolished offices, my pred
ecessor increased salaries and made
specific appropriations so that public
funds could be expended only in ac
cord with the peoples will; the pre-
ceding administration made lump-sun
appropriations so as to conceal salary
grabbing and expense juggling 'by the
consent of the GOVERNOR" this admin
istration passed Loan-Shark law tc
protect the poor against the rapacity
of the usurer; the preceding admins
tration strangled to death a similar
measure; the present administration
restored to the people the power which
its predecessor had taken from them
to aggrandize autocracy and build &
political machine. My predecessor
surely typiies automatically the Cd
position to rule by the people.
/0%