Year: 1876

|
good sense of the people of Ohio


however, when they assume that the
characteristics of street loaferdon


are the preferred qualifications fo1


public trust. Public sentiment il


Ohio is not in such demoraliZed


condition yet rs to debar man from


public responsibilities because he


has habit of keeping sober, and at


tending diligently to his duties. II


such acre the case, Of course the


Democracy could be relied upon to


furnish the kind of timber with


which the mud-slingers and loafers


would like to fill all the offices, and


all decent men would be obliged to


withdraw their attention from poll
tics.


Another thing that draws the fire


of the Democratic mud machines is


the fact that Colonel Barnes was a


brave and faithful soldier, and per-


formed brilliant part in helping to


quell Democratic insurrection. The


outbreak of the rebellion found him


going to the front as = private in an


Ohio regiment, and the end Of it


found him a Colonel commanding
one. Excepting brief periods when


disabled by wounds or severe sick


ness, he was in the field continuously,
and his promotions were earned by


faithful and gallant service. He
shared in nearly all the great battles
of the Army of the Cumberland, con-
Guiding with the desperate but vic
torious fighting before Nashville. In
Thomas grand assault on Mission
Ridge he led his regiment, and had
his horse shot under him. His com
mand was part Of the line which
swept over the Ridge near Bragg's
headquarters, driving the rebels pell
nell before it. In the assault on
Kenesaw Mountain Col. Barnes was
severely wounded by fragment of
shell. In the battles before Nash
vile he was again wounded severely.
During Rosecrans' grand advance
into Northern Georgia the brigade
of which Colonel Barnes regiment
formed a part was the first to occu-
py Chattanooga. For his gallantry
in the Kenesaw Mountain fighting he
was promoted, on the recommends
tion of his superior officers.


Such is the man whose good name
the Democratic mud-machines are |
trying to befoul by volleys of dirty
lies and inventions, without shadow
of foundation or pretext, by saying,
for instance, that he did things as a
of the Legislature, whereas
he neUer acaS a member of the Leg
islature; that he took prominent
part in meetings that he did not even
attend; that he signed petitions that
ha a-1a1uap-AiI-sisy. .,sl
any man to produce; that
he was ali active participant IN move
ments that he had nothing whatever
TO do with, and so on for quantity.
1t is not necessary to undertake any
detailed answer to these falsehoods.
Strangle one, and two more, equally
mean and malicious, will spring up
in it's place. 1t dignifies such lies to
even mention them, and they cannot
njure Colonel Barnes in the estima-
ion of any candid or intelligent citi
zen. The soldiers of Ohio will stand
Dy their comrade with all the more
idelity for his being wantonly lied
about, more especially so when the
les are retailed by men whose
mouths are still foal with epithets
leaped upon soldiers generally. And
he people of Ohio will stand by the
assured that if Colonel
Barnes shall be elected Secretary of
State he will not fill his office with
dead beats, or issue re-
port so full of statistical blunders as
% make it subject of ridicule and
worthless.