The National tribune., 1905-10-26

sonal pique. the Ohio campaign. in
drawing to a close, offers no features
such as usually characterize political
contests I'm the Buckeye State.
Falsehood has been multiplied by
falseho0d during the entire fight. cover
ing period of Is months. until IL
would seem that there is no crime in
the political or moral calendar of
which Gov. Herrick has not been ac-
cused.
The malignancy of this opposition is
the limit of extreme partisanship. but
1t does not come wholly from the DEM
ocratfc press and speakers. Radical
and unreasoning papers fostered by the
Antf-Saloon League. and ministers and
church people who are without the
| charity and moderation of speech
| which the gospel they want to pro-
claim teaches, have shown a wanton
disregard of truth and have person.
ally vilified and abused the Republican
public life has ever been abused and
vilified.
| And / say this conscious of the abuse
| to which the martyred President Lin
coin was subjected. i say 1T thorough
| ly conversant with the unreasoning and
| character of Gen. Ulysses s. Grant.
| say 1t conscious of the mean things
which were said and printed about the
beloved Mckinley and the noble Hanna
/ say 1t with pages of history before
me recounting the slanderous Tory ut
terances that wrung the heart Of the
Father of our Country. These men all
| Outlived those who reviled them, for
! SANDER and calumny do not win. And
| SANDER and calumny, the wool and web
| of the campaign against Gov. Herrick,
will fail in Ohio this year just as they
| have always failed.
The chivalry of Ohio will not permit
Republican defeat by radicalism run
| mad, especially since the home of the
candidate is invaded and scurrilous at
| tacks upon him mailed daily to his
wife. 1t is significant in this connection
| that much Of this mail matter has been
traced to the New Hayden Building in
Columbus. in which both the Anti-Sa-
loon League and the Democratic State
Committee have their headquarters.
The revulsion Of feeling has set in
against ultra Anti-Saloon League lead
| ers. Democrats refuse to follow in
| wake of a procession on whose banner
| is inscribed SANDER, falsehood, calumny
| and cruelty. The human heart goes
| out to the man who is victimized by
| these self-styled righteous gentlemen.
| and it would surprise no one at all well
| Informed as to the conditions in the
State, if Gov. Herrick's majority should
reach astounding proportion.
Gov. Herrick ought to win, and will
win, for decencys sake. His defeat
| would be a victory for that character
of viciousness which seeks to garb it,
| self in the mantle of Righteousness.
A Remarkable Issue.
Aside from this question of SANDER
and vicious calumny there is really a
| remarkable issue In the Ohio campaign.
That issue is: Shall an old-line life
insurance company President be per-
| mitted to name the State Insurance
Commissioner and the Fire Marshal of
Ohio?
! This issue is raised by the nomina-
| ton of John M. Pattison, President of
| the Union Central Life Insurance Com
pany of Cincinnati.
There is none who questions the SOL
vency Of Mr.. Pattison's Company. There
| is none who doubts that 1T is earning
a very great deal of money, but the
| fact that the Company is solvent and
| that it is earning large sums Of money
is no reason why the President of that
| Company should be permitted to name
| those State officials who would have
the control of fire and life companies
| under existing Ohio laws. And since
! the unrest Occasioned by the insurance
investigation in New York has reached
Ohio, there will be measures offered
when the Legislature convenes, in jan
| uary next, designed to modify and to
| change many of the Ohio insurance
| laws. In addition to this there is a
very strong possibility that bill will
be introduced providing that the In
surance Commissioner may investigate
not only the financial reports of life
insurance companies doing business in
| Ohio, but also the character and value
of all securities upon which the policy
holders money has been loaned.
The Governor of Ohio has the veto
| power, and If John M. Pattison were
| to be elected there is no doubt in the
public mind that he would exercise this
| power and neutraliZe the work of a law
| making body. In truth there can be
no hope for that insurance reform
craved by a justly indignant and long
| outraged public, with an Old Line Life
| Insurance President in the Governors
chair. There are some who say that
| Mr.. PattisOn would not take advan-
| tage Of the great power which he would
| hold as Governor to throttle the will
of the people because 1t should happen
| to run counter to his own personal in
| terests
Mr.. Pattison himself, however, re-
| Trains from enlightening the people in
this very important matter, and there
| is nothing from which the people can
| form an opinion except the candidates
record and the circumstances of his
candidacy.
Mr.. PattisOn's Record.
Mr.. Pattison has for years been in
companies of New York. He was as
ISOLATED with them in advocacy of leg
islation which. IL enacted, would have
practically destroyed the Insurance De-
| partment Of Ohio and thus left the New
York as we'll as the Ohio companies to
work their own will among those in
duced to buy policies. or else have sad
died on the State the cost of inspections
| that are now required.
During the last two legislative ses-
| sions Mr.. Pattison has been a member
| Of a well-defined lobby who propose
and oppose legislation. With that lobby
| were associated representatives Of all Of
| the life insurance companies now in
the limelight. Four years ago a bill
| was introduced in the Legislature in
| creasing the tax on premium income
from 2 " to per cent. This lobby ex-
erted itself in opposition to the meas
ure, and there are stories current of
| wine dinners, Doodle, and the usual
method employed by corrupt lobbyists
While that bill was pending Mr.. Pat
| tison made repeated visits to Columbus
and lobbied vigorously against the
measure. The insurance men countered
| on the proposition by having a bill in
troduced removing the tax altogether,
and Mr.. Pattison and the New York
| lobbyists worked for the enactment of
that bill. While these various meas