The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-10-22
Is Ohio a Doubtful State?
BY LEO,

thousand to two hundred thou
sand majority for the Republican
party. At the election of 1904
Ohio gave Theodore Roosevelt an
abnormally large majority, but
two years later, she gave the
Democratic candidate for COVER
nor her majority. This happen
ed because John M. Pattison was
in favor of temperance legisla-
ton, not because he was Dem
ocrat. Normally, Ohio is a Re-
publican state.
And yet there are those who
speak of Ohio as a doubtful state.
Mr.. Bryan, at the close of his
last itinerary through Ohio, gave
his followers the glad tidingS
that he would win the state in
November. He is a sanguine
politician, seeing things in the
light of his wishes. But for all
his predictions of carrying the
state he is not quite sure about
winning, for he is coming to our
state once more to talk his friends
into a hopeful mood. Can he win
the state? We see no chance for
him. Judge Taft is we'll thought
of in Ohio, and there is no rea-
son to conclude that Ohio Repub-
licans will fail to sanction him in
November. The probability is
that he will have Ohio's normal
Republican majority, and posi-
bly, a trifle more. Judge Taft
himself has confidence in his own
state, and there is no indication
of him exercising his confidence
in vain. The Republican nation
al ticket is sure to win in Ohio
in November.
How about the state ticket?
There is no longer any doubt a
bout the election of Harris. At
one time Judge Harmon seemed
bound to win, but unfortunately
for him the pro-saloon people be-
came too progressive in his be-
half. The Personal Liberty
League, and some other pro-sa-
loon organizations, made a dem
onstration against Harris and for
Harmon against Harris because
he signed the Rose local option
law, and for Harmon because
they regarded him safe and sane
on temperance legislation. They
even hoped to have his help to
repeal the Rose county local op-
ton law. It is not in evidence
that Harmon promised, in case
of his election, that he would
favor any pro-saloon legislation,
but the workers in that cause be-
lieved in him, and worked for
him.
This turned the temperance
people over to Harris. Many
church organizations have pass
ed resolutions favoring and urg-
ing members to vote for Harris
on the ground that he is a tenn
perance man. The temperance
vote in Ohio at this time is a large
one, large enough to turn the
scale in favor of any party. Three
years ago it defeated Herrick
and this time Harmon is to be
the victim.
It is true, Harmon will be sup
ported by many Republicans in
Hamilton county and in some
other localities, but his gain in
such places will be offset by the
general temperance sentiment
throughout the state. When all
the churches throw their infu-
ence in the balance in favor OF a
candidate, the other man is al
most sure to get left. That is
precisely the case in Ohio at this
time. The saloons favor Har-
mon, the churches generally IA
vor Harris. There is a great
moral question involved and
Judge Harmon happens to be on
the wrong side. He may not
have meant this, but surely that
is. the way things stand, and
Harmon will suffer defeat be-
cause of his fool friends.
Judge Harmon tries to evade
the moral question by saying that
temperance is not an issue in this
campaign. How fiimsy! Not Ian
issueP Is not the whole state a.
..o,,ao.a a., the temnerance Ques.