The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1908-10-22
GOVERNOR LOSING HIS TEMPER


Poor Governor Harrisl he seems to
be losing his temper along with the
consistency he threw to the winds
when he began his campaign at
Youngstown by declaring that, speak
ing from personal and official con-
tact" state officials with whom he is
associated are honest and by endors-
ing all the candidates on his ticket
without exception"
Respect for old age forbids severe
younger man who would make some
of the statements Governor Harris is
making in his campaign speeches.
And yet the governor cannot expect
his advanced years to shield him en-
tirely when he INDUCES in drivel like
his speech at Westerville where he
accused Judge Harmon of billings
gate and crude Misrepresentation"
and of playing the demagogue.
This word demagogue is very pop
ular with Republican officials who
cannot defend their record against
just criticism and with Republican
editors and campaign speakers who
cannot consistently defend officials or
candidates who cannot defend them
selves.
No voter in Ohio can find one word
of billingsgate or Misrepresentation
in any speech Judge Harmon ever
made, whether it was about Governor
John M. Pattison, Governor Harris
or any other man living or dead; and
for Governor Harris to indulge in
such language can he attributed only
to a loss of temper and self control
during the ordeal of political cam
paign. 1t is charitable to attribute
such show of temper to the gov
ernor's advanced age.
The governor so far forgot himself
in his speech at Westerville as to
say: "Mr. Harmon seems willing to
promise almost anything to be elected
governor. He is willing to promise
that he will remove state officials, for
whom he is not in any way respoh-
sible, on mere rimor, or irresponsible
charges without an investigation, or
after investigation made by his own
partisans had failed to substantiate
the charges made"
Instead of this being a reflection
on Judge Harmon it is a confession
by Governor Harris of his own failure
to perform official duty and an ar
raignment of his own administration
severer than anything Judge Harmon
has had to say about the governors
official conduct.
Judge Harmon has not said he
would remove officials elected by the
people, because he knows as well as
Governor Harris does that he has no
such power But Judge Harmon, as
governor, would not fail to investi-
gate the State Treasury and State
Auditors office, as required by law,
and to submit such facts as might
be revealed to the Legislature of Ohio
for proper action. Governor Harris.
has not only failed to do this but he
entered into secret conferences with
Auditor GuiBbert, Attorney General
Ellis and Republican leaders in the
legislature, as stated at the time by
the Ohio State Journal, to devise
some plan for preventing further in
vestigation by legally constituted
committees of the state legislature.
The findings of the senate COM
mittee which probed the treasury
and Auditors office were not mere
rumor," nor irresponsible charges
without investigation; yet Governor
Harris has failed to comply with the
specific requirements of the law i'm
posed upon him in these premises.
The only officials Governor Harris
has removed or attempted to remove
were the three Democratic officials
appointed by Governor Pattison,
whom he found in ONCE when he snc-
ceeded to the vacancy created by
death. Now he expects Democrats
who voted for Pattison to vote for
him, although ne boasts Of never vot-
ing for a Democrat