The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-09-26
DGmOCraCy'S Cause
InBuCkeyeStatG
OPENING AT MANSFIELD
Tide Runs Strong For Victory
All Along the Line.
STATE AND NATIONAL ISSUES

Conditions at Ohio Capitol Require a
Thorough Houseeleaning--Governor
Harris Called TO Account For Rails.
Mig False Issues to Hide official
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Is confes.
sion, the Slogan Sounded by Judge
Harmon-Chairmsn Finley Throws
Down the Gage OF Battle.
Promptly at O'Clock, with a vast
throng assembled, Hon w. l.. Finley.
chairman of the state Democratic ex,
ecutive committee. called to order
the opening meeting Of the Demo
cratic campaign in Ohio at Mansfield.
In doing so he spoke briefly as follows
on the line of battle laid down for the
campaign:
Acting in my capacity as chairman
OF the Democratic state executive
committee, 1t is my very pleasant
duty to call this splendid meeting to
order and forma..y inaugurate the
Democratic state campaign by intro
ducing distinguished citizen and
Democrat as your presiding officer
Before performing this latter duty
however. permit me but for a moment
to discuss this campaign from an or.
ganization standpoint. The gentlemen
who are to follow me will discuss is
sues. provide argument and suggest
remedies for evils that cry out for
correction. My prerogative II Is TO
direct the line of attack.
Your attention will De called this
afternoon to deplorable state of af-
fairs existing in our commonwealth.
that demands drastic treatment.
While your rights are being trampled
upon and your resources being ex.
plotted for personal profit by a COR
rupt gang, the Democratic pa, ty and
its organization would be dereict OF
duty were It to permit a cunning pol
itician, clothed with accidental power,
to raise a false to distract attention
from the real issue vainly hoping
thereby for a preferment that only
death could place within his reach.
Governor Harris, his party whip
ped to a standstill on the national bat
tlefield, staggering under the charge
of malfeasance in the conduct of local
affairs, turns as a last resort to the
question of temperance as his sole
salvation. Well he knows the futility
of an attempt in any other direction.
He has grown the great apostle of
temperance while he is serving the
term of real temperance man whom
he fought with partisan yindi ,tiveness
and for whose defeat he pleaded with
greater aIgor than for his own elec.
ton He has turned the great apos-
tie of temperance in less than year
from the date on which he refused to
extend the common courtesy OF wei.
come to Ohio to two governors who
had come to address a real temper
ance meeting. We do not Intend to
permit this dark. thick coud OF hy.
pocrisy to be gathered and hemmed
about the real issues Of this campaign,
in order that the gang that works in
darkness may continue to loot the
treasury. We do not intend to permit
this false cry of temperance to dis
tract attention while those officials
whom Governor Harris certifles are
competent and honest, aid TO whom
he gives unqualified endorsement, are
licensed to continue their insolent
speculation with the peoples money.
All the temperance laws now on the
statute books were placed there by
nonpartisan votes. The chief organ
tzed suDnort of Governor HaTris is
pleading for nonpartisan votes in the
local contests now waging, Yet he
seeks to make the temperance ques'
tion a partisan Issue IN his campaign
OF false pretense for governor The
temperance question never was. is not
now and never will be a partisan one,
II may be solved by each community
atany time under present laws, which
the Democratic party helped to enact
and does not seek directly or Indirect
ly to disturb. But the question which
the speakers who are TO follow will
raise must be decided now The fran
chise OF the treasury raiders has ex
pired. VIII you renew 1t! viii you
approve the plan of succession III
these important state Offices that Gov
ernor Harris approves? II SO, the
present generation may pass away be
fore the opportunity to overthrow this
corrupt political dynasty again pre-
sents itself,
The present state organization II
tba same that mapaged. Governor Pat