The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-10-27
|NC|P|ENT WAR
Between BRYAN
AND GOV. HARMON
Ohio Presidential Possibility
Will be Forced to Take a
Choice of Dilemmas
EITHER COURSE IS BESET
WITH SERIOUS DANGERS
Fight in the State Will be Largely a
Test Of Harmon's Availability as n
Presidential Candidate-Bryan May
be in the Background.

presidential Candidate-Eryan Nav
be in the Background.
Columbus, Ohio, Oct. 27.-Returnine
from pleasant and fruitful trip to
Texas, Governor Harmon found that
during his absence, a gentleman to
whom he recently had handed beau
tifnlly engraved. highly embossed
swet-scented certificate of characte r.
had taken violent kick at the Demo-
cratic teapot and spilled it's contents
over the body polite.
Harvey c. CARRIER, Democratic ma
tional committeeman, chief Bryan
shouter. manager of the Pattison fore
es and general all-around politician,
is the offender in this instance. Mr..
CARRIER said great many things in
an Interview he made public during
the governors absence. but the most
cutting and cruel thing he said was
that the governor could not be re-
elected. And he added, it is probably
too late to begin campaign for some
other Democrat. so the sum and sub
stance of the interview was that the
Republicans would carry Ohio next
year.
Following so closely on the heels of
the circulars sent out by Charles
kloeb. chairman of the Democratic
state central committee. and coming
directly from the National committee
man of the party in Ohio. the CARRIER
interview has almost backed the mu-
nicipal campaigns into seclusion. Pol
iticians on both sides were not only
interested In what Mr.. CARRIER said
but the people of the state were IN
terested in the impelling motive. This
made 1t very easy for Mr.. CARRIER and
his friends to show just how many
Bryan men Governor Harmon had
| appointed to office and particularly
Just how many Bryan men Governor
Harmon had not appointed to Office
Whether Mr.. Bryan had anything to
do with the interview or not or even
had knowledge that such an interview
had been given out. the impression
was sent out from Columbus that it
was the unrest of the Bryan Demo-
Gratis in the state that formed the
basis of the interview. This phase of
the situation is the most hurtful to
the governor. 1t is the most annoy
ing feature of the controversy.
Harmon Slow to Answer.
1t is not surprising, therefore, that
Governor Harmon should take plenty
of time before making response. He
many make no response at all. To
make no response is to dignity the IN
terview. 1t is to take official notice
of an internal party muddle. 1t is
invite response entaling endless
public statements from either side,
stirring up situation that is bad at
its best.
That is the view the governor an
pears to take of it. That is the view
many of his friends take. But there
is another side of the question. Never
before in the history of the state has
the feeling of independence in the
minds of the voters been so promin-
ent and pronounced. The spirit of in
dependence is alive in both parties.
All 1t needs is leader. If Governor
Harmon were to come out and straight
from the shoulder proclaim that
he was elected governor. that he owes
allegiance only to the people who put
him in Office and that he doesn't care
two hip hurrahs whether CARRIER,
Kloeb or any of the rest of his critics
like It or not. that would take courage,
but 1t would get mighty response
from the independent voters of the
state
However. such course has its haz-
ard. The gentlemen behind this fac
tional movement against the governor
are clever. They know how to play
the political game. and they have
played high card in the present sit
uation by making it appear that Mr..
Bryan is the chief factor in the con-
troversy, not that he is taking part
in It personally. but that he is inter-
ested in his Ohio friends and would
resent any movement that would ap-
pear to be directed against them and
In favor of personal organization
builded by and in the interest of the
governor. To hit out at CARRIER. Kloeb
and the rest. therefore. is to hit out
at Bryan, unless Bryan himself should
come forward in letter and declare
that he had nothing to do with the
matter and that his name is being
employed in the back counties with
out his consent. There is the difficult
ty again. Will William Jen-
nings Bryan be magnanimous enough
to come forward? He hasn't made up
his mind yet whether he wants Har-
mon as the Democratic nominee for
the presidency. He has had ample
opportunity to declare for him, but
hasn't done SO up to this time. He
came here after Harmon was inaue-
urated governor and made speech
y