The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-02-26
Majority Moved by
Partisan Motives.

al tlSdA unOtAVVSs
An article in last Sundays issue
of tho Columbus Dispatch, a Republi-
can paper at the s ate capital, points
out clearly the parUisan motive OF
the Republican majority of the leg
islahre in its attempt to block the
primary step toward practical taxation
refoum that was recommended by
Governor Harmon In his message
Fclloyane Is most Significant ex-
tract from that anticle:
THE governor is ceternlned some
thing shall be done more than bury
the question in the hands OF a con-
mission. Tie Republicans seem
eoually determined that nOsmng shali
be done except refer to a commission
Itch fact OF the matter is that the
Republicans want some taNadon ieS-
sscardon. b,rt they dcns know exactly
what they want.p They were not sat
ishod with the Woods bill, nor uhe
Alsriorf proposition so they took tne
easiest way out of It and adopted tne
C,levenger resolution for tne appoint-
ment OF a commission. But the party
leaders are penfedtly satisfied that
kcmethinz must be done before the
next election. And Il may be said
frrdher that whafever Is done Will be
done by Republicans. The Republi-
cans do net intend to place I'M the
aands of Democrats the task OF reyis-
ing the taxation scheme, or better
enforcing the present one, either by
beard as proposed by the Woods
bill OF ancient memory, or In any 9th
er manner.
There will be some Improvement
in the system, or in the enforcement
Of present tax laws, but they viii
not come from Democratic sources,
ncr along Democratic lines. The Re
publicans fear II there is an inn
prcvement which does not bear the
| imrrint of the elephants hoof, so
/ plain that he who runs may read,
: the Demdsarsc will claim all the
glory amid try to re-elect Governor
Harmon with 1t. And they fear that
Il some board does the work and
/ makes botch Of it, the Democrats
will blame the Republican legisla-
tiWe with it,
YOn the other hand, there is
feeling growing in Democratic sources
that the legislature will not tote talr
with the governor. The governor
himself showed this when in the
south side speech he said the legis-
Nature had given him no money TO
investigate state offices, and he did
not think Il intended TO give him
any. And some of his friends go
further and say that the Repn0h-
cans will do anything whatever along
taxation lines because they want the
surplus TO disappear, so tney can
cry Extravaganza" when Governor
Harmon shows his head again. They
ALSO are commencing to think that
A. Is the Intention TO let the peniten-
tiarv matter go by the board, or mud
die it in such a manner that there
will be an opportunity to blame the
governor.
OF such is the majority In the leg
islature which Is presumed to repre-
sent the people. It's bewildered lead
ers do not know what they want, eX-
cent that they do want to accept the
Recommendation of Governor Harmon
thr;ouglI fear that IL will strengthen
the good cYlnicn the people have OF
, Cheir governor. They know that
whatever they do want they must
Gave before the next election which
will be a day of reckoning for them /.
Instead Of acting on sensible sug-
gesticns made by Governor Harmon
they are doing what they can to OBJ
, struct his administration so they can
cry 'Extravagance' and TO point to
conditions Inherited by Governor
Harmon from the HARMS administra-
hon."
But that ruse will not food The peo-
pile next year. Just such admissions
= as those made in the foregoing ex-
tract quoted from one of the Repub-
biCan papers ait Columbus will be
ample proof that the Republican
bosses and their subservient majority
; I'm the legislature will be responsible
, for am exhausted surplus and for ex-
travagamce and thwarting the mer-
itcrious policies OF a Democratic ad-
, ministration and what the people OF
Ohio will do to the Republican bosses
and their state ticket and their leg
islative majority next year will be
ythe complete instead of partial over
throw of such political menials.
Surely the Republican bosses and
their majority in the legislature are
turning out excellent campaign ma
terial for the Democratic cause next
year.