The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-01-28
Agricultural Board IS Made
n-Partian.
APPOINTMENTS MADE
Governor Names One Dem.
ocrat and One Republican.
Long Expensive Republican Rule at
an End-ActiOn Of Republican
Senate.

BY taking the state board Of agri-
culture out of politics Governor Har- |
mon rendered a service of the high
est Importance to the farmers OF
Ohio. In that one act he gave sub
stantial proof of his genuine interest
in Ohio's agricultural industry, which !
still is and doubtless always will be
first and foremost among the diversi-
fed ones of the state. We may just
ly boast of our manufacturing enter
prise our mineral wealth. our mer-
camille and commercial welfare; but
Il Is the famer who feeds us all, and
without rations for thoSa who follow
other pursuits our whole industrial
structure would soon tumble down.
las heretofore organized, the state
board of agriculture has squandered
large appropriations Of the peoples
money. 1t is true that it has built
up one of the most complete expos,-
tion grounds in the country for the
purpose of holding state fairs but in
so doing there has been a reckless
use of the peoples money which at
times amounted TO objectionable ex-
travagance. For many years reports
showed that receipts fell short of ex.
penditures, although the legislature
made liberal appropriations out of the
state treasury for the constructions
of buildings.
All this while the state board OF
agriculture was manipulated as a
political machine auxiliary TO the
state Republican organization.
AS a result of the fertilizer scandal
a year ago. and on the pretext that
the state board of agriculture should
be placed under direct control OF the
states administrative powers so that
it could exercise and enforce author.
ity conferred upon It, the election OF
its members was taken away from
the agricultural societies of the state
and fun authority was conferred
upon the governor to appoint the
members of that board. There are
ten members, and two appointments
are to be made each year for five
year terms so that terms will ex-
pire in rotation. The law contains a
clause authorizing the state agricu!-
tural society to make recommenda-
tons for such appointments but these
recommendations are not binding
upon the governor.
When the change occurred last
year the board stood Republicans
to Democrats This was sufficient
to give Republicans full control of
the board, and al of its members
were appointed by Governor Harris.
Having a majority OF the board the
Republicans felt that they could per-
petuate such political control. espe-
cially If the state were to remain
under the sway of Republican gov
ernors.
Both of the members whose terms
expired this year were Republicans.
They were Dr.. II. NJ. Brown, OF
Hilsboro, president of the board,
and L. p. Bailey, of Tacoma. 1t
was this same DR.. Brown who be-
came involved in litigation last fall
as the result OF alleged transactions
with wool growers of that section.
To have reappointed Brown and
Bailey would have left the board re-
main six Republicans to four Dem
ocrats. To have appointed two DEM
ocrats in their stead would have re-
versed the situation and made the
board six Democrats to four Repub-
Leans
Had Governor Harmon done this
he would have been asailed instantly
by carping critics as having injected
partisan politics into the state board
of agriculture, regardless OF the fact
that it yas already warped with par
tisanship.
BY appointing one Democrat, Jesse
f. Cross, of Fayette county, and one
Republican, Jacob Beidler OF Lake
county, former member of con-
gress, Governor Harmon made the
state board of agriculture bi-partl-
san body consisting OF FIVE Democrats
and five Republicans. 1t being an
even numbered board, Governor Har.
mon could do this. If 1t were an odd
numbered board he could and would
have made the majority Democratic,
which could not have been criticised.
BY making the board bipartisan,
Governor Harmon put the agricuItur-
al interests of the state above the
plane OF party politics, He proved
the sincerity of what he said in his
inaugura address and in his remarks
at the annual meeting of state agri-
cutura society, on the vaue and inn
portance of conserving and develop
ing the agricultural interests of the
state.
Contrast this action of a Demo.
cratic governor with the partisan