The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-01-29
Nipped in the Bud

Governor Harmon is being COM
mended on all sides for his prompt
and vigorous action with reference
60 the reorganization 1f he state
board of agriculture Not even
the most rabid Republican newspa-
pers have found in It anything they
could reasonably crltictse.
Only the week berore Governor
Barmon hld made the board BIZ
partisan. Prior to the enactment Of
the law a year ago giving the gov
ernor power to appoint members of
this boand, either in accord with
recommendation made by the state
agricultural society or OF his own
selection, the board was composed
of Republicans and four. Democrats.
1t was to maintain this partisan
control that Governor Harris ap-
pointed all of the members of the
old board to be the first board un-
der the new law. This was in
keeping with other f'ngrant exhibits
of party bias by Governor Harms
before and since.
And so this very important state
department, instead of devotinfg its
energies unsullied TO the agricultural
interotss of Ohio farmers became
AUXILIARY to a political machine This
Is why Governor Harris. who was
so loudly acclaimed as "the farm.
er governor" during the campaign
last fall, was willing to leave the
institution of greatest value to the
farmers of OHIO in control of the
party bosses whom he served.
1t was to correct this evil that
Governor Harmon in his firm but
quiet way, without bIare of trump
cts or shriel1ing from the house
tops, went about his resolute pur-
pose to divorce the state board Of
agriculture from politics, Instead Of
reappointing two Republicans whose
terms were about to expire, he
named one Democrat and one Repub-
Ilican TO su1ceed them. He could
have named two Democrats, and
made the board six Democrats to
-four Republicans. but that would
have been as flagrant an eXhibl-
ton of parisanship and of utter dis
regard for the real interests Of the
farmers of Ohio as had been commit
ted by Governor Harris wear ago.
! That Governor Harmon acted
wisely in declining TO reappoint DR..
II. NJ. Brown of Highland county
and L. p Bailey. of Belmont county
was fully justified when 1t became
known that the board was TO meet
tfs week and reorganize before the
retirement of Brown and Bailey.
This move was meant to thwart the
object of Governor Harmon by nam
| tanning at leafs for one more year
the partisan connections that have
given rise TO general complaint;
and Il was on a par with the ac-
tion of the state senate in its pre-
cipitate haste to confirm appoint
ments of a retiring Republican
governor just before a change of
administration and It's insolent re-
fusal after the Inauguration OF
Governor Harmon to right the
wrong.
But Governor Harmon did not
have the partisan semitic to deal
with in forestallinIg the attempt to
steal the organization of the state
board of agriculture for another
/ year. He seized the AK OF power
not becaues he wanted TO but be-
cause he was Obliged to do so in or
der that he might nip conspiracy
in the bud. His summary removal
therefore, of Brown and Bailey
before the conspiracy could be con-
summated, and his immediate notics
10 the new members to take their
places on the board "a week earlier
than was contemplated so that they
might save a part in completing
the reorganization, proved conclu.
avely that he meant business when
he set out to accomplish lone
needed reform in the interest of the
fhrmers of Ohio