The Washington herald., 1910-10-14

the lynching Of the young detective en-
ployed by the Anu-Saloon League at
Newark. Ohio, has made for him a host
Of friends among the 'drys." The story
Is old. and needs not be repeated in de-
tail. but Harmon removed the mayor and
the sherin OF the guilty town, took
charge and restored order There was no
politics IN his action there, there has
been a complete indifference 10 politics
in his treatment Of the strike here.
Mr.. Bryan's Opposition.
One other factor in the political sit
uation here gives friends Of Gov. Harmon
some cOnceTn-namely the attitude or
William J Bryan toward his candidacy.
Now. the Commoner. which is believed 10
speak only with the Bryan authority, has
attacked Harmon both directly and by
innuendo. In the past Mr.. Bryan's
strength in Ohio has been great. though
II has been a curious fact that he has
never been able 10 deliver his strength 10
any other candidate.
Mr.. Bryan will not speak in the State
this fall. ! am told that he has said
he would gladly aid Gov. Harmon's re
election. but / am also told. on quite
unimpeachable authority, that he de-
clares he VIII leave nothing undone 20
defeat the nomination Of Harmon for the
Presidency. You must judge Of these
conflicting utterances for yourself They
/ represent the Bryan attitude as described
by people who have lately talked with
/ him.
II does not appear that the Harmon
managers are much concerned about the
/ Bryan position. They seem 70 feel that
at this moment the earnest. support Of
the Nebraskan might hurt almost as
much as II might help. 1t would make
the campaign a national one, instead Of
State one. and they are striving 10
hold It down to the latter limitation.
Graft Cry Raised.
In the past two or three days the Re-
publican forces have opened upon the
Harmon intrenchments- with the cry Of
graft The governor Is accused Of hav-
ing retained IN Office men who have
preyed on the State treasury. It appears
to me that the amounts and the circum-
stances attending the alleged graft are so
trivial ass to be uninteresting outside the
state The whole matter grew out Of a
custom approved by prior attorney
general, permitting State oficehoIders 10
collect the amount of their travelling eX-
penses, whatever the purpose OF their
journeys. Common sense would deter
mine that this privilege should be eXer-
cised only when the officers were travel
g on business OF the State. but the
practice grew up OF collecting expenses
| for a mere trip home. That went on for
nearly sixteen years under Republican
administrations without question. But
when a Democratic governor came into
office the practice was promptly and
properly denounced The officials who
had been doing exactly what their prede-
! cessors for two decades had done paid
promptly back into the treasury the
money they had thus used. In no case
had 1t reached $1,000; in most cases it
was under $500.
Then demand was made that Gov.
Harmon discharge the men who had
not grated. not blundered, but sim
ply followed a long time precedent.
He refused.
HarmOn's Defense.
This is what ne said 10 me on the
subject: These men were good pub
! lie servants They had done only
what had been done for years past by
other public servants and what had
been approved by a Republican attor-
ney general in the case of Republican
| officials Now comes a sudden opinion
declared the practice Illegal Every
man refunded at once the money he
/ had collected from the State. I was
asked 10 discharge them. / refused
/ To do that would have put a stigma on
these men who had done no wrong
| knowingly They would have been turn
/ ed out branded as 'boodlers, when as a
matter Of fact they were nothing OF
the sort They acted under a misappre-
/ hension of the law, and that misappre-
| hension was bred of repeated opinions
/ issued by Republican attorneys gen.
| eral SO I retained them In Office and
am willing to bear the criticism which
may proceed from my action"
| This is the chief charge against Har-
mon, and / have given his defense al
most verbatim.
| Copyright, 1910 By joseph B. Bowles.)