The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-09-23
1905, Mr.. Harmon had this to say to
the Students:

1905, Mr.. Harmon had this to say to
the students
Listen to no one who suggests that
morals concern the clients only, while you
have to do with legal rights alone. 1t Is
true that one may do a moral wrong by
enforcing legal right, and in such cases
the lawyer does not necessarily share the
blame. And there Is no substance In the
charge that lawyers must become lax of
conscience because they sometimes uphold
the side OF case that proves TO be the
wrong one. have no patience
with those who affect to despise wealth
Honorably gained 1t should be a JOY to
any one. But huge corporations and pow
erful industrial and commercial combna-
tons In various forms have brought on a
conflict with the sentiment of the people
who, true to the instincts of the race.
see grave menace to our welfare and
perhaps to our institutions and are seek
Ing various remedies by law do
not mean that lawyers should refuse to
represent such (corporation) clients. 1t
Is their obligation to render proper serv-
Ice to any who ask 1t, and lawyer of
high rank rarely fails to number some
of these among his clients. But he must
be careful to do nothing for them that he
would not do for less important clients.
He must not forget that they, unlike his
ordinary clients, have or may have inter-
ests which conflict with those of the pub
lie and that his first duty is to the pub
lie. not only because he is q citizen but
because from it he has received his COM
mission as an officer &c Justice.
AS governor of Ohio Mr.. Harmon
has made most remarkable record.
He has upset all precedents by calmly
ignoring the machine politicians, as a
result of which number of them in
his own party grow apoplectic when
ever his name is mentioned. But for
every machine vote so alienated Mr..
Harmon has gathered unto himself
scores of supporters among the busi-
ness men of all parties-men who be-
lieve that he has given Ohio a busi-
ness administration. Mr.. Harmon did
not seek the governorship. He was
drafted. And when he agreed to run.
after being waited upon by numerous
anxious committees of politicians, he
did so with the understanding that if
office on business and not on a po-
litical basis. The politicians had heard
this sort of talk before, and they
winked knowingly at one another and
perfunctorily applauded. But they
had reckoned faultily. When Mr.. Har.
mon came in he started after the graft.
ers and the lobbyists; recommended a
number of investigations that resulted
in putting one former state official In
the penitentiary and in recovering vast
sums of money illegally taken as in,
terest on public funds by former state
treasurers
Mr.. Harmon is a business man OF
remarkable ability. This is attested
by his handling of several great rail,
road properties. As receiver for the
Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern back
in the nineties he made his first great
record, bringing order out of chaos and
restoring to the stockholders rehabil
itated property. A few years ago he
was appointed receiver of the Crane
Central system, which included the
Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton ant
the Pere Marquette railroads. This
system was In such tangle that the
properties looked like "a net loss will
no insurance" as one of the expert
accountants remarked at the time Re
ceiver Harmon in little over two
years paid every creditor in full ant
then turned over to the stockholders
a property the stock of which was
worth par.
Mr.. Harmon has been severely criti
cised by those who carp for having
| retained this receivership for eigh
months after he became governor. The
fact is that he sent in his resignation
before being inaugurated, but Judg,
Lurton, then on the federal circui
bench, declined to accept it on tn,
ground that there were many matters
pending that no other person could 81
well adjust as Mr.. Harmon.
Governor Harmon was born at New
town, Hamilton county (Cincinnati)
o. His father was schoolteache