The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1910-07-28

Ohio is the battle-ground this year of
titanic forces. Forces which will sway
for good or evil the fates of the nation.
1t is a conflict of principles first, but per-
sonalities also Personality will not
mean everything, but it. will mean much.
Our Democratic opponents have nomt-
mated as head Of their ticket a strong
man, make no mistake about that.
Whatever may be the principles he
stands for, principles which in our opin-
ion would spell, if adopted, the ruina-
ton of this country, Judson Harmon is
nevertheless a big, forceful individual;
a keen, shrewd politician, always on the
job a man of unlimited ambition, with
amazing confidence in himself and in his
lucky star.
Not content with nominating himself
for governor, he has nominated himself
for president, also. There is nothing
small about him.
The proceedings of the convention
which conferred upon him this double
office reveal a most amazing state of
facts. 1t appears that If elected he does
not intend to serve out his term as gov
erncr; that is apparently too insignificant
an Office it might interfere with his
bending all his energies toward securing
the nomination for president from his
party in the nation, and so the program,
as frankly announced at the Democratic
convention, is that he shall resign after
a few months and turn over the office to
the candidate for lieutenant governor,
a gentleman by the name of Pomerene,
a very agreeable gentleman, who, | be-
lieve, is a lawyer in the city of Canton.
Here we have case of two men, both,
in their own estimation at least, too big
for the office they are nominated 20 I'LL.
This is, at least, refreshing rovelty in
Democratic politics.
But will the people endorse this pro-
gram? Will they consent to be used as
stool pigeons to further the ambitions of
these men? For one, | can not be-
lieve it.
Governor-to be President Harmon says
the campaign should be fought on state
issues only; Lieutenant GoVernor-tO be
Governor Pomerene says that the Demo-
Gratis ought to win on national issues.
This only adds to the novelty and deli
cious humor of the situation. Harmon
is running for president of the United
States on local issues, and Pomerene is
running for governor of Ohio on ma
tional issues. Can you find parallel in
recent political history?
The governor may talk all he pleases
about local issues, but he has protected
himself upon the national field. He has
submitted his record and his qualifica-
tions to the people not for state office
merely, but for the highest office in their
gift for the office held by Washington,
Lincoln and Roosevelt. The people will
have the right to ask-does he measure
up?
Laying all other questions aside, there
is one thing in Judson Harmon's career
that dlsqualifies him for the presidency.
No man who has spent the active years
of his professional life as an advocate of
the interest of corporate wealth can
bring to the presidency that single
minded devotion to interests of the peo-
pie, that capacity for seeing clearly their
side of the question that they have the
right to demand.
That Governor Harmon has been an
eminent and successful lawyer, no man
disputes. He has gained fame and for
tune as an advocate of the interests of
corporations, and principally of railroad
corporations. He has been the receiver
of an important railroad for years and
during at least a portion of his term as
governor of the state for as governor he
has not only continued to hold this
position, but has even left his office to
appear in the courts in the advocacy Of
the interests of his private clients. This
may be proper according to the ethics OF
private life, but is it proper in an aspir-
ant for the presidency? No man, Demo-
crat or Republican, can abandon the
habits of thought of a lifetime after he
has passed the age of three score years.
Judson Harmon has spent nearly two
score of his more than three score years
in looking at public questions from the
railroad and corporation standpoint. The
people will not forget this when they
come to cast their ballots.
An Ohio man, a lawyer, too, Is presi-
dent of the United States. How different
has been the use of his legal talents.