The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-07-22
BRING ON GARFIELD

In his Cleveland banquet speech
Jimmy Garfield said In our own
state the Democratic governor failed
to be on the peoples side in the fight
for public utilities bill and Demo
cratic senators defeated that meas
ure."
AS Garfield said this in his bid for
the Republican nomination for govern
or he is guilty of either deliberate
falsehood or inexcusable ignorance.
The Woods utilities bill was not de-
feated by Democratic senator's 1t
was defeated by division among Re.
publican senators. Q of whom voted
against it although it was branded
from the beginning as Republican
party measure, and only of whom
voted for 1t.
In the senate Of the present Ohio
legislature are 20 Republicans and ID
Democrats. The Democrats being in
the minority cannot control the SEN
ate when it comes to the test of
vote on party lines. The day the
Woods utilities bill was voted on in
the senate 1S of the 20 Republican
senators were present; these being a
majority of the whole senate could
have passed the bill had all of them
voted for it.
At the time the bill was introduced
fn tho bouca and for a IOnp ttma nf-
terward 1t was boosted by the Republi-
can papers of Ohio as President Taft's
own bill 1t was often called the Taft
Woods bill and was proclaimed
through Republican papers as Presi-
dent Taft's challenge to Governor Har-
mon the enactment of which was to
be made the chief issue on which
President Taft would rely for the de-
feat of Governor Harmon this year.
In the face of such a challenge Gov
ernor Harmon could hardly be expect
ed to step forward and urge Repub
lican legislature to put this party
measure" through If the wishes, as
pirations and hopes of President Taft
and the fate of the state campaign
here in Ohio this year were not
enough to induce a Republican legisla-
ture to pass one of it's declared par
ty measures" why should Governor
Harmon break a leg or an arm or his
neck trying to rake political chest
nuts out of the campaign fires for
Taft?> When you think of this for a
mark that "a Democratic Governor
failed to be on the peoples side" be-
cause he did not get on Pres. Tafts
side Is preposterous and silly. especial
ly when one remembers how little Gar.
Held himself is on Taft's side today
II Garfield would like to be nominal
ed for governor, with the Woods util
tiles bill for an issue the Democracy
OF Ohio would be mere than pleased
IL would be delighted. II would be
still more gratifying to the Democrats
II the Republican convention were tc
nominate Woods for lieutenant gov
ernor on the ticket with Garfield the
Republican convention of his own sen
atorial district having refused to nom
mate Woods for state senator.
By all means bring on Garfield
with Woods for his running mate
"to beat Harmon" on n Taft-Woods
utilities bill platform 1t would be
such fun to see Garfield. the insW
gent, against Taft trying to make ,
campaign Issue out of a party meas
ure" with which Tart expected to de
stroy Harmon, but which Taft him
self afterward ropudiated, which was
next repudiated by nine Republican
senators, and was next repudiated by
the Republican convention OF the Me
dina senatorial district when it re
pudiated the fosteriather OF the bill
by refusing to nominate him for stat,
senator.
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