The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-10-14
HARDING
Was In On The Game OF
FaVOritiSm
ln Letting State Funds To
The Banks
Gov. Harmon Reads Some
Additional Letters
Showing HardiOg'S COnneC-
tiOn with The Matter
And How Lieu. Gov. Tread
way Was Also Favored

harysVllle, ", Oct. lz--ln FORMER
speeches Governor Harmon read cor
respondence showing how. Charles G.
Green, cashier of the state treasury
when McKinnon was treasurer, ad-
vised a bank at Steubenville to furn-
ish with it's application for state de-
posits the recommendation of the Re-
publican county chairman, state sena-
tor or representative. Still more
startling disclosures were made by
Governor Harmon in his speech here
last night, during the course of
which he said:
correspondence has already been
published showing that the deposits
of state funds were awarded under
former administrations by system
of favoritism as part of the machine
by which the ring kept complete con-
troll of Republican state conventions.
"Mr. Harding aSd Mr.. Treadway
were in the game, as well as the 9th
ers, as the following letters show:
August &c. 1907.
Hon. W. G.. Harding, Marion o..
Dear Slr--I am pleased to inform
you that we have today notified the
Marion County Bank company of their
selection of a depository for state
funds and our Willingness to turn over
to them the sum of $20,00000 THIS
ACTION is IN COMPLIANCE WITH
YOUR LETTER or RECOMMENDA
TION to Mr.. McKinnon of some days
since. Very truly yours,
Chas. G. Green, Cashier.
Cleveland, o., April 90 1904.
Hon. W. s. McKinnon, State Treas
urer, Columbus, Ohio.
My dear sir--The Union National
bank of this city desires to be made
one OF the state repositories under the
law passed yesterday establishing the
same. | would very greatly appre.
ciate any favor you may show them
in the matter, they being, as you know,
one OF the leading substantial banks
of the state
| believe | have asked no favors OF
any kind during the past session and
therefore beg that you Will consider
this matter OF PERSONAL INTER-
EST TO ME-.
Very respectfully yours,
II. w. Treadway
II am told that Mr., Harding was q
stock holder in the bank for which
he asked a deposit. II Is fair to as
sumo that Mr. Treadway owned stock
in the Union National If not, how
was it "a matter of personal inter
est" to him?
IF the present administration had
done nothing else than abolish this
business of having the deposits oI
state funds used by Republican poll
ticians and committees it would have
been worth while. Contrast the pas
with the present Now the deposit:
are let by fair competition open to al
ors to anybody except the taxpayers
OF the state, who are getting full rates
OF interest on their money instead o
the low rates fixed by Guilbert, Nc
Kinnon and Ellis, which was much
less than the banks, which got tn,
state deposits were paying at the same
time on private deposits.
"The present administration made
this reform voluntarily. At each o
the last two sessions a bill was intro
duced and urged by myself and 9th
crs for passage requiring this cours,
10 be followed by all treasurers In tn,
future. II was defeated in each I'm
stance by the Republican leaders an,
votes. What better proof could tn,
people OF the state have that the In
tention Is to resume the old practice /
the men whom the members OF tn
ring regard as interlopers In the stat
house can be replaced by men who
even II they are personally honest
can be trusted to wink" as Mr. Hard
ing says"
Replying to some of Mr.. Harding
generalItles about graft, Governo
Harmon in his speech at Marysyill
put the subject home to Mr.. Hardin
himself by saying:
Mr.. Harding says the suit agalns
him by Marion county to recover o,
exchanges for public printing wa