The Washington times., 1910-09-20
Harmon and Harding Handi-
capped at Beginning
of Race.
MANY WILL DESERT
FROM BOTH PARTIES
Each Candidate VIII Lose Votes.
Too Early TO Gauge
Sentiment.
By WALTER ]. FAHY.

damned man Is the one who viii be
elected governor Of Ohio.
There IS no wild enthusiasm for
Governor Harmon throughout the State
Of Ohio, and there is no hope that War
rem G. Harding, the Republican guber-
material candidate, VIII run the gov
ernOr-s office without consultation with
the bosses he ha- prayed with the
bosses TOO long 10 expect that
A series OF circumstances have 50 de-
veioped that Governor Harmon is 90
ing 10 lose a large number Of Demo
cratic votes when ne comes up for re-
election ca the other hand, a large
number OF Republicans VIII refuse To
support Hardins-
Just which candidate viii suffer the
least ~ this detection cannot. OF course,
De determined at this time. one thing
Is certain, and that is that the Socialist
party Is going 10 poll d bigger vote
than ever before.
Hardly Started.
It car scarcely be said the campaisn
IN Ohio has been started 8Ir Hardin.
made his first speech -ast Saturday, but
Governor Harmon VIII not start the
Democratic campaign until Saturday OF
TINS week, when ne VIII 20 to the old
home of President Mckinley at. Canton
10 IRE the first OraJCrICai gun OF his
campaign.
For this reason the political situation
IL Ohio has not developed sufficiently
70 permit an accurate estimate OF the
sentiment thr6uGhOut the SIaJe-tnat II
q sentiment which would indicate which
candidate has the advantage in the
campaign 1t VIII take about three
weeks OF campaigning before the party
managers or any one else Tor that mat
Ter, VIII be in position 10 detert l511e.
Hrr -
1t IS possible however to get "a GOOD
idea OF the situation which cOufronts
each candidate. and from such a survey
OF the situation II X apparent that who
ever JrIUmDhs mkt NCvesnber MS VIC
tory VIII be a negative one
Take the position Of Governor Harmon
Tor instance lie has accomplished
mitch 5000 IL cleaning out the cOrruD-
ton which existed in the various state
institutions, and, apparently. lie has not
uIlShe1 his TASK The great mass OF
voters took heart at this action and
were beginning TO believe that some
thing really worth while was going TO
be accomplished by Governor Harmon :
administration Just 1T the time when
there was the kindliest feeling toward
the Democratic chief executive, ne
CaSned Ice water On them by refusing
10 raise his hand to prevent the defeat
in the Senate of the Woods bib, which.
II enacted into law. would have given
the state effective control over cor
pOratIons-
The street car strike IL. Columbus has
Dlcced thv governor IN a Darticula-Iy
trying position The labor union men
DO Not ike the WaV ne EaS handled the
situation, and IS @ result he viii nave
4 heavy labor vote against him. The
ElllitlameE who were brought here TO
Queil The disturbances also profess 10
have a grievance against the governor.
In an attempt 10 he faceJous. the
governor II a recent speech IN EleEe-
land pOHed fun at the EOld-laCed ANA
teUr soldiers, and made some remarks
about the great number Of officers in
proportion 10 the number Of men under
lneIn- IN OTQludTy circumstances such
Z trivial incident would be passed with
out notice Not so in Ohio and especial
" IT q tine when there IS civic as Wei
as political unrest
Militia Situation
Here is the peculiar militia situation
as It works to the detriment Of the
governor. Senator Dick is a brigadier
general in the state militia de IS the
author Of the Dick militia bill, which
has placed State miIitias under the
wing Of the Federal Government, and
which, in effect, subsidies them. Dick
ia the type Of politician who is ex-
tremely clever IT. promoting class feel
ing IN politics In LniS particular in
stance he had MS personal popularity
with the militia men to begin with
Then the governor antagOnized the
state troops Dick has not been slow
70 foster this feeling, and as a result
he IS in a fair way 10 develop the state
troops into an organization hostile to
Harmon and ready not only to vote for
Harding but also ready 20 swing many
more than their own votes
The street car strike, therefore, has
teIL the governor with a bitter feeling
= the part of the labor unions and a
Keeling Of resentment on the part Of
the militiamen- 1t has left him like
wise without the confidence Of many
OF the citizens Of Columbus and other
parts OF the state The governor is
charged with Naclliatlng, and even
with playing politics, in handling a sit
CatiOn IN the capital Of thc State which
bOrdered on anarchy.
Wien he returned from his vacation
he found 5000 troops here 10 QueU the
riots Ell ordered them away with the
announcement that he would not per
init state troops 10 do police duty That
the citizens.
Renewed rioting caused the governor
10 change MS mind and he brought
some of the troops back This pleased
the citizens and ansered the labor
unions Again, IN q few DAYS he or
oered the troops away. and a Toledo
company OF mllItiamen showed its con-
tempt for its CDmmauder-in-g.hfeF nv
pooling the wages they received from
the state and sending them TO the
strikers The governor now has sew
eraI companies OF soldiers in the CITY
held IN reserve In case or emergency.
All OF this indicates not only that the
governor has not satisfied any element
OF the citizenship by the manner in
which he has handled the situation. but
also that the governor has given rise
10 considerable doubt as 10 his 6xi+v
OF purpose and his determination and
ability TO rule 81 q crisis. His manage
ment OF the situation would not be Of
especial interest outside Of Ohio. ner-
h2ps- were il not for the fact that he
Is being Dointed 10 for the Presidency
in 1872
The governor has also weakened him
self somewhat by his attitude toward
the election Of a United States Senator.
Wneu Tom Johnson was in active con
troll Of the Democratic party in Onio
he lnaugurased the scheme OF having
the State convention nominate its can
ci1ate for the United States Senate
William Jennings Bryan demanded
that this plan be followed at the Demo
cratic convention this year but Cover
nor Harmon would not listen 10 the
proposal As a result the Bryan fol-