The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-10-28
Governor Harmon's speech

10 HVe'blAthb vi tne credit Tor the re-
suit.
Governor Harmon's Speech
Upon being presented by Chairman
Levering, Gov. Harmon was given A
wonderful ovation, whicn lasted for
some time. The governor first re-
ferred to the fact that as boy he
had taught school in Morgan town.
ship, this county, and related his ex-
perience in coming to Mt Vernon to
be examined for q certificate to teach
school. He said that two years ago
he regarded his nomination and cleo
| tion as call to duty. For some time
prior to 1905 there had been rumors
that things were not all right at the
state house, and people had begun to
wonder why 1t was that men with
very little Of worldly possessions who
were elected to some of the state of.
fees left them possessed of large
wealth and became officers of finan-
cial institutions. Such strong sus-
picion was aroused that in 1905 the
people of Ohio elected John M. Patti
son, a Democrat, governor, but before
he could do anything he was called
from earth, and the old machine was
again in the saddle, but that three
years later, the people again elected
a Democrat as governor. He then
went into some detail explaining the
difficulties he encountered in making
the Investigations and securing the
evidence which resulted in the expos
ure of the immense grating that had
been going on. He explained the meth
cd employed by state treasurers of
loaning the state funds to certain fav-
ored banks and pocketing the interest.
amounting to many thousands of dol.
lars each year. In this connection he
presented Photographic copy of a
check and it's stub of an item of $311.-
so as interest paid to State Treasurer
McKinnon, and which amount was
credited to his personal account. He
referred to the graft in the state print
ing department, and how State Print
er Mark Slater had been sent to the
penetentiary for his stealings. He al
so referred to the many irregular and
some crooked things in the railway
commissioners office, in the office of
the secretary of state, and in other
departments of the state government,
and then came down to the recent ex-
posures in the canal system of the
state, shown in the report made by
Chief Engineer Marker.
Occasionally the governor referred
to some of the bad breaks made by
Candidate Harding, the latest being
that the governor should have remov-
ed the old chief engineer, Perkins, if
things were not right. The governor
showed that he had no authority to re-
that he could only suspend
during an investigation and that the
investigation would have been made
by officials friendly to Perkins.
Gov. Harmon stated that he was
filling the Office conscientiously and
along the line of duty, and that if re-
elected he would so continue.
Throughout his speech the governor
was, listened to with the closest at
tention, and his telling points were
received with much demonstration,
this being particularly true when he
told of the method of letting Boss
Cox's Cincinnati bank have the public
funds, and read letter from the
treasurer to that bank asking for the
return of the funds for a day while
the money in the treasury was being
counted, saying it could be had again
the following day.
Altogether it was a great and tell
ing speech made by Gov. Harmon and
had very impressive effect on the
minds of his hearers. A round of ap-
plause went up as the governor con-
cluded his speech.
Hon. M. A. Daugherty's Speech
The last speaker of the evening was
Hon. NJ A. Daugherty, one of the
greatest orators in Ohio, and he fully
sustained his reputation as a forceful
and eloquent speaker. He discussed
state and national questions at some
length, and all along had the full SYM
pathy of the audience with him. He
told of the building up of the Cox ma
chine in Cincinnati and how it has
spread out over the state until Cox
controls the Republican party. He
made great hit when he read the
speech of Mr.. Harding in which he
said he yielded Difference and devo-
tion to George B, Cox. He referred to
the dissensions in the Republican
ranks, the most recent evidence being