The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-08

the Patterson-Carmack feud In his own
state, he said to me he feared he should
De driven into the republican party. The
one thing, he added, that could restore his
hope of democratic success and nerve his
arm for the campaign again, would be the
nomination Of Harmon for President
something, of course, must be said
| OF Harmon's performances as COVER
| nor-said with consciousness that
newspaper space needs to be grudgcd
| Ohio has comparative small debt,
| and therefore supports a great many
institutions. charitabl educational, re-
| formatory and semi-industrial Even
under the present economical regime
| these institutions cost the state from
$s,O00000 to $10000,O0O a year. The
disbursements are so fixed that the
state has for months at a time large
denominations of revenue In the old,
easy times the states treasurers de-
posted these accommodations in banks
that mad, In party sense, acquired
merit This was deemed fair in those
times and 1t was amiably assumed that
| the treasurer was not gaining any
| thing for himself. Governor Harmon
| had theory of the law which REQUIRED
that this should be Investigated. The
| Investigation showed that, while the
| state treasury had received nothing for
these large deposits, two of the treas
urers had received from the banks an
aggregate. as interest, of some $685.
600. Harmon, over all manner of OBJ
structions by republican managers has
| brought about the indictment of those
| thrifty gentlemen.
The treasurers used to have some
thing of a free hand but years ago a
law was passed requiring that all state
funds be deposited at interest, to the
| ct a.
to the trea surer almost unlimited choice
of depositaries. Naturally the banker
friends of the organization got the
large shares of the moneys and got
them al the very easy rates. When Gov
ernor Harmon came in he caused the
| treasurer (the one democrat elected
| with him) to invite bids from The
banks, naming rates of interest to be
paid for two classes of accounts, rec
ognized respectfully as active and in
active. 1t is not worth while to tell
of the appeals of democratic bankers
for favor In this connection. The re-
suit speaks for itself. Under the rule
of the republican governors the state
had received, as interest on the bal
ances of its check accounts, an average
| or / per cent a year. 1t now re-
ceives an average of 2K per cent On
the long time deposits, comparatively
speaking, the state now receives an
!
best that the republican officers had
done was something under 2h per
cent.
| Under a succession of republican gov
errors the public printer was able to
collect from the state treasury by false
vouchers some 100000. Governor Har-
mon dug up this fact and the late
printer Is now In the penitentiary.
To administer its many institutions
Ohio was complicated and wasteful
system of commissions and the like.
Harmon has the idea Of any other
good business man that IL the func-
lions of these commissioners were CEN
tered in one board there would be a
large gain to the people, not merely
In economy but in efficiency as WE'LL
| But the legislature, all the while, was
republican; and. during two sessions,
| the republican machine has in a large
measure blocked this dimunftion of Of
flcers. So much the better, of course.
for Harmon and his second candidacy
This alone. no doubt, would put him
in the state house for a second time.
| There Is also an archaic system of as
sessments and taxation in Ohio which
Governor Harmon has striven to cure
There are state boards, far too many,
commissioned to fix various privilege
| taxes; and assessments and other tax
rates are governed largely by county
officers Naturally there has been
wide diversity as well as recurrent con-
fusion and litigation in the assessments
and the rates. Governor Harmon, i'm
mediately upon his Inauguration, urged
upon the legislature system which
| would make the law clear and prevent
these inequalities. The legislature then
dared to ignore his plan. At the ses-
| sion recently adjourned the soloas
yielded to the governor In a small
measure; they consolidated some of the
administrative boards and Professionally
| named a lower tax rate, which, on the
| fair assessments now assured, will I'M
doubtedly yield ample revenue.
Everybody In Ohio knows that what
| Governor Harmon has accomplished In
law reform he has won from the fears
alone of the republican organization.
This is the reason that republican lead
ers no longer expect to put him out Of
Office.
Twenty-four years ago Judson Har-
mon and Joseph B. Foraker were sitting
together in Cincinnati as superior court
Judges. little later Harmon resigned.
4 His successor was William H. Taft. When
Harmon was appointed Attorney General
of the United States the judges and law
yers in Cincinnati gave a dinner In his
honor, and Taft. then United States cir
cult Judge there, said something of his
democratic neighbor which some still be-
lieve to be the happieDt thing ever
spoken by the President OF this day. Here
is sentence from Judge Taft's speech:
Born and brought up In this COM
munity, taught by his parents that
everything In this country was within the
reach of the man who would honestly
strive after 1t, of vigorous mind and body,
even temper, good digestion, the softest
and the stoutest heart, Judson Harmon
has moved onward and upward. with no
man to grudge him single honor which
4 he has won"
: Governor Harmons way Of dealing with
the riot situation at Newark the other
day was thoroughly typical of himself.
He had one of the most ungratefu re-
sponsibilities that can fall on gov
ernor; but he met it as faithful gov
ernor will. Fse concluded that he had the
power to remove the city officers who