Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-07-09

their governor. The achievements of
the Democratic general assembly show
the expectations of the people have
been realized He had been a leading
! attorney for years, but search of his
record disclosed Harmon. while be had
corporations among his clients, had
never given his talents TO appear in a
court suit against the people. As an
| attorney general of the United States
he had proved to be a friend OF the
people, fighting through court cases
which established the foundation of all
! Jurisprudence on the antitrust sub
| ject. In private life he was recognized
as one Of the ablest lawyers In Ohio.
In February, 1910, ten months before
the state election in Ohio, when JUdson
Harmon would go before the people
| for reelection, Ohio Republicans by or
der of President Taft held harmony
meeting in Dayton The Republicans
at Dayton did not talk of helping Pres
ident Taft or Of restoring the Repub-
lican party; they talked about the
chance Of defeating Governor Harmon,
and they did not talk hopefully. I'm
consciously they paid a patent tribute
to the real strength Of the man. It
suddenly revealed the tremendous sue
cess of Governor Harmon and his COM
plete mastery of the political situation
in Ohio. The plan of opposition out
lined in Dayton has never ceased. No
governor has ever been opposed by so
strong force as Governor Harmon.
During his first term of two years a
Republican general assembly to dis
credit him reduced the treasury bal
ance 50, G52, S5SGS by making appropri-
atoms exceed revenues and also Great
ed obligations amounting to $2.0OO,OUO
more by deciding to build new struc-
lures for state institutions. When the
revenues were reduced 100000 a year
by voting ont saloons and several hun
dred thousands of dollars were added
to the wrong column by the abolish
ment of prison labor contracts Har-
mons arms were apparently tied, and
his enemies laughed at his discomfort
The governor promptly reduced public
expenditures. Then, instead of a gen
eral levy, the proper enforcement of
the excise laws provided 100000 addi-
tional every year. The eSta blshment
of a market for prison manufactured
goods and the concentration OF author
ity over nineteen state institutions is
expected to add another 100000 to
the state revenues Thus was the sit
uation met and the state restored to a
sound financial basis without any ad-
! ditiOnal burdens being imposed on the
/ people who are least able to be further
taxed.
Voters like to support clean and
able men, as has been demonstrated in
many localities where the electors dis
honOring exceptional men with an eX-
ceptional vote. This explains why in
strongly Republican state JudsOn
Harmon was elected governor of Ohio
two years ago by plurality of 1882
in the face of a Republican plurality
of G9,591 in the vote for president.
On his record as governor Of the state
/ y
before the people and ask reelection.
With precedent against him, the
election machinery against him, with
the president of the United States, a
citizen of the same state, fighting him
for reelection and in the face of /
strong Republican sentiment to COM
bat, Governor Harmon nevertheless
~
Ohio repudiated her favorite son,
William H. Taft, president of the
United States. Governor Harmon
won the greatest Democratic victory
in the history of Ohio or of the mid
die west 1t was a crushing blow to
the president.
There are some things in Ohio more
popular than the Taft smile One OF
them is the Hon. Judson Harmon
who will countenance no frills anC
who sits on the edge of n big table
that occupies the center of the gov
ernor's reception room and chats witt
visitors. Common as an old shoe
is the way Ohio farmers size up theil
governor after they see him percheC
on that table, swinging his feet, anC
hear him talk straight from the shout.
der.
When he was attorney general he ar
gued many cases before the supreme
, court-argued them well-so well that
, he earned many deserving compliments
from bench and bar. Among them
and perhaps the most noted, was that
of the United States against the Trans
missouri Freight association. 1t was
the first test as to the efficiency of the
Sherman antitrust law when applied
:. to prevent an illegal combination OF
railroads. Mr.. Harmon won. and the
, combination went by the boards.
, OF similar character were the suits
against the Freight Traffic association
and the AddystOn Pipe company. Har
mon was successful in both, and thus
was established the law as it stands
today
There is an odd series of coinci
dences in the careers of Governor Har
mon and President Taft. Always Har
, mon has followed Taft or Taft has
f followed Harmon. Harmon resigned
as judge in Ohio, and Taft took his
=, place. Then Mr.. Taft became solicitor
, general of the United States. Harmon
followed him to Washington as a cabi