The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1911-01-26
HARMON PLEASED
BY OHIO CHOICE
Governor Says Old Caucus Plan
Worked Well in Selection
of Pomerene.
BLACKBURN MAY COME BACK
Senate Would Welcome the Veteran
kentuekian-Roose Still Real
Leader Of His Party-condltlons
Ripe for Democratic Victory.
BY WILLIS J. ABBOT.

BY WILLIS J. ABBOT.
Washington.-Just after the swift
selection by the caucus OF the
Democratic members Of the Ohio
legislature of Atlee POmerene as the
party nominee for the United States
senatorship, l was sitting with Cover
nor Harmon In his Office. The COVER
nor was naturally exultant, not be-
cause he had taken an active part in
the Pomerene nomination, for as
matter of fact he had kept hands on
as far as a man holding his dominat-
ing position in the Democratic party
of the state could. have been unable
to ascertain that he ever urged any
member of the caucus to vote for any
one Of the twelve candidates. In fact,
he himself told me this. Naturally,
however, the fact that Mr.. Pomerene
was on the ticket with Governor Har-
mon led many Of the representatives
and state senators to feel that his Sc
lection would not be unpleasing to the
head of the state ticket. But what In
terested me most in the governors
conversation of the moment was his
comment on the way in which the
nomination by caucus and election by
the state legislature had worked out.
1t will be remembered that prior to
the state election Mr.. Bryan made
yelled attack upon Governor Harmon
for not exerting his influence to force
the nomination of a senator in the
state convention. He asserted that 1t
was probably deal in behalf of John
r. Mclean, whose name is anathema
to the Nebraskan, and he warmly ap-
plauded Governor Marshall for fore
ing direct nomination in Indiana.
Caucus Plan Worked Well.
Said Governor Harmon: Don't
you think that the orderly procedure
of this caucus and its virtual unanim-
ity shows that the old-fashioned Demo
cratic method Of electing senator in
Democratic conference or caucus
still has it's merits? There has been
here no trading or log rolling. A SEN
ator is essentially an officer Of the
United States, although he of course
represents his own state in the ma
tional government. But had man
been nominated in the Democratic
convention it would have been neces-
sary for him to make the fight in the
state on national issues. This was
state election and we won on state
issues. Mr.. Pomerene gained the good
will Of the Ohio Democrats and has
been nominated by them on the first
ballot. 1t seems to me an orderly pro-
cedure and one within the line of
Democratic precedent. Is the spectacle
presented in New Jersey today after
the so-called primaries a more impress
sive or more orderly one than that
in Ohio? For that matter is the In.
diana situation, out of which l have
no doubt the ultimate election of Mr.
Kern will proceed, as satisfactory as
that in our own state? l have heard
of distinguished senator from the
Pacific coast who retired because he
could not afford to make one fight to
carry the primaries and another to
carry the legislature. Mr.. Pomerene
spent little money. for of that there
was no need"
Pomerene Popular Choice.
Governor Harmon evidently did not
mean to attack the idea of either di.
rect primaries or the election of SEN
ators by the direct vote of the people,
but wished to emphasize the fact that
under right conditions the old system
of nomination in caucus and an elec-
tion by the legislature would give full
effect to the will of the people From
the conversations 1 had with citizens
Of all sections of Ohio 1 am confident
that the Pomerene election was ac.
compIlshed more as result of a gen.
eral popular feeling for him than any
political intrigue.
"Jee" Blackburn May "come Back"
The announcement of former Sen
ator Blackburn of Kentucky that he
Will be a candidate for the United
States senate again against Senator
PayHter has awakened possibly more
interest in Washington than robablv
any recent piece Of political news
Joe" Blackburn was long one of the
striking figures of the Democratic side
OF the senate. Perhaps no man was
more popular than he. No longer
young. for he has passed his seventy.
second year, he has the advantage of
a vigorous constitution and a political
experience hardly equalled by anyone
on the Democratic side today.
And don't forget that he is a clever
eampaigner, besides being what thew
call in certain sections of Kentucky .
mighty good orator. It was from the
Blackburnian lips there sprung tba,
famous phrase concerning the support
OF certain Democratic bill which
had split the Democratic party n
some degree: HE who dallies is .
bastard, and he Who doubts is damn,
ed" Deep sighs went up from Ken.
tucky when Joe" Blackburn took q
profitable position under the Roose
velt administration as a member OF
the Panama Canal commission. II
looked to unterrffied Democrats like Q
gradual going over to the enemy. 70,
prior to that time when minority an