Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1911-07-06
ear 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
and perhaps the most noted, was that
Of the United States against the Trans
missouri Freight association. 1t was
the first test as to ths 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.
or 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 1t 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
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 cabi-
net member WIN he follow Taft TO
Washington again?
Governor Harmon was born In New
town. Hamilton county, o.. Feb 3.
1916. and he therefore Is IN his sixty
fifth year. One not acquainted with
this fact would take him to be no more
than fifty five. BE Is just as vigorous
as a man Of many years under fifty
five and as fond of sports and OF the
out of doors as schoolboy. He rides
with the grace OF a regular army cav
alryman. plays golf, completes with the
crack rifle shots Of the o. N. q. annual
ly and makes good scores. goes Ia
Michigan every summer for his vaca-
ton and fishes and fishes. and he is a
baseball fan Of the species that records
each play made during a game on
score card
He was for years pitcher In a nine
composed Of business men who met
every Saturday afternoon out in the
suburbs Of the Queen City to try dia.
mond conclusions with teams from
other localities. Judson Harmon new
er missed game while he was In
town. He would go to the ball field,
shed his coat and collar and wade In
and pitch nine straight innings with
all the vigor OF big Lacquer.
Mr. Harmon's father was a Baptist
minister. and from him he received his
early education. In 1866 he graduated
from the Baptist college at Denison,
Licking county. and In 1892 the school
honored him with the degree Of LII. ID.
and graduated In 1869.
Mr.. Harmon's idea OF what Democ-
racy should do can be summed up In
the closing words of an interview
which he gave. as follows:
Il take 1t that the true platform Of
the Democracy is the preservation to
the utmost Of the rights of the COM
mon mantle man who has not might
or wealth TO twist the current OF
events to suit himself. to observe to
the strictest possible degree the limits
Of authority imposed by the constitu-
ton, to administer the government eco
nomically and In doing that to levy
only the amount Of taxes, direct or
through a tariff. which will meet the
expenses Of the government.
Am | believer in the income taxr
said the governor In response to a ques-
ton. Most assuredly," he continued
Without such tax the expenses Of
the federal government, which now
amount to a billion dollars per year,
cannot be fairly distributed They are
now collected by tariff and other taxes
on consumption, and the enormous
vested wealth Of the country escapes
A few states have undertaken to tax
Incomes. but as I am advised. with lit
tie success. Changes Of legal residence
are too easy to make. The efficiency
Of a federal income tax has been
proved The levying of one would help
secure the lowering Of tariff taxes. 80
greatly and generally desired. while
the people will watch more closely
what Is done with their money when
they know they are paying taxes and
how much"