The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-06-05


 publicans. Another graft investigation l brought forth the exposure. prosecu-
 ton and conviction of Mark Slater,
 former Republican state printer, on
 graft charges in lesser degrees, the
 settlement of an interest claim of over
 s5.7oo on funds carried In the bank for ! former Republican State Auditor Wal
 ter D. Guilbert and the filing of claim
 for over s31,o0O with the receiver of a defunct bank at Columbus as an inter
 est charge on funds carried in that | bank by MT. Gilbert as auditor. Then MT. Harmon sent a Democrat, Engineer Marker, to probe the affairs
 of the Republican state board of public works, which handles the canal sys- | tenn It was discovered the state had been swindled out of thousands of dol
 lars in past administrations by the | failure of contractors to comply with specifications. Twenty-Five positions, political sinecures,. were recommended | for decapitation at saving of $30, ,000 1 annually.
 These revelations during the gover- nor's first term awakened the /civic conscience and paved the way for his subsequent reelection. The Democrats captured the general assembly at the same time.
 Then Governor Harmon renewed his efforts in behalf of certain bills two Republican general assemblies denied him.
 The most notable achievement ac- complished by the executive during the legislative session was the enactment of the Wyman bill, including the Ore gon plan of nominating and elect1ng United States senators.
 A conference committee was appoint ed to frame a compromise senatorial nomination and election bill T would vote for Republican for United States senator if the people by their votes de- clared for a Republican" the governor told this committee during the confer ence. 'I would be proud to do it. l would simply be doing the will of the people" One of the committee sug- gested the Oregon plan was undemo- cratic. The executive replied. Its the very essence of Democracy to put the government back into the hands of the people and let them say whom they want for United States senator"
 Governor Harmon took new tack and had a similar measure offered in the house, the Wyman bill. That body passed it and sent 1t to the senate, where the governor finally got sufh- cient Republican votes to save 1t.
 Ohioans had demonstrations recently that their judiciary, one of the most sacred institutions of a free govern ment had been invaded by party boss es in their inordinate thirst for power TvC% oP y1o pie could turn to invoke the penalties of the criminal statutes on those who had offended, certain courts were be- ing used in cases where men of vast political power were concerned to shield violators from the vengeance of the law.
 But the general assembly took long step forward from boss domination of the courts by enacting a bill provid- ing in the future that all Ohio judges, from the dignifled gowned justices of the supreme court down to the humble laymen who sit as justices of the peace, shall be elected on tickets absolutely free from party emblem or device Nominations may be made by conven- tions. but the power of bosses to con- trol nominations was broken by clause in the bill which says that nom nations may be made by petitions. There is not another such law in the United States.
 Ohio has been hampered by the crude, unwieldy machinery of constitution which was adopted in 1851, and the sub tect of making a new organic law is the biggest and most important propo- sition that has come before a Buckeye general assembly in many years. Self ish hands were being cutstretched to get control of the constitutional con- vention to be held in 1912 when Cover nor Harmon took charge of the ar engagements for it and succeeded in getting through the general assembly a bill which will remove the delegates from political influence and make them responsible to the people only. So well did he manage the campaign that Ohio will set a precedent for all other states to follow when they come to rewrite their organic laws.
 Nominations of delegates will be made by petition only, thus making 1t possible to obtain big, independent, brainy men of affairs who could not be induced to engage in a wild scramble for nominations by primary. Nominees will be elected on ballots absolutely free from party device or emblem or any form of party designation. The liquor question, which has been a sore spot in Ohio for sixty years, will be finally settled when the new constitu- tion is adopted.
 The state when Governor Harmon grasped the reins of government had nineteen penal. reformatory and benev- olent institutions, with the responsibil- ity of governing them divided among nineteen separate boards of trustees, three members to a board. They were so conducted as to secure neither econ omy nor best results
 These trusteeships, all honorable po- sitions and eagerly sought after. had been used as a sort of currency to pur- chase nominations and to repay the boys who had delivered votes in con- Vent1ons The trustees appointed su- perintendents and all subordinates. and these combined to furnish the dynamic power for the steam roller which the late Mark Hanna and Boss George B. Cox used to crush the life out of rebel lions against the rule of the G. o. P. machine.
 Governor Harmon's idea was that "the establishments which a Christian state maintains for charity are sacred and that every selfish purpose should perish at their doors"
 Acting on this principle, the governor framed and forced through the general assembly bill placing all employees