The Washington herald., 1912-03-23


ioned doctrines. Of Democracy to
modern administrative problems and
making a good job of IT, drop in
at the wind<swept and weather-scarred
old State Honse at Columbus, Ohio.
almost any day between the hours
OF in the morning and in the
evening. Sundays and legal holidays ex-
eepted, writes a staff correspondent OF
the New York Times. There you will
Ind Judson Harmon, ohio's grizzled gov
ernor, earnestly at work bringing order
out of chaos in the affairs Of the Buck
eye State and rendering purer and more
wholesome the atmosphere about the
State Offices.
Judson Harmon has been at 1t for al
IT.ost three years now: HIS work has told
heavily, too So one should not be sur
prised to learn that a mighty host of
Ohioans insist on calling him a reformer,
not scofingIy, but out of grateful hearts.
HarmeR is by no means Indifferent 10
public approval1 and the peoples praise
sounds good to him. But he waves aside
the tagged laureIs and maintains stoutly
that what he has done he has done as a
Democrst-jusf plain Democrat, please;
for he even disdains; being classified. He
will not be eatalogped with any one Of
the many varieties within his own party
that have been offered to the public in
recent years, each with his definite
brand to distinguish him from a1l-lthe
rest, and each. with. his distinct indiyid7
uaI claim of merits and virtues pecul-
iarly his own,- and. thrown. in free with
whatever guarantee of general excel
lence fhe party name may convey.
Gov. Harmon has ushered In a new
and better dispensation, both in poll
tics and public affairs, in his home
State. There is evidence of that, on
one hand, in the laws that have been
placed on the statute books of Ohio on
his recommendation during the three
years he has served as chief executive.
There is evidence of IL, on the other
hand, in the efficiency of his admintra-
tion, where strict economy has sue
ceeded the reckless extravagauce that
obtained under his Republican prede-
cossors, and under their slipshop meth
ods
II any further evidence were needed
there are men lingering behind prison
bars for official wrongdoing in Ohio.
largely through what Judson Harmon
did to make public life purer after he
became governor. Gov. Harmon has
accomplished more for the people of
Ohio than Gov. Hughes accomplished
in q similar period OF time.
Has Strengthened own Party Inn
menseIy.
Incidentally he has strengthened his
own party immensely. Witness the
marvellous increase in his majority last
year when he was a candidate for re-
election after two years service. Wit
ness also the notable victory which in
the same year swept into Office the
entire Democratic State ticket with
Democratic majority in both branches
of the general assembly. All this in
a State which for a score of years past
has returned Republican majorities of
the first magnitude.
The election of a Democratic general
assembly last year was the direct result
OF an appeal from Gov. Harmon. and IS
pointed to by his friends as the strong
est possible evidence of the peoples con-
idence in him after his first term in Of
fice-
Coy. Harmon, OF Ohio. like Charles E.
Hughes, when the later was governor of
New York, has been compelled al, times
TO show his devotion to party principles
by making war on the party bosses. Gov.
Harmon has fought with as much zeal as
did Hughes. But his has not been b5Is-
ferrous boss war. The clash Of conflict.
at times, has scarce been heard Their
fighting methods have been different
Fights similar To those Hughes sought
10 win by open appeals to the people
Judson Harmon has won by talking man
fashion to other men-some of whom he
despised-behfnd closed doors.
As result. where Hughes was accused
Of breaking up his party in the State of
New York, Harmon has recognized and
reunited his in Ohio. And the reorgan-
lied and reunited Democrats of Ohio
have officially given him their indorse-
ment for the Presidential nomination
next year.
The effect of Harmon's display. of mill
tant Democracy has not been lost on the
people of his home State. But in order
that his ascendancy in Ohio politics may
he fully appreciated and the general re-
gard in which he is held by Democrats
the country may be better
Ohio history of the last three
years must be surveyed. These three
years. have witnessed a fight between
Gov. Harmon and the machine leaders in
his own party, a fight between the gov
ernor and two general aSsemblieS-one
and the other Democratic
and the final triumph practically of his
entire. progressive programme of legis-
lation.
When Judson Harmon ran for COVER
ncr of Ohio for the first time in 1e0S the
party in the State was split
up in three factions. There was one fac
ton known as the Finley-Garber factiont
This faction constituted the Old Guard
in Democratic politics IN the Buckeye
State. Its nominal head was Edward w.
Hsnley, of Dayton, who was connected
with the lighting trust. The man who
National Committeeman Harvey c. Gar
ber, who Is supposed to have close affili-
ations with the telephone trust. This
T1.@# NzRz tn LInN-
the time came to make up the Demo-
cratic slate for the convention.
Then there was another faction headed
by the late Tom L. johnson, the former
resented the radical wing OF the party
and was powerful. The followers of
Mayor johnson had a gubernatorial cam
1idate OF their own IN Atiee Pomerene.
from Ohio.
The third faction wss known as the
Ross -Yaple-Devanny group. 1t was COM
away from the old Democratic machine
because they were displeased with the
old-time leaders. In general the caliber
or the Democrats in this group might be
with the caliber of those who
rolinweT ttr fr-t'--es If sr'n rNs--1ncr~''c
league IN, the State of New York. The
old timers scoffed at them and dubbed
Of this group had their eyes on Harmon
from the start.
Arouse His Fighting Instinct.
Judson Harmon had been approached
by his friends and had declined to permit
his name to be placed before the conven-
ton. They finally had to tease him
into taking II. The convention was held
in Columbus. Harmon sat quietly at
home in Cincinnati. where he lived at
that time. His friends kept on booming
him as the best equipped man for the