The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1912-01-17


IS from the editorial columns of the
Cincinnati Enquirer and was publish
ed in that paper Dec 80. 1907. That
was four years before John r.. Nc
Lean, the owner of the Enquirer, who
Is now opposing Gov. Harmon lost
his temper because Of his failure to
be elected United States senator by
the members of the Democratic gen.
eral assembly of 1911. The editorial
will enable Democrats to ascertain
whether the owner of the Enquirer,
in his fight on the Ohio executive, is
waging battle for principle or
whether he is seeking revenge for
a fancied wrong:
"Judson Harmon of Ohio"
Ever since Ohio entered upon the
dignity of a commonwealth she has
been prominently associated with ma
tional affairs, and has been almost
uninterrupted in leadership or great
influence I'm presidential campaigns.
She has furnished some of the most
distinguished executives herself, and
several of her eminent men have only
been kept out of the premier honor
by natural exigencies which have
placed them In the minority party.
Ohio is a battle-ground now for the
internal affairs of either party, and
conservative men OF all parts of the
union look to her to help as a guide
back to cardinal principles, as well
as a bulwark for the advancement
of the recent year. She Is the heart
of the country. She Is still the CEN
ter. not merely of growing section,
but of the great developed West. She
IS a mighty station on the most per-
spicuous line Of march from the East
to the West She cannot be side
tracked or avoided by a detour in
any matter of great national conse-
quence She is always at the front
with ideas and men, not because her
greed for place is more than is COM
mon. but because she is so essential
I'm the general vitality.
The Enquirer has from time to
time fairly presented the qualities OF
those who are the most prominent
as possibilities for the president in
either party. A native modesty has
prevented any show of partiality in
this journal for oru own state, which
has sent more thorough men and
more enduring lessons east and west
than any other state in the union.
The Honorable Judson Harmon, our
the people of this the state of his
nativity. take abiding pride, and who
has a hawless record i'm important
federal positions, has been the SUBJ
ject of frequent commendatOry al
lusions in this paper in connection
with the principal honor Of the coun-
try. 1t has been said that every
county, town in the Buckeye domain
has at least one man who would be
lit to preside over the republic. The
entries have been kept open TO all.
The time for concentration on some
body or something. though is now
close at hand. Reasoning from a
pure standpoint Of close observation
and justice to all men, here or to
come, Judge Harmon, in the opinion
of a great contingent of Democratic
and conservative voters stands now
as the strongest and most available
statesman for the Ohio delegation TO
the Democratic National convention
to unite on.
'rhe Enquirer has no personal
preference. 1t is as well aware as
even its enemies are, that it has no
right to dictate; but we are looking
at the situation as II undoubtedly is
at this moment We may sing the
praises of William j. Bryan, for the
splendid campaigns he made when
the hope Of Democracy was almost
fctional. We may admire Judge
Gray as an honest and accomplished
man, and as a true hearted genius,
and as an expounder and leader in
the great principles of our civil es-
adjustments. We may take a high
pride in the meteoric but unsensa-
tlonal career of Governor johnson of
Minnesota, and vote for him with the
faith that a winner is out from the
boundless Northwest We may even
look with more than polite considera-
ton on Lieutenant Governor Chand-
Ter, of New York. The Democratic
party embarrassed by mistakes and
misfortunes though Il has been, is
not out with the plate of a beggar
1t presents a salver filled with jewels,
and invites the rank and file and body
polite generally to take its pick.
''But none of the distinguished men
named in the preceding paragraph of
this article is an Ohio man. And
presidential campaign in 1908 will be
a general dissatisfaction unless this
commanding apex Of the union Is the
struggle. This represents a much
wider range of judgment than may
be compassed in our local environ
ments. III Judge Harmon has stood
back and given everybody else a
chance, that is no reason why, II he
Is the most available man now. he
should not be rallied around by every
Democrat and every independent Re-
publican and conservative elector in
Ohio.
His celebrity is an achievement.
There Is no accident or mere favort-
ism in his high standing As a law
yer in public and private practice, as
Judge OF the common pleas and su-
perior courts, as attorney general Of
the United States, as a publicist and
public speaker and as a straight-away
citizen and commander in the gem
eral society Of men he IL a leader
and originator. And not a safer man
has been born In the last So years
With him as the Democratic leader
there would be nothing to defend.