Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1912-01-02
Official Paper Of City ana County
Governor Harmon and Tom Johnson

Governor Harmon and Tom Johnson
Editorial in Dubuque Qowa) Tele-
graph Herald: Supporters of Cover
nor Harmon, of Ohio for the demo-
cratic presidential nomination, seeking
to commend him to progressive demo-
Gratis, assert that Tom L. johnson was
his warm supporter and that they
worked together in Ohio.
Perhaps no man in America is better
qualified to substantiate this state
ment, if it IS true, and refute it if it is
false, than Louis F. Post, editor of
1.-THE Public" Chicago, who was John
sons political confidant and friend. A
correspondent IN Nevada having APP
prised Mr.. Post that "some of our
democratic democrats out here place
Harmon in the progressive column, "
and that the correspondent had receiv-
ed pamphlet (which makes it appear
that the progressives of Cleveland in
dorse Governor Harmon" Mr.. Post re-
piled:
"Tom l.. johnson did understand
Gov. Harmon's position; but he was
not satisfied with it. There are prob
ably few men of presidential size with
whom Tom L. johnson would have
been less satisfied for the democratic
candidate than with Mr.. Harmon. Har-
mon is a reactionary, and has been
such throughout the whole period of
the struggle between democracy and
plutocracy within the democratic party.
1t is not merely that he opposed Bryan
in 1896. Many democratic democrats
did that, upon the erroneous suppo-
sltion that they were only opposing
what they regarded as financial
heresy and financial hereto. They
did not realize that free silver" was
but the accidental and temporary shib-
boleth of democracy in that fight, and
that the gold standard was the same
for plutocrscy. Governor Harmon did
understand this, as Grover Cleveland
did. And, like Cleveland, his oppo
sition to Bryan was only nominally for
the latter's free silverism;' it was
really for the democratic spirit which
Bryan's leadership represented. In
other words, Governor Harmon was
then, as he is yet, reactionary demo-
Graf such as Grover Cleveland was.
Throughout Tom L. Johnson's demo-
cratic struggle in Ohio, Mr.. Harmon
tried to thwart his democratic policies,
and often did thwart them, by cooper
ating with the worst machine ele-
ments of the democratic party in that
state.
In all probability Governor Harmon
is supported, and will be supported, by
leading Ohio democrats-democratic
democrats. But let no one outside of
Ohio be fooled thereby. No man in
responsible, practical politics can Go
exactly as hi wishes at all times; and
one of the things such man can never
do except in emergencies is what
OCUOCA otlC OCIlOSAdI6 Va OlIiO IJuoG W
in order to oppose Harmon. They
must defy the instructions of their
own party convention. By familiar
political trick, Gov. Harmon's workers
secured for him the presidential nomi-
nation of his state convention when he
ran for reelection as governor. In
view Of that fact no recommendation
of Harmon by any Ohio democrat can
be taken safely at face value. Nor
ought it to be taken even if there
were no coercion. Though democrats
who would want Grover Cleveland for
president again if they could get him
are quite right in supporting Judson
Harmon, nobody else would be. Gov.
ernor Harmon is the one presidential
possibility up to the present time, ex-
cept Mr.. Taft, of whom it can be said
that any democratic democrat who
votes for him, either at primary or
in convention or at the election, votes
equarely against his own protested con
victions. THE Commoner.