The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1912-05-31
UNIT RULE Gets
DESERVED JOLT
BY DENIS
Voice Of the People Should Not
BE SmOthered for Sole
Benefit Wall Street
Something VIII BE Doing II Del
egRtes Are Fastened to
the Harmon Kite.

In a spirited fight between the Har-
mon and progressive Democrats for con-
troll of the county convention, which
met at the courtroom in this city last
Saturday afternoon, the progressive
forces, headed by Speaker S. ]. Vining,
won the day and jumped on the unit
rule, which the Harmon machine or
ganization of the state propose to cram
down the throats of the delegates at the
State convention at Toledo. Even the
Harmon delegates attending the conven-
ton, with few exceptions, were against
robbing the people of their right to have
their delegates to the national conven-
ton vote as they were instructed, name
ly, for Wilson or some other known
progressive.
Ex-County Recorder Joe Tebben of
this county, now holding down a job at
Columbus under the Harmon admins
tration, worked the county fore and att
before the primary in behalf of Har-
mon, and got even more busy after the
primary in an endeavor to change the
sentiment in favor of the acknowledged
Wall street favorite, but things went
awry for Joseph and his chief.
Hon. H. c. Fox of Coldwater, one of
the progressive delegates to the Balti-
more convention so signally honored by
the Democrats of the Fourth District,
and Speaker Vining denounced the Har-
mon program-the unit rule-as dam
nable and corrupt" These sentiments
got pretty general approval from the
delegates, and DR.. Schirack of st. Hen
ry and Commissioner Bennett of
Montezuma took a whack at gag rule
that had a Democratic flavor and rang
true.
The convention, to prove its claim to a
Democratic gathering, entertained mo-
ton, which met unanimous approval,
giving each delegate authority to nomi-
nate candidate for delegate to the State
convention, and that, before vote was
taken, each candidate so named express
himself on the unit rule and his presi
dental preference.
Sixteen names were placed i'll nomina-
tion but Mr.. Fox. one of the nominees,
requested that his name be withdrawn.
In his remarks he said that he did not
favor Harmon, and that since the Cover
nor's address against the initiative and
referendum before the constitutional
convention nearly every delegate to that
body was opposed to him and for Clark
or Bryan.
The nominees all stated their posi-
tions, the ballot resulting as follows. |
The seven candidates receiving the high |
est vote were made delegates, and the |
next seven alternates:
Delegates-S. ]. Vining, John G. Ro-
mer, Lawrence Schunck, H. o. Mowry, |
H. B. Bennett, Perry Knox and James
K. Carlin.
Alternates-J. L. Anthony, J. +. Pi-
per, E. f. Coffman, H. c. Meinerding, |
Chas Schwieterman, Joseph Cooke and |
f. A. Franks.
The delegates to the district conven-
tions we're selected by an apportionment |
of one from each township and the rest
at large.
The following resolution, condemning |
the unit rule in the State convention,
was unanimously adopted by the con-
vention
whereas, We, the Democrats OF the |
county convention Of Mercer County, be-
lieve In pure democracy, be 1t
Resolved That It is the sense OF this /
body that the delegates elected at this con-
vention to the State convention do every
thing in their power to prevent the Odop-
tion of the unit rule, and that each dele
gate elected to the Baltimore convention
be left free to vote for president as he
sees fit.
The latter part of the resolution is
little inconsistent in it's democracy when
It says the delegate should ''be left free
to vote for president as he sees fit, )" but
we presume that is not the meaning in
tended. Our delegates promised to cast
their votes for Wilson, Clark or some