The Sentinel=record., 1912-05-14
HARMON IN
 HIS DEFENSE
MAKES REPLY TO CAMPAIGN STATEMENTS MADE BY BRYAN
 IN OHIO AND ELSEWHERE.
Says Commoner's Many Political Failures Shows Small QuaIifica tions to Pick Winners In
 Presidential Campaign.

Wooster, O., May l3.-Gov. Judson Harmon of Ohio tonight began his campaign in Ohio for the presiden tial nomination with a reply to the attacks made on him by Wm. ]. Bryan, who recently made a tour of the state MT Harmon declared he had been unanimously selected by the last state convention as Ohios candidate for president and that il was not self seeking which had put him before the country and subjected him to "the Justification and abuse which are disgracing American pol itics this year"
 The governor said the watchward adopted for the gubernatorial cam paign was Harmon has made good. T
 'But there were some who thought l had made too good" continued Mir. Harmon, and to stave off political bankruptcy from a bipartisan com bination I had to be beaten The Commoner's mailing list was secured and the seperate circulars sent out filled with falsehoods and denuncia- tion. They bore MT. Bryan's picture and urged his friends to vote against me because my reelection would make me the candidate for president.
 VI was reelected by more than 100.- 900 majority, though Col Roosevelt and most of the cabinet came into the state to oppose me.
 Tt may be thought wiser to select some other candidate than myself at Baltimore. l would not, if could, interfere with tine free choice of the convention But if the unani- nous action Of the Dayton conven- tion is to be reversed at the primary it will be heralded as a repudiation of my administration.
 Now, my opponents have brought Mir Bryan and carried him around the state He was reliably informed of the character and motives of the moving spirits in this rule or ruin movement. but seems not to care
 Now, as to MT. Bryan. What has caused the change in his attitude to- ward me?
 At the national convention of 1904 he offered to place me in nomi- nation if I would have the Ohio dele gation reconsider their decision not to have my name presented.
 "In 1908 l constantly urged his declaring l would willingly be defeated for governor if 1t would help him. And during our joint cam paign he repeatedly praised my ef- forts in his behalf and told many persons he meant to offer me place i'll his cabinet if he was elected
 "What have l done which leads him now to say 1 am not fit to be even a justice of the peace? He has state not a single fact from my of- ficial record or elsewhere to justify his conduct except that l repudlated the platform on the initiative and ref erendum. This is not true. advo- cated before the judicial committee and signed, when passed, the bill au- thorizing resort to it in municipai- ties which was all our constitution would permit
 ''He says I am not a progressive. but reactionary. This is merely calling names, the last resort in d poor case. If progressiveness' means sincere and successful efforts to secure practical reforms in gov ernment instead of mere talk, where has so much been accomplished as ir Ohio during my administration?
 After mentioning many reform laws passed during his administra ton, including direct election of senator and income. Mir. Harmon continued:
 If MT Bryan knows of the many reforms accomplished in Ohio he is grossly unfair to me and my com rades in the administration. If he does not know of them. then it is sheer wantonness for him to come into the state of my birth and home and try to discredit me with the peo- pie without specification or proof, though even an accused criminal is entitled to both.
 "He would have the people believe that would serve special interests instad of the public, if were elected