The Washington herald., 1912-03-23
How J1dson Harmon Looks as Presidential Timber

tynity to all and generaI conduct OF
win be given to no interest," or Individual
and so that no discrimination be prac-
ticsd against any person. rich Or poor;
living out Democracy in the Governors
ONCE. I have sought to put an end to
graft and 10 insure TO the people OF this
ssats Sbc dsiars sase56TTs T0rsh TVs Solls
tC inaugurate economy. which is another
name for honesty. and We have sought
to insure the taxpayers honest treat
taxes. think It is quite wonderful. too.
how things have improved. The entire
atmosphere about the State House has
merely for ihe benefit Of ofnceholders.
believe. does NOT obtain any longer in
A suggestion was made that the dayS
publican General Assembly and the Re-
publican State officials who had been
elected with him sought TO tie his hands
and run his administration on the rocks
must have been days OF discouragement
NO." said Gov. Harmon. 1T is
wonderful how responsive the people
are. II Is wonderful how easily the
people are aroused TO what Is right.
When I first was elected. many years
OF misrule had created an unusual
situation. The people thought
IT,.
elected as a PERSONAL compliment to
myself. i did the best I could, and
in the next State campaign the people
pshowed their resentment against those
who had tried to prevent me by turn
ing out the Republicans and electinK
all the Democratic state officers and
a Democratic General Assembly"
Gov Harmon admitted that this
Democratic General. Assembly was not
all that might have been expected
+of course there were the bribery
charges" he. said But on the whole
IT was composed OF patriotic and pub
lic-spirited men, Any one who has
given any thought to-. the situation
or scanned the record OF the last Cen
eraI Assembly must admit that"
prolific in appeals to the people, the
people see a whole lot of him. He
goes out and makes speeches at corner
stone layinRs, dinners, farmers pie
MICS. and all sorts of occasions like
that.
Loves to Meet His Fellow-cftizens.
1T is good TO meet the people at
I large-people of all sorts of political
opinion and Of different walks OF
Iife." said the Governor Il cannot
hope that they have learned half as
much from my speeches as I have
learned from coming in contact with
them receive all sort Of useful i'm
formation and, suggestions. This is help
,ful in more than one way. II nothing
else, It is a great help and encourage
ment to know that the people take
any interest at all in what Is being
done here. 1t is really their business
as puch as IL is mine. have
based some OF my messages on sug-
gestions received in that way. It Is
one OF the cardinal tenets Of the
Democratic faith that as far as pos
sible legislation should emanate from
those who have to live under the
laws we make"
The farmers Of Ohio are fond Of Har-
mon. That accounts in part for the large
majority he got a year ago. He makes it
hobby TO attend as many OF their
county fairs and picnics as he can. He
just talks to them about questions in
which they are interested. He gets very
close to them. too.
The Governor of Ohio is great be-
lever in State rights, as now understood
But he believes also in the comfy be-
OF Governors. he looks upon those gain
erings and their results as making for
a broader democracy than we have now.
With reference s,,, TO eorpSra,ion eSn;ro. to-
idea that public service scorporations
should be rlsidlN but not oppressirets
THAT is no new idea in our Govern
ment, said the Governor. We have had
that from times imn1emorial Travellers
in the old days when IN hurry c0tdd
ferrymen. so they were placed under
Government supervision and the rates
they could charge were liked by law.
Our public service corporations are nat
uraf monopolies and must be regulated
But regulation can go too far, and II
oppressive destroys its purpose.
Regarding corporation control BY state
and Federal Governments in general
Harmon Thought Il
a subject for offhand discussion He IS
a firm believer in competition as nat
ural regulator of trade
The State cannot compel comp>th
tion." said the Governor. But Ii can say
to would-be monopoiies. 'You must do
nothing to prevent competitions
in his own State and elsewhere. has. indi-
Gated that he Is in line with the present
views OF the Democratic Party on tariff.
reciprocity, and the trusts ~
Il believe he said. in concluding EzS
talk with the Times correspondent. that
in the Democratic doctrines that have
remedy for any evils that may come to
plague the people"
The Original Trust Buster.
Gov. Harmon was born in 1886 in Harn-
ilton County. Ohio. His father was a
Baptist minister. He worked his way
through Denison College, a Baptist insti-
tuition. and through the Cincinnati Law
School He served two terms as a Judge
Of the Superior Court Of Cincinnati. but
resigned in 1876 to practice law Will
lam II. Taft took his place on the bench.
In 1895 President Cleveland mado him
Attorney General In that capacity he
argued the first cases in which the con-
stitutionality of the Sherman antitrust
law was tested before the United States
courts. the Trans-Missouri Freight .ssSc-
citation case. and the AddystoH Pine
case. He was successful in both. He
went out of The Cabinet with Cleveland.
Since then he has practiced law In
1905 Judge Lurton. now am Associate JUS
tice of the United States Supreme Court.
appointed him receiver for the Cincin-
natl, Hamilton & Dayton and the Pere
ceivership when he was elected Gov
such a manner that neither stockholders,
Earlier in 1905 he became receiver of the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. which was
reorganized without loss to anybody
while he acted as receiver for it.
Gov. Harmon married Miss Olive SEQ
hey. the talented daughter OF an Ohio
physician. They have had three children.
all daughters. One OF these. Mrs. Ed
mund Wright. jr.. lives with her par
ents. The Governor Is a man of means.
ind his residence Is one of the best
in the finest residential section OF CO.
While Gov. Harmon's friends beIieys
that his services on the bench and as
Grover Cl..veland's Attorney General had
already given him a claim on the peoples
gratitude. they believe also that he must
stand or fall as possible Presidential
nominee on what he has done as Cow