The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1912-04-12
lit LIZ:
SHORT OF
A BRIBE
Is Paragraph of Campaign Letter
Sent Out to County Central
Committeeman
BY HarmOn's Campaign Managers
Ignored When Offices Were
to BE Given Out.
! [rht Zanesyille sipnal. Dem. !.

| quarters at Columbus sent out letter 70
every Democratic precinct committeeman
in Ohio, signed by =. H. Moore, chair
man, enclosing petition for Judson
Harmon for President and asking them
to secure signers for same and return by
April H. This was fully within the
rights of the Harmon managers.
One paragraph Of the letter, however,
is open to serious critism. This part OF
the Harmon letter reads as follows:
eff you are willing TO assist,
kindly sign and return at once
the enclosed postal card, not
only that we may have IL for
future reference, but that In
the event of success we may
know to whom our thanks are
due"
This paragraph is beneath the dignity
of any candidate for the Presidency, for
it is little short of bribe offered to the
Democratic committeeman of the state
to support the Harmon candidacy. Gov
ernor Harmon cannot afford to descend
to such depths no matter how great his
desire to secure the high Office of Presi-
dent.
From the fact that these letters have
been sent broadcast over the state, it
would appear that the governor has pos
sibly had the names of all these commit
teemen for nearly four years. During
this time he has had ample opportunity
to have rewarded many of them if he
had desired to do so. But how few Of
them have received any reward!
Governor Harmon is and has been un-
der obligation since 1908 to those chosen
workers who have carried the banner of
Democracy in their various precincts
through rain or shine, in victory or de-
feat. And yet the governor, after being
in Office for almost four years, still re-
tains something like 1000 Republicans
on the payrolls of the state!
When the people of Ohio voted to
oust the Republican party from control
they meant, we believe, to change par
ties from governor down. Many Repub-
licans, we know voted with us because
they wanted to shake off some of their
office holding leeches.
Since Governor Harmon has the
names of the party workers why has he
not recognized them before? As he must
have known of their services i'll the past,
why must they pledge themselves to
him again by sending him a postal card
so that he may know to whom thanks
are due?" Doesn't Governor Harmon
know to whom his thanks are due now?
The Signal has ever fought for the
Democratic party because of its belief in
Democratic principals and not for hope
of office. But we are practical enough to
believe that when party victory is won,
the party workers are entitled to some
thing more than the cold shoulder and
the icy stare.
1t is but human that the faithful work
ers in the Democratic party, having Civ
en- Governor Harmon an unselfish sup
port, should feel that their political enc
mics from whom they had won two
hard-fought battles, should not be left
in possession of many of the public posi-
tons that Governor Harmon has at his
disposal Instead of looking after those
who have been loyal and faithful he has
been only too prone to choose Republi-
cans or, what was equally as bad, those
Democrats who have been unfaithful to
the party and who have been stabbing it
in the back for the last sixteen years.
When Harmon was elected the first
time, Governor Harris sent to the senate
a week prior to Harmon's Inauguration,
the names of Republicans to various
positions that the people of the state had
by their vote handed over to the Demo
cracy, and then when Governor Harmon
was urged to appoint Democrats to these
pOSlllOuS ne IlduG lllG duSWGl llldL II
these Republicans were allowed to re-
main in office, it would be better for him
in 1910 for he would have an issue to go
to the people for his second term. Did
he believe that all other Democrats |
should be sacrificed to his own ambition? |
Do the Democrats of the state approve
Of such selfshness upon the part of
man who calls himself the leader of a
party?
What will he do with the postal card |
answers when the boys in the trenches
write to him at Washington? Hundreds
and hundreds of Democrats can testify
10 the fact that their letters did not re-
,eive as much as a cold answer, and |
hose who called in person usually re-
,eived scant consideration, But now
Governor Harmon hangs out the pro-
mise of office to those faithful workers
who have previously been forgotten just
IS sheaf of oats is held out in front of
/ balky horse.
This spirit of selfshness is what makes
Governor Harmon candidacy for Presi-
lent dangerous to the party, for if he !