The Ocala banner., 1912-06-28
|. GOOD WORD FOR GOVERNOR
HARMON

Each day my admiration for your
great newspaper increases. 1t is as
Independent as it is courageous, as
enterprising as it is entertaining. 1t
is the only newspaper | know that is
absolutely fearless and entirely fair
Your treatment of the presidential
question has been and is altogether
admirable. Your estimate Of the mer-
its of the candidates is splendidly ac-
curate
Your series of articles which began
on Saturday with Harmon; Why
not?" is alike interesting and illumi-
mating. But / cannot agree with the
conclusions expressed in the one
which refers to Gov. Harmon.
How could the charge that he is a
reactionary be maintained? AS at
torney general of the United States
he established the potency of the
Sherman Antitrust law by his sue
cessful prosecution of the Trans-Mis-
souri, Freight Association, the Freight
Traffic Association and the Addyston
Pipe Company He coined the phrase,
Guilt is personal" and relinquished
lucrative professional engagement
because President Roosevelt refused
to punish the men responsible for re-
batting and penalized the innocent
shareholders of the corporation con-
cerned.
During the period of his admins
tration as governor of Ohio, Gov. Har-
man has accomplished much. During
his first term the legislature was un-
friendly to any reforms, but he COM
PEELED the enactment of laws which
practically revolutioniZed the tax sys-
burdens of government by putting a
just share on corporations. BY mod
ernizing the system of bookkeeping
he worked many economies and saw
ed the people large sums of money.
He procured the enactment of legisla-
tion providing for the election of
United States senators by direct vote
of the people. He prevailed on the
Legislature to enact a statewide pri-
mary law and law divorcing the
courts from politics. Finally he in
duced the legislature 20 eliminate pol
itics from the constitutional conven-
ton, as the result of which Ohio will
have the most fundamental law, con-
sistent with the constitution of the
United States, of any state in the Tn.
ion.
Gov Harmon has, since his second
Inauguration, procured the passage of
safe and sane workingmen's com
pensation act, legislation providing
for teaching agriculture in the
schools, a bill to establish a woman's
reformatory, measure limiting the
working hours or women, legislation
providing stringent penalties for ille-
gal registration of voters, substan-
tial and efficient public utilities bill, a
bill guaranteeing employees in fac
tories better protection against fire,
bill providing for the initiative and
referendum in cities, a corrupt prac-
tices law, and bill providing for
competitive bidding for the deposits
of state funds. He also prevailed
upon the legislature to ratify the in
come tax amendment to the constitu-
ton of the United States.
How can man with such a rec
ord be charged with being a reaction
airy? Gov. Wilson of New Jersey has
achieved a good deal, and | have no
quarrel with the World because of its
praise of him. But l protest that in
the matter of ability, efficiency and
progressiveness he has nothing on
Governor Harmon. Moreover, l can't
agree to your proposition that there
is either virtue or merit in newness.
In public life man may be too new,
as he may be too fresh There is no
fault in the seasoning of experience.
A man who has been weighed in the
balance and not found wanting" is
none the worse for the incident. On
the contrary, no stronger recommen-
dation could be offered. The long-es-
tablished habit of doing the right
thing all the time is surprising vir-
tue.-Geo. D. Herbert, of Harrisburg,
in New York World.