The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1920-08-31
HARDING OPPOSED RAlLRoAoeRs

HARDING OPPOSED RAlLRoAoERs
Senator Harding assumes to pose
as the friend or labor, but his editor
ial and legislative record shows the
contrary. His trend of thought and
his political associations would indi
cate, II there we're no other proof
that he is essentially antagonistic to
the interests of the laboring people.
His senatorial record shows that he
has either voted against, or lodged
the roll call, on most of the important
measures before the Senate. The re-
cord shows that his vote was unfavor-
able ten times, one in which he was
paired unfavorably and nine impor.
tant measures on which he failed to
vote. The entire record indicates
that he cast only seven votes that
were favorable to labor.
Where the issues have been of
grave consequence to labor, Senator
Harding has consistently aligned him.
self with the opposition. But today he
is posing as the great friend of labor
notwithstanding that his official record
condemns him.
No one opposed more strenously the
progressive Legislation resulting from
the Ohio Constitutional convention OF
1912 than Senator Harding and his
newspaper, the Marion Star. He even
predicted social revolution In the
state as the result
The Marion Star OF March 21, 1918
said editorially with reference to the
full crew law passed by the Ohio legis
lature at that time, Governor Coz
then being governor and the legisla
ture Democratic one:
"The railroads of Ohio, for example
have been given orders to increase
train crews, shorten their hours, pro
vide costly equipment, reduce the
number of cars hauled per train, taxed
in innumerable ways, penalized in
countless new forms and no compen-
sating advantages have been given or
offered. And these measures have not
beenviiscussed or even explained on
the floor or In the committee. The
labor representatives In the legsla
ture are soft handed walking delegates
Their only view point is one of less
work and more pay"
The entire article is n bitter excor.
, tatlon Of the work as whole OF this
legislature which was elected with
Governor Cox to carry out the man
date OF the people as expressed in the
new Ohio constitution adopted In 1912
II was this session of the Legislature
which opened the dawn of the
new day" in Ohio and gave the state
first rank In advanced legislation IL
the intrest of human welfare-many
OF the laws having since been adopted
az models of such legislation in othe
states.
"The best Legislature" God say,
the mark. It Is the most inefficient
least reasoning. most cownrdly and
In Its results, the most vicious legis
lature which has ever cursed tn,
state of Ohio. Its evil effects will b.
felt for years and should time of In
dnstrial depression come, as come
must some day. II will be necessary t,
call special session of Il succeeding
legislature to undo the folly of thi
one before men may secure even tn
scanty employment which can be Offer
ed
II Is only fair to Senator Harding t
say that he has been consistent In hi
opposition to the eight-h0ur railroa
law and that he carried that 0ppositio
into the United States senate.
An editorial In the Marion Sta
Sept. %, 1916, says:
Discussing Governor Hughes can
paign to be made In Ohio, the Clev
land Plain Dealer. organ of Ohio ID
mocracy, has great anxiety about Go
Ss""' '''ehoo ~ no oPpobiiou w W
socalled eight-hour railroad law an
fearing the Republican nominee wi
offend the congressional absentees, O
fers this comment,
"Of the fourteen Ohio Republican
In house and senate, again, six wei
absent at the time the vote was take
on the eight-hour law. one of the S
adsentees was Senator Warren
Harding. VIII Judge Hughes fittin
ly excoriate those Buckeye Repub
cans who absented themselves fro
the firing line at the moment that Il
welfare of the nation was imperll,
by shorter measure@"
The Star editorial then goes on
say that Governor Hughes will II
offend Senator Harding" He sa
that the "junior Ohio senator delib
ately elected TO keep his pre'arrang
engagements. He felt that he "
rendering greater public service
helping to promote a campaign for
Republican return to power than
subservient surrender to the preside