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as a Great Day and the People Won- but
They w on in Spite of Mr. Harmon
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tt Ibsuo of February 9th, tho Cincinnati
er printed the following news Item: "I
never seen an electrocution, but I today
the opportunity 'Of witnessing a man
ately commit political suicide," is tho
that President Herbert L. Blgelow, of the
utional convention, last night described
performance of Governor Harmon yesterday
advising the convention to Bidestep the lnitia
e and referendum.
"And what 1b more' continued President
frtselow, "we have the spectacle of a man twice
jOttred with the highest office within the gift
KSk people of Ohio, and given the people's
Wrar,' because he stood upon platforms that
taA$re the initiative and referendum, de
jojbtJSktely counseling against the adoption of
gb&W principles which he was chosen trustee to
forward and write If possible Into the laws of
allp'tqmmonwealth. But I want to tell you that
Jgudfelte of the advice of all the governors of
rica, the initiative And referendum win oe
ten Into our constitution as submitted to
Jteople. We had a test vote today, after the
rnor Harmon Incident, which shows that
delegates to this great body, who have
onstrated themselves to bo real statesmen,
not be swerved from their loyalty to their
Ituents by abandoning this great principle.
Jfiand I want to say in justice to the governor
jawtnever in my me nave i ever seen sucn a
a&fnificent exhibition of manly courage as I
ytlbiUsed in Columbus this afternoon. Gover
nifiHarmon must be given credit for absolute
hoeii$y and sincerity of purpose in what he
' jmidjjjlo the convention, although he undoubtedly
knSthat his words would close the doors of
' tfcfWhite house to him if, indeed, the doors
Mfejever stood ajar for him. The time has
jpawed&jwhen the people will elect a man to the
nr'elTiencv of this country who can not be
triiewifto stand by the platform pledges upon
whjWSfti'e is elevated into office, and who won't
people.
lemen, just think of the sentiment that
the words of our governor: Let us
,' he says, 'and let the other fellows try
neriments, and, if they are successful, tben
follow.' Is that the spirit that actuated
opher Columbus to cross tne sea, secured
the 'accomplishment of the submarine cable or
anyof the deeds that have made men immortal
fa$their service to fellow men? Are we to be
. trfrilers, or leaders? I am sure it will bo proven
t1wtWe will be leaders."
i'"$j!S',riving shortly after 10 o'clock last night
T&m&lht nnnnal mpotincr and bannuot of tho
mnjsT , rr ";:rr.." :!".: m. .t
jreaerai lmprovenieui. ubsuuiciuuu ul luu xuai-
Men's club, President Bigelow, fresh from
Le fray at Columbus, immediately plunged into
i attack that Governor Harmon made upon
e principle that President Blgelow has fathered
this state for years. "You must excuse me,"
' said, "if I am flustered, for I'm fresh from
e battlefield. It has been a great day, and
fo people have won, and they will win in spite
all the forces that are lining up against
lem."
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IT WAS IN HIS PLATFORM, TOO
Editorial In the Columbus (Ohio) Citizen:
"We favor the principle or tne initiative ana
ferendum."
P That was one of the vital planks in the plat
form of the democratic convention wnicn nomi
iated Judson Harmon for governor in 1910.
TTnnn Ihni. nlatform Harmon made his cam
paign and asked for the votes of the people of
Wo. nlGderimr himself to make every human
tffort to carry out the pledge of the party.
fc Tho rorrio hoUovfid in his honestv and sin-
Ei ." i.ww ---- "vrr "
sority or purpose ana re-eiectea mm governor
bv over 100.000 plurality.
v Til, inHa1im n-nA r f at mi r ii m nrlnolnln was
then, as now, the most vital issue oeLore tne
leonlo of the state.
W It offered then, as it does now, tho only pos
sible opportunity for the people to taKe nacic
rinto their own hands tho machinery of govern-
I'ment stolen from them by nrivilege.
Ir Tho inlt.lfLt.iva and referendum plank, above
Iquoted was put in the democratic platform in
eresponse to a puonc ubuuiuuul mai wo
salmost if not quite unanimous among tne ranK
land file of all parties in the state.
Thirlner tho nearly year and a half since Har-
pnon's election on the initiative and referendum t
platform, Ohio hag been stirred to its very
depths In & political way.
Harmon has become an avowed candidato for
the democratic presidential nomination; Taft,
an Ohioan, is a candidato for presidential rc
nominatlon; delegates have been elected to a
constitutional convention and that convention
has been organized and is now in session, with
a majority of its delegates holding their seats
because they either directly or Indirectly
pledged themselves to incorporate in the new
constitution a workable initiative and referen
dum section.
Recently, by invitation from the constitu
tional convention, Govefnor Harmon appeared
upon the floor and addressed the delegates. And
then and there, this governor, this candidate for
tho presidency, this man who has boon parading
before the people of Ohio for years aB a progres
sive who "favored the principle of the initiative
and referendum," showed his true colors.
In cold blood, without warning, Governor
Harmon tried his best to do to death the initia
tive and referendum. He said in so many words
that in his judgment the principle was wrong;
that tho people of Ohio are not capable of self
government; that on the whole, tho people of
Ohio have been well governed by tho politicians
and corporations and have no cause to domand
more modern governmental machinery.
It is not our purpose at this time to dwell upon
any possible effect that Harmon's treachery to
the people's cause may have upon the delegates
to the constitutional convention. Wo are in
clined to think that no self-respecting member
of that convention will permit himself to be
influenced by anything that Harmon said on the
subject.
But we can not refrain from expressing the
opinion that Harmon has fully justified every
charge that has been made of Wall street in
fluence in connection with his presidential
aspirations.
Harmon stands before the people of Ohio and
of the nation today as the one presidential can
didate among tho many of all parties, who by
temperament, training and mental attitude
would best servo in the presidential offlco tho
predatory interests as represented by Wall
street.
He is chained to the past, irrevocably, un
alterably. If there is one progressive corpuscle in his
entire circulatory system, he has never given
evidence of the fact.
In the past 20 years, since Harmon left Cleve
land's cabinet, tho people of this country have
made giant strides toward the goal of political
and economic freedom, of real democracy (with
a small d.)
Harmon has stood still. He is deaf to the
people's demands for direct power to bring
about in their own way those equalities of op
portunity which are the very foundation stones
of real democracy. He is blind to the signs of
the times which say to all who will see that the
old. order passeth never to return. He is dumb
except to raise his voice in warning against the
awful dangers to our democratic institutions If
the people are permitted to take into their own
hands such powerful weapons of defense against
their exploiters as the initiative and referendum.
It is possible that Harmon and the men who
are associated with him in control of the demo
cratic machine of Ohio may so manipulate things
as to send a solid Harmon delegation to the
democratic national convention.
But on behalf of the hundreds of thousands
of progressive democrats of this state, the
Citizen protests against such misrepresentation
before the people of the nation.
There is just one way to make this protest
effective, and that Is for the progressive democ
racy of this state to orgauize and to pledge
their support in every district in Ohio to candi
dates for delegates to the democratic national
convention who will bind themselves to support
a progressive for the presidential nomination.
FRANK AND CANDID
Editorial in Bucyrus (Ohio) Forum: Gover
nor Harmon's speech before the delegates to
the constitutional convention was frank and
candid. It must be given full credit on these
points, but it also carries with it the- explana
tion of why the real progressives of Ohio have
become convinced that they can not continue to
support his presidential ambitions. Tho govor-'
nor's ability is not in question. Noithcr is his
birthplace nor his nlnco of residence What is
in question is his views of public policy. Thoso
are diaraotrically opposed to what tho progres
sives bolievo should bo tho policy of tho govern
ment, and even for tho sako of having an Ohio
man for our candidato, nnd ono whoso ability
wo admire, wo and othors who hold tho same
progressive views with us, can not consent to
support the viows which tho governor holds nor
tho policy which ho would pursuo if placed in
tho presidential office We regret that this is
true, but that does not alter its truth.
WUO WANTS HARMON AND WHY?
"Progression," publlshod at Dotrolt, Mich.,
givos democrats something to think about
seriously when it says: Have you hoard any of
tho out-and-out progressives calling for Harmon?
Havo you heard any of tho "horny-handed
sons of toil" hurrahing for Harmon?
Havo you noticed any of tho progressive
papers or magazines boosting for Harmon?
Well, then, who is it that wants Harmon and
why?
When the rank and file of the people are for
Wilson and other progressive candidates, how
does it happen that Harmon is considered ono
of tho most formidable candidates for tho demo
cratic nomination for tho presidency?
What is back of this Harmon boom?
I don't know absolutely know, but I think
I am a fairly good guesser when I say that Wall
street and conscienceless, soulless, and partyleas
organized greed is the powor behind tho Har
mon candidacy.
And why does big business want Harmon?
Because Harmon is in sympathy with big busi
ness or is at least supposed to bo. Harmon is
considered a "safe" man.
At tho same time, I do not wish to say any
thing derogatory to tho personal character of
Mr. Harmon. I presume he is a good and up
right citizen. So is Mr. Taft. So is Judge Par
ker and ho was the choice a few years ago of
the monoy faction of the democracy. So are
many of the big men in big business.
When the interests that make a business of
exploiting the peoplo, want Harmon it is reason '
enough for the people to want another candi
date. And lot me warn you, progressive demo
crats, and romlnd you that Judge Parker was
nominated by the bosseB In spite of tho popular
will of the party to tho contrary.
Tho bosses, controlled by the money powor,
will nominate Harmon if you don't watch out
and you'd better get strenuously busy.
Eternal vigilance is the price of progression.
. MR. HARMON IS HEDGING
Following is an Associated Press dispatch:
Columbus, O., Feb. 17. Declaring that under
the present representative form of government
the people are just as much their own masters
as they would be under the initiative and
referendum, and denying that in a recent
speech before the Ohio constitutional conven
tion he took a stand against the latter form of
government, Governor Judson Harmon tonight
quoted Thomas Jefferson as authority for his
statements. Mr. Harmon said he had been mis
represented as saying that the peoplo of Ohio
were unfit to govern themselves, when he really
said they had successfully governed themselves
for a hundred years. His signing tho measure
permitting tho initiative and referendum to be
come effective in Ohio municipalities was set
forth as evidence that he is not an opponent of
the initiative and referendum. That it should
be given a fair trial in these cities and villages
before becoming statewide, however, Mr. Har
mon still maintains.
In evidence of the -fact that It should be
proven a success In smaller communities first
the governor quoted Thomas Jefferson as say
ing "such a government is evidently restrained
to a very narrow limit of space and population.
I doubt if it would be practicable beyond the
limits of a New England township."
The representative form of government was
advocated by Jefferson as being "the nearest
approach to a pure republic which is practicable
on a large scale of population."
vs000
WILL YOU JOIN IN THE EFFORT
TO INCREASE THE COMMONER'S Cm-
CULATION FOR 1012?
TAKE IT UP AT ONCE WITH YOUR
NEIGHBOR.
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