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The Commoner.
The Situation in Ohio
Editorial in the Ducyruo (Ohio )Nows Forum:
What every good domocrnt wants for next year
la, first, to stand loyal to democratic principles
and frco from all ontangling alliances, and soc
ond, to nominate a ticket that can win. With
theso two objects in vlow it behooves every
loyal and unsolflBh democrat to look over tho
record and attitude of tho men whoso names
aro prosonted for consideration, and make his
choico free from all personal prejudices and all
selfish motives.
Other things being equal, tho Daily Forum
always profors an Ohio man to a resident of any
other state. For that reason wo have given
a loyal support to tho candidacy of Governor
Harmon, while at tho samo time conceding tho
excollonco of tho othor gentlemen prominently
mentioned for tho nomination.
Developments have been such that wo have
boon compelled to roviso our opinion, and wo
boliovo tho timo has come when this should bo
admitted, in all kindness of personal feeling
toward tho distinguished gentleman whose for
tunes wo can no longer follow in tho lino of
presidential ambition, but frankly and with an
oye single to tho interests of tho nation and
tho party.
Wo have been roluctantly forced to tho con
viction that tho govornor is not an availablo
candidato, and that his nomination is out of
tho quostion, and also that ho would bo defeated
if nominated. Tho reports of his backing by
tho Wall street intorosts is one of the reasons
for this change of views. We do not assert
that those roports are true, but they have tho
appoaranco of betag-., well founded, and democ
racy can not go into tho campaign with any
possible hopo of success, with such a suspicion
hanging about tho candidate. A secret alliance
with tho forces openly antagonized would be
fatal. Tho campaign upon a state record is
another objection which wo think would cost
tho party all chanco of success. It is not neces
sary to go into details. Our readers well know
tho things which we havo in mind, of which we
will mention only ono, that being tho claim of
having lifted tho burdens of tho small homo
owner In tho payment of taxes. Wo have
pointed out tho futility of this claim, so far as
our own county is concerned. Tho rate of tax
ation as compared with that of last year is no
criterion. It is the amount that must be laid
down in dollars and cents at tho county treas
urer's office that tells tho story, and tho claim
of saving to the small homo owner will not wash
when judgod upon this basis. Without dis
cussing tho matter exhaustively, wo will men
tion but ono moro factor in tho chain of events
which has led us to our presont conviction. That
la tho attitude of Mr. Bryan toward Governor
Harmon, Wo do not permit Mr. Bryan to control
our opinions nor recognize him as a master,
political or otherwise. Nevertheless, his pre
dominant Influenco in the party must be
acknowledged by all. Tho democratic party has
had one Parker campaign. It has no use or
need for another. Such a situation would spell
dofeat, no matter whom we nominate. Mr
Bryan is tho greatest leader in tho party today
and his influence is potent without the fictitious
advantage of place or official power.
OHIO PROGRESSIVES ARE ACTIVE
Special dispatch to the Cincinnati Enquirer:
St. Clairsvlllo, Ohio, January 2. Harmonious,
but without tho Harmon spirit which the pro
motors expected when they called it, a con
ference of the loading democrats was held at
Stoubenvillo this afternoon. It had been ex
pected by former candidate for congress. A N
McCombs, now inspector of high explosives, and
appointed by Harmon, that tho delegates would
bo unanimous in the matter of selecting Harmon
Instructed delegates in tho Sixteenth district
for tho national convention. aistnct
In fact, it was claimed that this meeting was
Jjot up by those who had been under the Zee
7n noHwm0n 8h00k ,down th0 Plu m orde?
i?",8016 Progressive meeting of democrats
S?ddtCfnliimHbU,Friday aftoon. Not only
did this fail, but it turned out that the meet
ing was largely in sympathy with the on? in
Columbus. To such an extent was this true
that a number of prominent "progressives ' who
wore scheduled to take active part in the Colum-
sassk&nook that mee " e
The meeting was called to order by Mr. Mc
Combs, who stated that tho purpose of tho
meeting was to got tho consensus as to those
who would make tho most gatisfactory delegates
to the national convention.
This evidently did not meet with the approval
of the would-be Harmon boosters. A motion
was then made by a state employe, also a Har
mon appointee, that tho meeting express itself
as to the men who should represent the dis
trict at the national convention. This was to
be in the nature of a straw vote, and was not
to bo binding on either the conferees or on tho
district. After some little debate the question
was put and promptly voted down.
An effort was then made to sound the dele
gates as to their favorite for tho presidential
nomination, and it developed that there wore but
two men present who were for Harmon first,
last and all the time. Following this, a motion
was made that the meeting take no action at
this time and this was carried. The Harmon
supporters saw in this method the only way of
getting out of the meeting without precipitating
an attack upon the candidacy of the governor.
A conferee, professedly anti-Harmon, then
made the motion that tho meeting adjourn until
February 29. It developed at the meeting that
It was tho purpose of many of those present to
have delegates selected who would be for Har
mon on the first or possibly the first few ballots
only.
That they do not believe ho can secure the
nomination was seen when a partv to the con
ference stated that, -while it might be well to
let Harmon go into tho convention with a solid
delegation, yet the delegates to have been
selected today were to be instructed to throw
their votes to William J. Bryan after the party
ballots.
Here appeared the hand of Editor H. H. Mc
Fadden, of tho Stoubenvillo Gazette, who some
time ago came out for the peerless one for the
nomination. Of the twenty delegates all but
two are said to have been in favor of this action
in instructing the delegates. Editor MoFadden,
who was counted upon as giving aid to the pro
gressive meeting in Columbus, remained at home
and was prominent in the meeting.
Another prominent anti-Harmon man who
was present was John T. Flvnn, of Bellaire.
Flvnn led the Tom L. Johnson movement in the
1908 national convention at Denver to prevent
the selection of Harvey C. Garher as national
committeeman. His presence at today's meet
ing was of itself sufficient to Indicate a change
of complexion in the personnel of a supposed
Harmon meeting.
Tho meeting was harmonious throughout, and
when Mr. McCombs saw that the meeting had
failed of its purpose ho is said to havo expressed
no displeasure. . It Is evident that he hopes to
overcome the adverse sentiment toward Harmon
before the meeting in February.
In speaking of the meeting this evening a
conferee characterized it as a meeting of "pro
gressive democrats along the lines laid down
by William J Bryan." The Bryan spirit seemed
to bo the only thing that kept the meeting from
getting into a tangle. With this as a sort of
objective point of many of tho delegates, they
were kept out of any dissensions that might
have arisen had the conferees gone into the
matter of expressing their favorites for dele
gates. .
Owing to the secrecy with which the invita
tions were sent by Mr. McCombs, it was to have
been expected that only those persons would
have been invited who would be expected to be
favorable to the governor. If the invitation!
were sent with this in view it Is evident that
llZCl was badly m,0taken or elae w5
The Belmont county delegation took advan-
fl thf meetIng t0 &et In some very good
S; Stat Treasurer Creamer for the nomi
nation for govornor, and ono of them bS
tonight that the Sixteenth district would send
Creamer SatIn 8tate ci0n to
OHIO PROGRESSIVES
The permanent officers of the Ohio democratic
progressive league are as follows: President
John J. Lentz, Columbus; secretary, W W DwI
ba"' Kenton; treasurer, J. H. Blacker Chim
cothe; first vice president, Bert Bartlow' Ham l
ton; second vice president, J. W Jo5"
VOLUME 12, NUMBER S
Waverly; third vlco president, Benton Cnlldors,
Worthlngton. .
The following executive committee wa
named: Charles E. Mason, Hamilton; Fred
Sites, Tiffin; J. L. Patterson, Defiance; Adam
Bridge, Franklin City; Henry Kampfe, Piqua;
E. B. Bloom, Bowling Green; L. P. Stevenson,
Jackson; John Monahan, Logan; M. L. Boyd,
Columbus; M. G. Thraves, Norwalk; John Flynn,
Bellaire; L. C. Koplin, Akron; F. E. Preiffer,
Cleveland; B. F. McDonald, Newark; J. J. Whit
acre, Canton.
It was decided to effect an organization in
every congressional district, with a view to
selecting delegates to the state and national
conventions who would bo in accord with -the
purposes of the conference as laid down in the
resolutions. This work will bo under tho direc
tion of Secretary Durbin, whose ability as an
organizer has been repeatedly demonstrated.
EXPERIENCE SHOULD BE HEEDED
f
The following editorial appeared in the
Cincinnati Enquirer December 25th:
Coleridge wrote that "Human experiences,
like the stern lights of a ship at sea, illumines
only tho path which we have passed over," but
the dreaming author of "Kubla Kahn" did not
realize that practical men use the light of ex
perience as a searchlight to disclose dangers
to be avoided in the future course.
In that use lies its value, and the experience
the Ohio democrats had in 1904 certainly gave
them enough light upon "the ways that are
dark" of the interests combined against them.
The illuminating influences of that campaign
were so great they should last them as a search
light for the next century, disclosing to them
similar "ways that are dark and tricks that are
vain" prepared and ready for their undoing.
The democratic party bore that year the ter
rible burden of being charged as controlled by
allied corporate influences, and then in the clos
ing weeks of the canvas was swamped by the
campaign funds furnished the republican party
by those same interests.
The party lost the support of hundreds- qf
thousands of sincere voters at the start and by
that, in itself, the fc contest was determined
against it.
The interests that flushed the sluices with
the cash in the later days of the campaign but
added to the majorities of the republican party.
Experience discloses the same dangers loom
ing up in Ohio today.
Efforts, systematic efforts, are being made to
nominate a candidate for president who has been
allied with the interests all his life, and whose
tongue, pen, ability and energy have given them
long and devoted service.
The nomination of any man associated as
advocate, protector, ally, agent, counsellor,
attorney or representative of these interests
means certain defeat to the democratic party.
If any democrat wishes to forecast the result
of the nomination of such a candidate, let him
turn the searchlight of experience upon the
election results in the following named coun
ties of Ohio in the year 1896, when the party
fought against the interests, and the year 1904
when charged with being bound to them.
Counties 1896 . 1904
SSZl0:.. : : : : Ess- sis- Ml! loSi- 5S J8
DtIaSc4 ....:. Dora SS'l'??!4 Scp- p u- H!
Prry . . . . D?m Slu 'im Sora,pu' 2C6
Putnam ... S' S u 2 I A Sop' p u 2-037
fc Why prolong '?hT "" &J
control of allied interests. y Waa In
through tho malign Innuendo, SSwto, """
Why sacrifice other thousands of lmf-i 5"
crats next year? Why ordalr , twi ?aI. dl?m,"
laws, or by active service n tto cotrta' W
Vance trust interests. Let tLdemZaUc'pa
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