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VWWtTT TVT T ygy wwY',w-"njpvnp'j 'VtJrHU'Wt '""'"'r1 THE 'DEMOCRATIC BANNER TUESDAY 8EPTEMBER 27, 1910 IffAGE TWO """ - in ii i i i i -p i i niiri'i'iyi,., - "i ";ij ' 11.111 mm. i 'ii'ii.'i fn'.gi)nii.i;i...- . . ,,r ,,, . ... . -r,r niiwwimywfi ,, , ,, T n in i'""" .iii....i r ft roads" entering tho "city and thn crowd began pouring In at 7 o'clock. 'The lareest dolocatlon was from Cleveland, with Columbus n closo second. Governor Harmon irrlvcd arly from Mansfield, and spent tho time before tlio opening of tho Speak ing program In hearing reports from friends from all parts of tho state. Speaking at the Democratic cam Jpalgn opening at Canton, Governor Harmon dealt chiefly with tho more Important details of his administra tion. His entire speech follows: Two years ago tho Democratic par ity of Ohio again proved Us right to no classed as a useful political agency by exposing the wrongdoings end shortcomings of certain state of ficials and promising to replace them ("by honest and efllclent service. It claimed for Its members no monopoly rot vlrtuo or ability, but It was not .controlled by men whose selfish pur 'Jioscb require for accomplishment public ngents of their own selection. Its candidates were the frco cholco of delegates who represented tho voters of tho party and each nominee was pledged to do his utmost toward the reform of tho government. Tho excitement and confusion due to. the choosing of presidential elec tors by tho same ballot prevented tho election of nil but two of Its nomi nees those for governor and treas urer. Tho conduct of their respec tive offices by these two makes up the record on which tho Democratic party now comes beforo tho people. When a man Is first looked over by the voters In connection with a ser vice they rcqulro they havo nothing but his general character to aid them nnd tho qualities he may have shown In other positions, but when tho voters havo onco tried n man It Is a elmplo matter to decide whethor they want him ngaln or not. Performance lias then displaced promise and ex pectation given way to knowledge. An attempt to cscapo this test would Ito a confession of unfitness. But It can not bo escaped. AH that can bo fairly asked Is consideration of con ditions under which tho work had to be undertaken, ono of which, In our government of wisely distributed powers, Is nlways co-operation or tho lack of It On tho part of othor of ficials. So tho question beforo tho pcoplo Is, Rhnll tho conduct of tho present governor and treasurer bo approved or condemned? And, If they nro to be retained, shall their associates in tho exccutlvo and othor departments of the government bo men in hearty sympathy with their desire to lm provo the public service or men who, from nny motive whatsoever, nro likely to give them only half-hearted support or none at all? Tho State Treasury. Tho practices which long prevailed regarding tho monoy In tho treasury were partly made known by tho Ben lUe committee early In 1908. Tho Ro (lubllcan member, who has over slnco been tho lender of tho majority of tho senate, dissented from the com mittee's roport, after doing all ho could to obstruct its work. Its find ings were denounced by him und by every Btuto officer from governor down us unfounded and falsely parti san, and their party press did the earac, with some exceptions, of which tho Marlon Star was not ono. Tho new trensuror promptly abol ished the system of favoritism by 'which the public funds wore deposit ed In banks In which former treas urers and othor officials had secured etock, nnd In banks controlled by their political confederates, at rates fixed by themselves, which thoy know to bo much lowor than wore being paid by tho samo banks on othor de posits. Tho funds wero all with drawn and redeposltcd on fair com petition open to nil banks In tho statu alike. Much higher rates wore thus obtaned, which uru still In force. Ever slnco tho law requiring the dcpoblt of state funds tho treasury books showed nn enoriiums amount of ensh kept In tho vaults, averaging nearly $800,000, although $500,000 moro was constantly on doposlt in Columbus bunks subject to check. Tho present treasurer at once re duced tho cash In tho vault to $30, 0G0, which Is nmplo for dally needs, making all nbovo that hiuii earn In terest for tho state by prompt de posits. Their promise to tho voters thus kept, tho governor nnd treasurer, as Boon as their regular duties permit ted, proceeded to find nut tho oxnet and entire truth about graft In tho use of Htato funds. Tho sonata com mittee had roportcd no mo of tho facts, nnd tho rise to wealth and high bank positions of officials dealing with public monoy, who had como to Columbus poor, had been too frequent not to arouse suspicion. Not nn Easy Task. Tho task was long and hard. It had been confessed to tho committee Hint the treasury books contained no full and accurate account of lawful de posits. Borne of ouch books as woro kept wero missing when tho olllco changed hands. No account was kopt, of course, of stato monoy prlvntely used or deposited. It wub found that. the flics had been gono through and systematically robbed of correspond ence relating to such dopottltE, but a careful search revealed an oversight hero and thcro sufficient to direct Inquiry Finally the fnlluro of tho Euclid Avonuo Hank and TruHt Company, which held both lawful and unlawful deposits at tho same time, gave ac cess to Its books and papers. Theso also had been despoiled, but enough had been rr.ls2c.S to show pjalnly tho systematic loaning of puCHc monoy for personal profit. Photographs of entries, checks, etc., showing this aro In my hands. Some banks refused nil Informa tion, though they wero known to havo boon partners In the scheme. As they wcro-natlonal, there wero no means of getting nt the truth with out legal process. Of one of theso, Tho Commercial Bank of Columbus, tho treasurer of tho Itepubllcan stato committee, Mr. V. P. Huffman, was and Is the president. In others still there wero suddon disappearances of books and papers when, being' stato banks, they wore obliged to glvo ac cess to their files and records relat ing to stato funds. Hut nt last evi dence was secured showing that by the abovo and various other devices tho stato had for years lost large amounts of Interest which went to qunllfy its officials for entry in finan cial circles. Ono of tho methods employed was this: Various officers other thnn tho treasurer collected taxes from corpo rations amounting to millions oVory year. Those were paid by checks, which wero usually, If not always, deposited jln favored banks in which various stato officials had stock, and months wero 'allowed for collection of theso checks, though they wero promptly presented and paid. During this period tho state lost and others enjoyed tho uso of largo amounts of its money. Tho astonishing discovery was then made that tho ofllclal bonds covering both terms of ono of tho treasurers involved had been romovod from tho files of tho secretary of stato and could not bo found, but copies wero fortunately obtained. Suits Started In Court. Tho evldonco of theso wrongs was laid before tho attorney general, with a lequest to bring suits to recover for tho Stato tho profits thus made at Its cxponse, which ho has dono. In spite of all efforts to delay and con coal wo aro confident that largo timounts will bo restored to tho treas ury. Ono former ofllclal has already paid over a largd sura to avoid threatened suit. A complete record and system of accounts has now been installed In tho treasury, and nil monoy collected Is promptly paid ovor and deposited so ns to draw Interest for tho state. After tho doposlt law took effect tho grafting was carrlod on under lover of tho largo amounts of cosh Milch It was pretended wero carried 'ji tho treasury vaults, as abovo stat ed, but which wure In fact never thoro excopt on tho stated days when the treasury was examined, which wero known in ndvanco. Tho depository law was approved May 3, 1S04, but It was not put Into operation until November following. Among tho banks then approved was the Cincinnati Trust Company, whoso prosldcnt was nnd is Mr. George D. Cox. This bank was very deliberate, though, about taking a deposit undor the law, nnd did not do so until moro than a yenr lator. Perhaps reluctant Is the better word, because tho bank nl ready had a prlvato doposlt of $200,000 of stato monoy nt 2 por cent, whllo tho rnto fixed by tho depository board wbb 2. Interesting Correspondence. How this was mnnagod appears from the following correspondence between tho Stato Trcasuror and that company's treasurer: Jan. 27, 1905. Mr, F. It. Wllllnms, Clncliintl, O. Donr Sir: Our quarterly noltlpnient comer) on But. I'Vli. 4tl ho I wIhIi you would lilntlly Ime tho cuneucy held by you hero not Inter than l'rlil ty tho 3rd. Should you wIhIi It ou can havo It hack tlio following Monday. With beat hIhIioh, Yuuih truly, W. S. McKINNON. Jan. 2S, 1905. Hon. W. H. MeKlnnon, Cohimlma, O. Dear Sir: I dealt e to acknowledge rcrrlpt of yjiir letter of tho 27th tlio contend) of which hiivit liceii noted and In conformity to your wishes I will anil on ou on Friday next and trust you will llml It conveni ent to bo at your olllco on that tiny, Youia vury truly, ' V. It. WIM-TAMS, TronHuror, Similar coi rospoudouco occurred Just boforo unch "quarterly count" during tho year 1905, whllo Mr. Har ding was lieutenant govornor nnd In good health. Iu January, 190C, John PatClson feebly climbed tho stops of tho capltol and this money was trans ferred to n stato account. All tho8u reforms havo been Instl-' tuted by tho prusont treasurer of bis own free will. A bill was drawn and recommended nt each session to re quire a llko courso by all treasurers. In spite of frequent urging this bill was twloo rejected by tho majority In control of tho Genoral Assembly. Tho taxpayers can draw their own conclusions. At Kenton Inst wcok Mr. Hnrdlnc. spending of all this, far from denying tho facts, said "everybody know" tho funds were not kopt In tlio tronsury, as "thoy woro supposed to bo" (by whom, If overybody know thoy woro not?) and that "tho knowing people of tho stato winked at tho transgres sion." Surely UiIb confession nnd excuse only mako a bad case worse. If everybody know, why tho ro Blstnuco to tho committee's Investi gation and tho chorus of denial of its llndlngB? Tho "knowing pdoplo" who "wink ed nt tho transgression" woro cer tainly not tho great body of tho peo ple, hut tho ofllclal associates and po litical confederates of tho graftors, many of them personally honest them selves, who covered up tho crime and shielded tho criminals lest tho indig nant voters of tho groat party whoso J good namo wns fn their keeping should cast them out together from control of its organization. For these, llko nil other good citizens, wish to bo served only by men who will take all moms in their power to discover overythlng that ought to be known about the business of the state nnd will not wink nt a public wrong, from nny1 motive whatsoever, no matter who commits It. No Shirking of Duty. Wasteful, careless and sometimes crooked practices wero found to pre vail In some departments nnd Insti tutions. This was not truo of them all, but the Infection spreads fnst if tiot checked. In every caso which came under tho authority of the gov ornor these have been -corrected, so far as discovered, honest nnd business-like methods established and these entrusted to faithful and com petent hands. It has been difficult to secure evi dence to sustain criminal proceed ings in soino cases whrelhere was moral certainty of guilt. The facts have been brought to the notice of tho department of Justice, and this course will bo followed right nlong, Tlmo forbids a recital of instances, but they have boon widely published and are generally known. It Is suffi cient to say that there has been no halting, shirking or shielding by the Exccutlvo in the work of .reform and that It s proceeding and will proceed", ns rapidly as conditions permit. Canal Exposures. Tho department of Public Works Is tho last to receive attcntlofr. Tho Governor has tho appointment there of only tho chief engineer. Tho great Importance of this position Is shown by Its being tho very first of tho many filled for mo by my predeces sor at tho extra session ho cnllcd for tho purpose Just one week beforo my torm began, Until tho appointment of the now chief engineer, recently, I had no ndequato means of getting at the truo Inwaidness of things In that department. It Is nlready apparent that wastefulness, nepotism and po litical Jobbery prevail, If nothing worse. There seems to bo distress In some quarters becauso it Is thought that tho fuse of theso particular exposures was purposely cut long, ns It wero. This Is not truo nnd could not bo, for tho reason Just stated. But If It were true. It would carry a wholesome les son: Never keep oxplostves concealed on the premises when dangerous per sons nro known to bo prowling about. Either bo careful to have none, or ex plodo them yourselves. It Ik not pleasant to oxposo or punish public officials. Innocent fam ilies nro made to suffer and shnmo Is cast on tho Stnte. I should have boon glad tc ,tlnd rumor and suspi cion always unfounded, and ono who, for personal or partisan ends, would mnko or net upon groundless charges, la not fit to be Govornor or recognized as u. cltlon. of Ohio, nut personal In clination must ovor glvo way to pub Ho duty and tho hidden soro bo cured by tho open and faithful wound. Management of Institutions. It takes tlmo and closo attention to Introduce needed reforms every where, but It can bo truly said that tho various departments nnd institu tions of tho Btate which the governor controls nro much bettor managed than hcfoio, and more economically mnlnti'nod. Tlio gonornl, tono of tho servlco In them has ijeun greatly Im proved. And no pains havo been spared to glvo practical offect to this rcntli.'n'iit In my Inaugural address: "Tho people are determined that their benevolent Institutions, espe cially, shall be conducted on tho highest piano In every respect. By thoBO thoy practlco tho philanthropy In which tho Master set .tho grout example. Tho civilization which grew from Ills teachings has rescued thu afflicted from neglect, derision nnd persecution. Tho establishments which a Christian stato maintains for charity aro sacred, and every solllsh purpose sl'iould perish nt tholr doors." Tho General Assembly was In ses sion for a time beforo my torm be gan, undor call by my predecessor. Warned by tho attitude of tho major ity therein that the Interests of tho people woro llkoly to suffer from lnck of hearty co-operation with tho Execu tive, I snld this In tho snmo address; "Theso aro soma -of tho Idoas which appeal to mo as I enter upon tho work to which my fellow citizens havo called me. I can do but little without their steadfast confidence and Buppatt. Even with this nld tho pow ers of tho chief cxecutlvo alono will not '8ulllce. Theso nro limited nnd controlled by law, as they should bo. Tho hourty co-oporatlon of my asso ciates iu tho government 'Is neces sary. But whllo most of thoio are not party comrades, whoso support couM bo expected In political affairs, I attribute to them tho snmo wish I havo mysolf for tho best! government wo nro able to supply, and tho aamo willingness to help mo In my part that havo to help them Iu theirs. I can not discredit thorn, If I would, nor thoy mo, but wo can help each othor to gain tho npproval of tho millions who must all sharo whatever of benefit or harm tho administration thoy havo entrusted to us shall bring forth." Attitude of Legislature. I regret to Bay that this warning and nppoal found llttla response. Ex ecutive requests and recommenda tions received scont courtesy, or nono at nil, and tho Gnvornor's dcslro that n thing bo dono scorned gonor ally a sufficient leusoii for not do ing It. This harmful condition persisted throughout tho regular session also, though partially modified. Somo raorn bes of tho majority In each ho uso de- servo praise for a display of the brondness and fairness which Un people hnvo n right always to expect. Tho measuros recomnnended wero generally directed to Improvement In honesty, economy, efficiency and fair ness In tho conduct of tho public bus iness, because these nro tho founda tions of good government and until they nro made secure additions to the superstructure aro only wasto nnd delusion. A tax commission wns finally cre ated to secure by constant nnd proper nttentlon Justice nnd fairness to all In raising tho public rovenues, but for reasons plainly and purely partisan the nppolntment of city boards of re view was left In the hands of stato officers, to bo dictated, as always, by the local bosses. For this reason, chiefly, I withheld my approval, though tho bill was allowed to be come n law for Its good foatures, many of which wero taken from a bill drnwn with my assistance. Taxpayers were protected against higher taxes, under the new appraise ment of real estate, by limiting the total to be levied In any year to tho amount levied under tho present val uations, but by the almost unanimous vote of tho majority tho further limit of ono por cent for all purposes, without a voto of tho people, was re jected and tho limit mado one and a hnlf per cent Instead. Only a small part were enacted of the provisions recommended to se cure better returns of personal pro crty. Recommendations Rejected. The following are somo of the rec ommendations which wero wholly re jected, In nddltlon to the ono already mentioned relative to safeguarding the treasury: For a single board to manago nil state Institutions, both to savo money and Improve conditions. To require Inventories to bo made and kopt In nil departments nnd in stitutions, so as to avoid the con stant disappearance of properly of tho State. To require all public agencies to supply their needs by purchase from stato institutions, when possible, so as to afford an adequate market for manufactures under the Wertz law. To provldo against tho great and growing peril to tho public from tho fast and reckless running of auto mobiles nnd grndo the license fees according to size or power. To prqtect employes from Imposi tion and the loss of their wages at tho hands of loan sharks. To, preserve tho purity of tho bal lot box In lnrgo cities by requiring lodging house keepers to keep a reg ister. -To put a stop to tho scandalous conduct of lobbyists. I To completo Investigations of offi cial wrongdoing by committees which Interested persons had suspended by legal proceedings -founded on techni calities easily avoidable. The re sponse to this request at tho first session wns tho notorious houso bill No. 51. This so tenderly Bhlolded tho nlready partly oxposed grafters from risk In the further Investigation proposed thnt they must have drawn It themselves. Tho bill was vetoed for reasons fully statod. The burst of alacrity at tho opening of tho second session was not duo to a change of heart, as Mr. Moonoy would havo tho pcoplo think. Tho result of tho unaided work of tho Governor nnd Tronsurer had Just been placed In tho hands of tho At torney General (See Governor's lot- tor Doc. G, 1009.) Tho speed record would deserve the prldo with which tho Spenkor points to It, If It wore for tho full courso. But tho appro priation mentioned was mado availa ble to the Attornoy Genoral only, and nolther ho nor tho Governor could t'ako tho placo or do tho work of Investigation commlttcos, oven If tholr regular duties loft tho time, be cause they can not compol tho nttond nnco of witnesses, etc. To approve tho amendment to tho fe lie nil constitution authorizing a tax nn Incomes. Tho chief executive claims no right-!' to dictate omUno Infallibility of Judg ment, but tho duty to mako recom mendations Is imposed on him by law, and tho pcoplo of tho Stato do not got tho full benefits of tholr Bys torn of government unless sueh rec ommendations receive fair considera tion. Tho Right nemedy. Experience Justifies tho belief that to secure the harmony rcqulrod for successful administration and full re sponsibility tho Governor and General Assembly should bo of the samo po litical party. AxDeraocratlo legisla ture would, of courso, choose a sen ator of that faith, but all tho men mentioned In that connection may fairly be Bald to nicsBuro up well with tlio candidate already selected on tho othor side. And whoever he might bo, tho people can bo certain that he will not cast a hundred and twonty-threo votes with tho Aldrlch-Payne-Smoot combination, llko one of our present senators, or oven a hundred nnd cighteon, like tho other. Tho selection of men to conduct tho business of the Stato does not properly Involvo a consideration of National affnlrs and should not bo mado to do bo. Good govornmont In Ohio Is necessary. In order that she may keep hor high rank In tho sis terhood of s'ntcs ujid bo ablo to do her full sharo In maintaining tho well being of tho Union. To sccuro this with certainty tho voters should look at tho Stato situation only. Na tional questions nro to bo dealt with, however, In choosing members of Congicss, which Justifies a brief ref erence to them hero. National Questions. Congress is now aDDroprZ.tlnir a billion dollars nt each session, every cent of which Is levied on flio people of tho country by taxntlon In somo form. And It is confessed that ex travaganco arid mismanagement cause a waste of no less than three hundred million dollars each year, In tho ordinary conduct of tho govern ment, which Is moro thnn the com bined expenditures of all the States In the Union. It Is surely tlmo tho people should bestir themselves In this matter, for every ono of them Is compelled to pay Federal taxes on almost every thing ho buys for con sumption or other use, whether ho owns property subject ,to State and local taxation or not. And every one Is not only com pelled to contribute to this enorm ous outlay of the Federal government, but Is also mado to pay a much greater amount In the shape of In creased prices on goods mado In this country, because of a tariff law framed for tho express purp6so of making him do this to swell the profits of manufacturers. The people were long deceived about this, but they wero so aroused by the awakening, which came at last, that the Republican leaders woro forced to promise prompt relief by reducing; tho tariff taxes. A spe cial session of congress was called to make tho promise good. How they did It has been told by many Itepub llcan members of high standing and authority. Those men havo shown how flight reductions wero mado where they would give the people no relief but furnish a basis for tho misleading uso of figures; how by artful phrases, whose meaning and effect werp not generally understood, protended re ductions became really Increases, es pecially on tho cheaper qualities of goods used by citizens of small means; how the wholo performance wns evasion and deceit dictated by the very Interests from whoso op pression the people of tho country were led to expect release. After vain attempts to pass off tho new tariff bill as the keeping of faith, by bad argument and stout asser tion, it Is virtually confessed that it was not. And tho promise to reduce tho tariff taxes so as to glvo relief has now been referred to a commis sion to decide, at some future time, whether It shall be kept or not. Thoro Is plainly but one way open to the voters either to administer a rebuke or to secure redress, and that Is by electing Democrats to repre sent them In the making of National laws. t The Test of Experience. As to myself, I should be glad to go on with tho work In hand, be cause of my deep Interest In It nnd tho hope that with the knowledge and experience I hnvo gained I could do It better In tho future. This work relates to stato affairs only and I welcomo assistance from all who agree with me on that subject, as suring them that their present sup port will Involve and be treated as Involving no obligation on their part In any other connection. If the people bellove my opponent can und will accomplish more for thom, nono will bo better pleased than I to havo them realize their expecta tions. For thoro Is no personal wish which I would be willing to gratify by having Ohio mako tho slightest halt In her upward courso. BUSINESS METHODS IN PUBLIC OFFIGE Discussed By Pomerene In His Canton Speech, QQQG&SQQ&M$&&$Q4Q&H- POMERENE PARAGRAPHS. n I deny that the Democratic platform charges the Republi can party with shielding and defending grafters. What It did say was that tho REPUBLICAN OFFICEHOLDERS shielded and defended grafters, and I now re peat the charge. Our state might be willing to trust Harding alona, but not Harding In companionship with Cox. The people of Ohio can not afford now to make a change. A state ticket and a legisla ture In sympathy with the Gov-, ernor ought to be elected, and then they should be held to strict account at the bar of public opinion. The man or party who doe8 or encourages wrongs, Is not to be trusted to right them. If you want reformation, sure and cortaln, vote for Democracy under the leadership of Cover- k nor Harmon, wnose master mind can see the right, and who has the courage to do the right Prlvlleae ddes not grant fa- vors to the public; she exacts them from the public. 5 Remember the state of Maine 'j and take courage. In his speech nt tho Democratic campaign opening In his home city, Atleo Poniorono, tho Democratic nominee for lloutonant govornor, de voted his time chiefly to n discussion of business methods .In tho conduct of public affairs, He sold; Two years ago Democracy, undor the leadership of Judson Harmon, charged tho Ilopuhllcans with rxtrav nganco and mal-udmlhlstrntlon, and promised tho peoplo reform. Thoy believed lilm. Ho was elected gov ernor, nnd D. S. Creamer was elected state treasurer. They havo given tho best administration of their respec tive offices tho state of Ohio has. known In 20 years. They havo stood for business methods. Thoy havo In troduced economy In tho public ser vice. They hnve kept the faith. They havo not been -found wnntlng. The Democracy of Ohio again comes before the people, under their leadership, and asks for an Indorse ment of their work nnd a vote of con fidence. We balance their perform ances against Mr. Harding's prom ises. Record of Ohio Republicanism. Our eloquent friend from Marlon, boasts: "Our party has written every chapter of Ohio and national prog ress for 50 triumphant years." We concede that during tho last BO years they havo been almost con stantly In power. During all of this tlmo evils have been growing up in tho various departments until Homo of them have become festering sores. ATLEE POMERENE Governor Harmon's Running mate on Democratic Ticket. If tho Republicans claim for then salves all tho credit for Ohio's pros rees, they must likewise bear the re sponsibility for the evils which have become and are a part of our gov ernment, unless they can be traced to somo othor source. How can they claim the one nnd escape the other? For almoBt 20 years the Republi cans have had control of the legisla tive, executive and Judicial branches of our state government except for iho Tew months that Governor Pattl ion served and the present adminis tration of Governor Harmon, and for B0 years have had control of the ex ecutive and legislative offices slnco the war, except for a period of about 10 years. Taxation. During all this time the constitu tion and laws have required a return of all property at Its true value. Tho state officials, particularly the state auditors, havo encouraged Irregulars ties by lax administration until very little property, unless by accident, has been returned at its true value. The burdens havo been unequal. They havo weighed most heavily upon tho farmers and the small home-owners. At the second session of the legis lature In 1910, under the force of public-opinion, some relief wns grant ed. Tax bills wore. Introduced by a Democratic member, as well as by a Republican member. The law pro viding for a tax commission was passed May 10, 1910. It embodied somo of tho suggestions of Governor Harmon, but not all of them. A tax commission was appointed under this law, and though It has only been lu existence for a comparatively few weeks, It has already added, to tho tax valuation of some of tho public sorvlco corporations millions of dol lars, and they will now be, compelled to pay some of tho taxes which they have heretofore escaped by reason of tho laxness of Republican state of ficials. Tho tax rato throughout tho stato has varied An the sovoral localities from 1 por cent to 7 por cent. Gov ernor Harmon domanded that a max imum rato of 10 mills should be pro- 'vlded for. A law has been passed limiting tho rate to 15 mills unless in creased by special voto of the peo plo, and both parties havo pledged themselves to limit 'this rata by fu ture legislation to 10 mills. Funds of tho State. Undor Republican administrations stato treasurers, without. any author ity of lawp placed tho public funds in prlvato banks when .they should have been in tho stato treasury. Af ter tho depository law was enacted, the stato treasurer continued to, glvo out his money to favored banks at less rates of Interest than they wero paying to prlVnte depositors. In 1908 this monoy was dlstrlbtucd among li& banks. No books ofaccount woro kept In tho treasury showing where this money waB doposlted, or In what amounts, nnd tho treasurer depended wholly upon tho certificates of deposit, letters and loose written memoranda for His records. Thoy refused even to let this money out at competitive bidding until a Demo cratic treasurer, Mr. Creamer, volun ,'. r.y-?wyy,vy .W.)Wt..fpi1 V.T iv-L p ? & tarily called for bids. As. o result ho now receives on nctlvc' accounts from 2.5 per cent to 2.BG por cent In terest, where his predecessor rocolv cd only 1.5 per cent Interest; and on Innctlvo accounts ho now receives at tho rate of 3.1 to 4.1 per cent, whero hla predecessor received only 2.5 per cent, nnd yet when tho governor asked tho Republican general assem bly to provldo that competitive bid ding for the state's funds should bo compulsory, his recommendation was Ignored. During the yenr 1909, with an aver ago dally balance of $97,584.11 less than It was during the fiscal year 1908, the state has realized $20,284.80 moro Interest than It did during the year 1908. Suits are now pending undor tho direction of the governor to collect 328,506 Interest received on public funds by former treasurers, and not accounted for to tho state. It Is an old principle of law that tho trustee can not personally benefit by his trust, nnd It is confidently expected that tho recipients of these large sums will be compelled to disgorge. Really Something New. Qreat frauds have been discovered ln'tho department of public printing, and nt least one offender Is now pay ing the penalty In the penitentiary. The board of public work's seems to be honeycombed with extravrf gance, If with nothing worse, and wo nro confident thnt the searchlight of truth will show more In this behalf than the public Is aware. f And yet Mr. Harding says tho Democratic administration has dono "nothing new or worth while." It may be "nothing new or worth while" to suggest reform In taxation measures to a Republican legislature when that party has control of nil of thg departments of government. It may be "nothing now or worth while" to call the attention of Re publican officials to the burdens of taxation, but It Is something "new nd worth while" to have a Demo tratlc administration force a reform of this character through a Republi can legislature bo as to grant some relief to the peoplo. . It may bo "nothing new or worth whllo" to Republican politicians t discover the prevalence of graft In the administration of public offices and to have Republican officials enrich themselves at public expense, but It Is something "new and worth while" to have the grafters brought to Jus tice' and to compel them to disgorge the part of the people's monoy which they have placed in their own pock ets. It may be "nothing new or worth while" for the Republican party to know that public funds should bear Interest for the benefit of tho publlo and not for tho benefit of tho publlo officer or favored banks, but It Is something "new and worth while" to the peoplo of Ohio to havo this doc trine recognized and enforced.' It may be that It is "nothing new or worth while" for a Ropubllcau candidate or official to see and to know of the excessive expenditures and salaries in -the board of publlo works of the state, but It Is something "new and worth while" to the, publlo to know these things and to have a Democratic chief engineer In that de partment corerct thom. Offending Corporations. The best paragraph in Mr. Har ding's speech reads: "Then when a corporate officer transgreeses the law send him to prison. No corporate offense was ever committed but there was associated therewith a human of fender, and Imprisonment 'will prove ten times as efficient as political .threats or confiscatory fines." This sounds strangely familiar. It reminds one of the language of Jud son Hnrmoiiwhen. ho was examining into the rebato charges of tho Santa Fe Bystem, and President Roosevelt, In order to protect his friend Paul Morton, who had confessed openly to rebating, wanted tho corporations to bo held responsible for the criminal offenses of Its officers or agents in stead of holding the -Individuals re responslblc. Govornor Harmon wrote President Roosevelt these words: "They (the corporations) can not be Imprisoned and punish ment by fines Is not only Inade quate, but reaches the real cut. prlt lightly, If at all. The evils with which we are now confront ed are corporate in name and In dividual In fact. Guilt Is always personal." Republican Officials Shield Grafters. Mr. Harding resents (to quote bis own language) "the mendacious charge In tho Democratic platform of .Ohio that the Republican party shielded and defended grafters." I deny that the platform charges the Republican party with shloldlng and defending grafters. What It did say was that the REPUBLICAN OFFICE HOLDERS shielded and defended grafters, and I now repeat the charge. In 1906, when' a committee of tho senato attompted nn Investigation Into the affairs of Cincinnati, it was a Republican state auditor who stop ped tho proceedings by refusing to pay tho vouchers for expenses, but this was not stopped until sufficient had developed to show that tho coun ty treasurer had received $214,998.70 as "gratultleB" from banks In which ho had deposited public funds and wns compolled to pay it back Into tho county. Again In 1908, after the public had been thoroughly nrouscd by tho par tial Investigation which had been mado In 1906, a Joint resolution pass id tho general assembly providing or another Investigation Into affairs X V A itfiAhfaW-- . k.At&V&. IV- -fck-J u-h-xj. .viva.4V--