CHAPTER XXXIV

Revival of Democracy in Ohio-Democratic State Convention of 1908 -Nomination of Judson Harmon for Governor-Republicans Nominated Andrew L. Harris Suspicion of Graft in the State House Campaign of 1908-Judson Harmon Elected Governor -David S. Creamer Elected Treasurer of State-Balance of Democratic Ticket Defeated-Campaign of 1910-Re-election of Governor Harmon and a Full Democratic Ticket-Sketches of Successful Candidates.

The Democratic State Convention met at Columbus, May 5, 1908. There were 946 delegates and the attendance of outsiders was unusually large. The enthusiasm attending the convention was a harbinger of Democratic success. A complete success was not to be realized, however, until two years later. While the delegates were assembling, the name of Judson Harmon was heard on every side as the most probable nominee for the position of Governor. A majority of the most important leaders in the state were for him, but Tom L. Johnson had determined upon the nomination of Atlee Pomerene and made a desperate fight to attain his end. In hope of attracting delegates to Pomerene by a show of liberality, Johnson offered to endorse ex-Governor James E. Campbell for United States Senator, but the Harmon forces were not to be broken. They knew their own strength and felt confident of being able to nominate the Cincinnati judge over Johnson's opposition. Failing in his tactics to draw away support from Harmon, Johnson not only opposed and fought the man who was destined to be Governor, but attacked him in the convention. In the temporary convention of the evening of the 5th, he denounced Harmon as a foe of William Jennings Bryan and of all measures and reforms that were in the interest of the common people. He also urged against Harmon that he was opposed to the Initiative and Referendum plan of government and declared that

Harmon's appointment as receiver for the Morgan interests in the C. H. & D. Railway showed that he was allied with "the interests," but these attacks lost Johnson sympathy in the convention and failed to injure Harmon.

The convention assembled with Edmund H. Moore of Youngstown chairman, and Senator B. F. Gayman of Canal Winchester as secretary. The temporary organization was made permanent.

The platform declared in favor of public utilities, franchise tax, the protection of employees, the Initiative and Referendum, a dollar a day pension for the surviving veterans of the Civil War and eulogized William Jennings Bryan. It condemned trusts and corporations operating in restraint of trade. Referring to state affairs one plank said: "Investigation of the Legislature into the offices of the State Auditor and Treasurer discloses a grave and shameful neglect of public business. The state has lost more than $100,000 a year by the failure of the Treasurer to take advantage of the depository law." It went on to state that "the State Treasurer is employed to enrich the friends of the system in and through the Republican organization," and it added that the State Treasurer has failed to keep books showing deposits made by him; that he was insolent in his refusal to answer questions put by the State Legislature upon the subject, that the Auditor did not audit and that great peril to the public funds and the management of the great offices was threatened.

When the convention reached the nomination of the state officers, friends of Judson Harmon were sanguine that there were at least six hundred delegates favorable to him. The first ballot did not make this showing; it stood: Harmon 463, Pomerene 381, Sherwood 4, Sandles 97. George W. Hull of Toledo had nominated Gen. Isaac R. Sherwood for Governor, but the General declared he was not a candidate. The second ballot gave Harmon 512, Pomerene 363, Sandles 79.

For Lieutenant-Governor Judge David L. Rockwell was nominated and the ticket was completed as follows: Judge of Supreme Court, Hugh T. Mather of Shelby County and George B. Okey of Franklin; Secretary of State, Henry W. Newman of Miami; Auditor of State, W. W. Durbin of Hardin; Treasurer of State, D.

Staley Creamer of Belmont; Attorney-General, Timothy S. Hogan of Jackson; Board of Public Works, Bernard Doran of Perry and J. A. States of Allen; Dairy and Food Commissioner, David Eley of Ashland; State School Commissioner, John A. McDowel of of Holmes; Clerk of Supreme Court, Oliver C. Larason of Licking; United States Senator, James E. Campbell of Butler County, endorsed.

Delegates-at-large to the National Convention, Tom L. Johnson of Cuyahoga, E. W. Hanley of Montgomery, Matthew R. Denver of Clinton and Will S. Thomas of Clark.

Alternates: H. T. Sutton of Muskingum, I. R. Sherwood of Lucas, G. M. Saltzgaber of Van Wert and John E. Monnott of Stark.

Presidential Electors, John J. Lentz of Franklin and Samuel A. Hoskins of Auglaize.

The Republicans of Ohio headed their state ticket in 1908 with Andrew L. Harris who had been elected Lieutenant-Governor in 1905, receiving 62,000 votes more than Herrick, the Republican candidate for Governor. Their complete ticket was as follows: Lieutenant-Governor, Francis W. Treadway; Secretary of State, Carmi A. Thompson; Auditor of State, Edward M. Fullington; Treasurer of State, Randolph W. Archer; Attorney-General, Ulysses G. Denman; Commissioner of Public Schools, John W. Zeller; Members of Board of Public Works, Bernard W. Baldwin and William Kirtley, Jr.; Judges of Supreme Court, James L. Price and John A. Shauck; Clerk of Supreme Court, John S. McNutt; Dairy and Food Commissioner, Renick W. Dunlap.

For some time previous to 1908 there was a growing and statewide impression that the capitol building had become a nesting place for graft and corruption, and finally in that year a renovation of its official atmosphere was demanded. Suspicion had grown into a belief that funds had been manipulated and deposited in such a manner as to impair the finances of the state. It was even alleged that interest upon deposits of state money had been diverted to private accounts. This belief was strengthened by the demand of Governor Harris for an investigation that would either allay suspicion or expose mal

feasance. Wade Hampton Ellis was Attorney-General and a Republican. The presidential as well as the gubernatorial campaign was approaching. He would not drag the pool; there was no telling what unsightliness might arise to the surface if he disturbed the waters. The finger of an all-pervading suspicion pointed to the office of the State Treasurer as the most prolific nest of graft, and the Democratic Party, in looking for the right man to place in that office to conduct it honestly, selected wisely, as time has proved.

The Republican organization feared to lose control of the State Treasury, and a banking ring in Columbus-some of the banks being officered by former state officials-did all in its power to defeat Mr. Creamer and the fight against him was relentless. His majority in 1908 was not large, but in the light of subsequent events his election was a marvelous victory.

At the election in November the Democrats elected the Governor and State Treasurer, all the other state offices being captured by the Republicans. Judson Harmon received 552,569 votes to 533,197 for Andrew L. Harris, a plurality in favor of Harmon of 19,372. Mr. Creamer's plurality was 1,431 and his total vote 537,461. All the other offices were carried by the Republicans by majorities ranging from 19,000 to 54,000.

The presidential election of 1908 resulted in the election of William H. Taft, the Republican candidate, by a popular majority of 1,269,804, over William Jennings Bryan. Taft's electoral vote was 321; Bryan's 162.

During the presidential campaign of 1908 the Republicans began to fear that a high tariff was losing popularity with the masses and the promise was distinctly made that if elected, the Republican administration would insist upon a downward revision of the tariff. This drew to the Republicans a considerable Democratic vote. There were many Democrats who could not forget Bryan's free silver theories and who preferred to have a fair-trade Republican for President. Between the date of Taft's election and his inauguration he made speeches reminding the Republican Party of this promise and telling them that the promise must be fulfilled. However, when a tariff bill somewhat revised, but not noticeably downward, was presented to him

he promptly signed it, and from that day began his troubles which culminated in the enmity of his political godfather, Theodore Roosevelt, and a split in the Republican Party, which tended to compass his defeat for renomination, and, failing in that, to almost annihilate his electoral vote in November, 1912.

Governor Harmon made one of the wisest chief executives that ever presided over any state in the Union. It is impossible for any man to point out even an error in judgment in his entire regime. He made enemies in his own party, it is true, but he made them by his loyalty to Civil Service Reform and through being too big a man to allow any one else to order any of the affairs of his office. At the expiration of his first term he was renominated in 1910, as also was the State Treasurer, who had inaugurated reforms in the Treasurer's office which are recorded later on.

The Democratic State Convention of 1910 met at Dayton, and Governor Harmon was renominated without opposition as the head of the following ticket: For Lieutenant-Governor, Atlee Pomerene of Stark County; for Secretary of State, Charles H. Graves of Ottawa County; Attorney-General, Timothy S. Hogan of Jackson County; Treasurer of State, David Staley Creamer of Belmont; Dairy and Food Commissioner, Sylvanus E. Strode of Crawford; Commissioner of Common Schools, Frank W. Miller of Montgomery; Member of Board of Public Works, Joseph A. States of Allen; Judges of Supreme Court, James G. Johnson of Clark and Maurice H. Donahue of Perry; Clerk of Supreme Court, Frank McKean of Cuyahoga.

The Republican state ticket in 1910 was made up as follows:

For Governor, Warren G. Harding of Marion; for LieutenantGovernor, Francis W. Treadway; Secretary of State, Granville W. Mooney; Treasurer of State, Randolph W. Archer; Attorney-General, Ulysses Grant Denman; Commissioner of Common Schools, John W. Zeller; Member of Board of Public Works, George H. Watkins; Judges of Supreme Court, Augustus N. Summers and William B. Crew; Clerk of Supreme Court, John S. McNutt; Dairy and Food Commissioner, Renick W. Dunlap.