Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1884-01-11
STANDARD OIL IN POLITICS.
"Tho U. .. Senate n Mere Bon rd Of
Trade and nm Obstruction
to Progrcss."
1t Must Result In tho Election OF
Senators by tho Popular
Vote of the eOple.

The Cleveland Penny Press, independent,
with Democratic lesnings, devotes over
column in a acathing article on Williams,
Harbough, Poe, Mooney and Roche, FIVE
OF the Representatives Of Cuyahoga
county, who came before the people and
were elected by the work,ngmen and
others who were opposed to monopoies
II claims that very few people who voted
for these Representatives. expected their
first official acts would be to ki.s the feet
Of the inscriptions oil mono poly, and
their snbservience TO the political bosses
at Columbus will be the cause Of their
losing the confidence and respect of all
who voted for Democratic Legislators in
hopes of reform and Independence IN the
treatment Of legislative questions.
After giving the issues on which each OF
those men were elected il winds up by ask
ing the followingpertinent questions:
What is 1t that changes the whole charac.
ter OF Statesmen Immediately upon arrival
at Columbns2
What is It that suddenly transforms
James Mooney from a workingmaa into
toy for the Standard oil company?
What is il that elevated William Roche
from his position ms hat of an idle, money.
less telegraph operator to that OF an associ-
ate, yes, verify, the room-mate, of the aris.
tocrntic and wealthy John Huntington, 30.
Iitical manager Of the great Standard oil
monopoly2
What Is il that entities every ward wire
puller Of Cleveland TO free ticket to Co
lumbus, where they need howlers for the
Standard oil company?
These are questions that the constituents
Of the Cuyahoga "state.men" AN of a
dozen other counties OF Ohio are asking
without receiving any ex planation.
The democratic constituents should ask
no questions. A terrible disease Is fostering
on their partys vitals-a disease called mo
nopoly, Standard oil monopoly.
In another article on the same subject,
which we copy in full below, the Penuy
Press revives, in very forcibe manner,
the demand that should be agitaled by
the people until it is accomplished-that
of electiog our U. s. Senators by popular
vote. II we would preserve represent.
~tive government it must come 10 this.
The article reads as follows:
The disgraceful spectacle now being
enacted ut Coln mbus, wherein the honor
and honesty Of the peoples representative.
are being corrupted to promote tile cl,anees
Of this sr that candidate for senator, In one
thnt will tend TO revive the demand that i
often made for the election Of senators by
popular vote. United States senaiorslil,s
are Incoming 20 much songht after by lie
representatives, Of monop0lislic interests
thMt something must be done 10 keep the
senate from becoming mere board ei
tr"de snd an obstruction to the progress
and welfare Of the people. The people,
generally speaking, are incorrup,ible in
the exercise Of the franchise, and u they
we're not IL would be practically impossi-
BILE TO bny enough votes in any state to
effect the election OF any officer on state
ticket. But the representatives In the
state legislatures are no few IN numbe and
ofttlnes So equally divided that money
can effectively be used to secure the rsturi,
Of corrupt candidate. 1t has therefore
come 10 this pass that the senaterships are
being bought mp by the rich monoI oI,olisi-
wherever there is one TO be filed. This Ia
somstimes done 40 quietly aud easily that
no scandal Ia created and rarely does II
occur that the corruption 10 M bold and
offensive rs that which now smells 10 fonlly
al Columbus. We have here the spectacle
of the greatest single monopoly in the
world. whose very name stipks In the nos
irils OF the people from Maine to Calfor.
MIA. from the British possessions to the
gull, entering the lists to compete for the
highe,t Office In the giit OF the state, and
competing In such way AZ to secure
every dishonest vote in the Legislature.
The weight Of it's millions of accnmu lated
capital IL lhrewn In the scale mgainst the
will Of the people, aud .killful manipnla-
tors are plying seductive arts npon the
cnpidity and necessities Of men elected for
the very pnrpo,e Of nrreSting the progress
OF monopoly. Some OF these men have
evidently been purchased to do The very
thing they were elected not TO do. II will
lie sad day indeed which witnesses The
SUCCESS OF these wicked n,easlires--a blow
al rep esentative government from which
rec Iyery will be slow. II il should, how.
ever, be followed by movement To nbol.
i"h The senate altogether, or to elect sens-
tors ny direct popular vote, the disgrace
wonli no, be without it's good sffecis. To
that end IL must come Al last II inonol,olies
are permitted 10 exist,