The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1896-04-30
THE cRowNING OUTRAGE.


The Rogers bill, authorizing munich
pal authorities under certain condi-
tons, to grant street railway franchises
for fifty years, passed the Senate on
Tuesday. 1t is an event that may well
strike the people Of Ohio with alarm.
This legislature has been in session
for sixteen weeks, and about the only
good thing that has been accomplished,
was the passage Of Senator Garield's
bill to purify elections. Outside of this
there has been no legislation whatever
Of any general importance effected dur
ing the entire session. The time has
been filtered away in trying to foist
upon Democratic cities obnoxious ripper
bills under the pretense Of municipal
reform.
1t passed joint resolution calling for
a constitutional convention which will
entail an expense upon the people Of
the state of at least half a million of dol
lars, and il is so ingeniously and so dia-
bolically contrived that the people are
to be buncoed into voting for it without
knowing il.
The Rogers bill was passed in the face
Of the protests of nearly all of the news
papers of the state, and an overwhelm-
ing public sentiment against it. The
few amendments made do not destroy
the viciousness of the measure, and it is
safe to say the street railway companies
Jared far better than they expected. 1t
was triumph of these great corpora
tons over the public, and. the members
of the legislature who gave the bill their
votes, did so against the wishes of their
constituents, and without regard to the
public good.
The new law provides for consolida.
ton when the interests of the people
demand competition.
1t provides tor fifty year franchises
thus enabling contracts on the future
generation.
1t makes it impossible for municipa
corporation to change the rate of fart
for twenty years.
1t fastens upon the cities of the stat
a five cent fare for long term of year
without an opportunity to change.
1t gives the street railway companie
every possible advantage of their pat
rons.
From start to finish the bill was push
ed by large lobby of street railwa!
magnates, assisted by paid attorney
and lobbyists. They promised every
thing, but were careful that these prom
ises were not incorporated in the bill
The corporations have got their bill anC
the people have got their. promises fol
better service and cheaper fares bu
these are worth no more than a lot o.
confederate money. Senator Avery
well-expressed it when he said the bill
was a jug-handled measure in which the
advantage vas all on the side of the cor
poratons, who need not proceed to ACT
under it, until they secure a council
| favorable to their plans.
The passage Of this infamous measure
fitly crowns the record of a session thai
has been marked throughout by grasp
ing extravaganza and by contemputoui
disregard of the restrictions of public
morality. 1t has long since becam,
evident that the legislature knew moth
ing and cared for nothing that legislator,
ought to know and care for, and the few
men who might and should have stood
up for the public honor and safety have
held their piece or weakly gone with th'
crowd, leaving the. actual leadership t.
the plunderers. Thirteen members il
the senate and seven in the house is al
that could be mustered on the side of th'
eople as against the corporations.
For this outrage the party which con
trolls both houses of the legislator,
must be held responsible. The fact tina
the bill takes away the rights of th'
people and gives them to grinding cor
pOrations only intensifies the disgust anC
indignation, which the people vii
inevitably visit upon the men who hay,
participated in this crime.
Let it not be forgotten that our owl
Senator Williams and Representative
Wilhelm and Austin voted for thu
mOnstTous iniquity.
The Akron Beacon and Republican, il