Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1901-10-23
JOHNSON,
Given a Splendid
Greeting.
He Answers "Iet Well
Enough Alone"
And Demands That Home Inter.
ests Have Attention.

Mayor Tom l.. Johnson was given a
magnificent greeting as he was intro
duced. His address follows:
My Countrymen, Ladies and Gentle
men:
Last Saturday was an eventful
day with me. l had the pleasure of
hearing the great Republican ora
tors Of this state dodge the real is
sue of this campaign. My object in
being present at the opening of the
Republican campaign at Delaware
ON the 10th of October was to hear
the speeches and watch their effect.
The gathering was noteworthy. The
expensive decorations, costly bands
and uniformed companies, assembled
from all over the state, produced a
spectacular effect intended to please
the eye and arouse enthusiasm SO that
the sounding Of the keynote would vi
brate to the farthest corners Of, the
state.
Let well enough alone was the
keynote, reinforced with arguments
against any change. Hold Ohio in
the column Of the Republican party
on account of it's historic greatness!
They boasted of their achievements
of the last 40 years, raking over the
dead embers of the past to furnish
fire for this campaign.
They promised for the futre a high
er civilization. for the Philippine
and Porto Rican, strategetic harbors
of safety for our modern navy and
the Nicaraguan canal. In every way
they directed the attention of the peo-
pie as far from the state as possible
and even tried to make political cap
ital out of the shameless murder Of
President Mckinley; as If he were not
the President Of all the people Of the
United States, but only the president
Of their party.
Their keynote utte"ance, summed
up in the words, Let well enough
Alone" was a deliberate attempt to
obscure all questions of home import
ance. Not word on the evils Of the
trusts, the legitimate offspring of the
special privileges fostered by their
policy. Not word on the great abuses
of steam railroad taxation, by which
two hundred million dollars Of railroad
property escapes it's far share of tax
burdens. Not syllable on the in
equality of taxation in the state of
Ohio by which the owners of small
homes, farms and factories are borne
down by the weight of these burdens;
while the owners of valuable city prop
erty, water fronts, forest privileges
and mineral rights go almost untaxed.
Not word against these injustices,
which they vaguely hint at in their
platform and carefully avoid in their
speeches.
Are we ready to let well enough
alone, when a railroad from BuffaiO
to Chicago pays taxes on a valuation
iIS SIndiana Of $4,000 per mile and only
$4,000 in Ohio and another from To-
ledO to st. Louis pays on a valuation
in Indiana of $4,000 per mile and in
Ohio of only $4,000? Let we'll enough
alone when more than half the people
in the state dwell in cities and vii
lagos and the large properties of mu-
nicipal monopolies sell on the market
for as many millions as they are on
the duplicate for hundreds of thou
sands?
All this is deliberate effort by par
ty managers who draw their princi-
pal support and campaign contribu-
tions from the beneficiaries of this in
equitable system of taxation, to keep
the eyes Of the people of Ohio on re-
mote questions; to draw the attention
to the flag while these beneticiaries
continue, their hands in the pockets of
the people.
LET well enough alone" This is
what Captain Kidd asked and this is
what, through all time, men satisfied
with the profits of injustice have de-
manded.
Let well enough alone" is what
the under-assessed property owners of
this state are still demanding.
But is this the cry that will satisfy
the people Of the state Of Ohio in their
demands for an equitable system of
taxation, while they are the victims
of system built up under Republican
rule, system Of injustice, the out
growth Of legislation by these same
people who are now demanding a con-
tinuatiOn of power?
Is it wisdom on the part of the peo-
pie of this state to intrust to the max
ers of bad laws their correction?
Is it wisdom on the part of the peo-
pie Of this state to elect state officers
and legislature friendly to these in
equalities, or Is 1t better to rely on
the sincere pledges of the party COM
mitted to correct these evils7 There
can be but one answer:
Change the executive and legislative
branches of government and entrust
to the enemies Of these injustices. .rath-
er than to their friends, the legislative
and executive acts to cure the evil.
"Oh, but" they say, this wiA per-
NIT a gerrymander of the state that
will cost the Republicans six or seven
members in the next House of Repre-
senatives and member of the Unit
ed States Senate"
What of it? The United States Sen.
ator and those representatives, in fact,
both United States Senators and all the
mamhers of Congress- from Ohio will