Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1901-11-02

election; yet Of the 400 Senators and
Representatives added 30 per, cent to
their salaries and doubled that of the
President, this would be steal of
only 81, ,10O,O0O a year.
But for this combination and for this
exaction from the people-less than
1-600 part of what the Morgan
Rockefeller syndicate has done this
year-we destroyed such officeholders,
while we call the latter "smart a.
nanciering," and college toadies and
professors and some clergymen are fol-
lowing these traitors to the common
man down the aisles of the churches
and making ''goo-goo" eyes at every
move--if only in the name (D of the
Nazarene they can secure a benefice.
I'm Columbus, o., less than four
months ago, the City Council and
Board of Public Works had reposed
in them the power to renew the fran
cnise Id our streets for period Of
20 years to the Columbus Railway
company. The rates of fare have been
~ SNhtS iOl CdSI Win JldISlcIS. anu
six tickets for twenty-five cents with
out transfers. About four weeks be-
fore the letting, public meetings were
held, and the chairman, the Hon. Tom
L. Johnson, was invited to address a
mass meeting. His most popular
statement was the offer to buy the
property of the present company and
give the city three cent fare for
20 years, Or reduction of 81 per
cent upon their proposed renewals
saving of 1886 day, or about $31O 900
a year, or upward Of $7,O0O,OOO in
twenty-five years; and in addition be
proposed to turn over surplus to the
city treasury after the running ex-
penses and fixed charges were paid
out of the three-cent fare. Strange TO
say, this City Council called Tom l..
Johnson a politician, a demagogue,
etc, and proceeded to punish him by
charging the people $7,OO0,OOO more
for street car service during the next
twenty-five years than johnson Of
fered, because, they said, he wanted
to be United States Senator. What
a crime!
"For twenty years We have rallied
against "watered Stocks" and fic-
titious bonds of railroads and gas com.
panies and oil companies, but it mat
ters little what you name 1t. After
all, the crime, the wrong, the injury
consists in permitting these quasi
public agencies arbitrarily and without
limit or control on the part of the
state or national government to re-
classify freight or add to the traffic
until $360,O00,0O0 may be taken from
the humble householder and the faith
full and patriotic peasant without
knowing whether to turn for protec-
ton. And If the victim should per-
chance cry out against the goading,
he Is soOthed with campaign button
or new flag for his school house, as
one soothes baby with colored
block or a tin whistle.
Behold these heroes Of the Spanish
war that stood by the flag as she
proudly floated over Wall street and
enjoyed government contracts with
their steamship lines and their mail
contracts and freight rates, under
written by the Morgan syndicate,
while we took that much less for our
wool. our wheat, our beef, our corn,
and paid the difference Of $500, 900
for our machinery, our mails, our
flour, our bread, our lumber and
paint, and all necessaries of life, in
order that the Federal Treasury in the
name of patriotism should get it's 10
per cent for legitimate purposes to
80 per cent into the pockets Of royal
favorites.
"The issue in Ohio this year is
whether or not the governor shall do
his duty, whether the state treasurer
shall be man who will do his duty,
whether the attorney general shall do
his duty. whether the legislature shall
do Its duty, and fight against the
trusts and combinations that, IL un-
restricted will cause a more rapid ac-
cumulation of wealth than ever in the
VI thC iVWs ali
will realize that their votes will mean
either the greater concentration OF
wealth or living chance for every
body.
The Republicans would have you
believe that the election of Mr.. Kill
bourne would mean the taking away
Of all prosperity and the upsetting
of all righteous institutions. The Re,
publicans have refused to listen to a
proposition that would make trans
portation companies pay taxes at a
rate of eight mills or ten mills. They
cry that 1t would destroy prosperity
Ten mill taxation would still allow a
reasonable profit on Improvement. Ii
is the right and duty of the officials
to reduce steam fare and freight rates
to a basis where they will pay only
fair return on investment, yet they
have refused even to consider such
proposition for minute.
when you go to the polls next Tues