The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1901-12-27
RAILROADS Offer EXCUSES
FOR Theft OF Coal IN TRANSIT
Caused Much Suffering to the Poor OF
the State During the Recent Cold
Snap... ..Chr,stmas at Capital.
BY Der e. WILLIAMSON.
tStaG Correspondent.)


amusing things resultant from the re-
cent cold snap, is the excuse now be-
ing offered by the Ohio railroads for
confiscating coal that was consigned
to private use, and for not having cars
sufficient for the needs of the trade. II
was pointed out in this correspondence
that the railroads had outraged de-
cency in their action in the coal fam
inc, and that hundreds of families in
Columbus, and elsewhere, had been
driven to great suffering thereby.
No attempt has been made to deny
the charge and It is expected, when the
statistics of the recent cold snap are
made up, the deaths of many persons
may be directly attributed to the ac-
tion of the railroads in confiscating
fuel that was consigned to private use,
1t may be claimed that the railroads
could not have hauled anything to mar
ket without coal for their engines, but
this does not excuse them for not hav-
ing enough coal in their bunkers Tor
use in Just such crisis. But they own
about all of the officials about every
where, SO feel that they may commit
grand larceny with impunity. II any
body had stolen a lump Of coal from
them workhouse sentence would
have quickly followed, but they steal
1t by the carload, make the people Of
the state suffer with cold, and are not
even told to move avn naoew," by
a sparrow cop.
But to the excuse that the railroads
are offering. They say-and a general
agent for one of the roads running out
of Columbus is authority for the state
| ment-that the reason they could not
haul coal was because Of the water
famine. This spokesman for the grand
larceny immunes says that on one road
it was not possible to get water gave
in an old quarry, and that there was
lime in the water, which corroded the
boilers, thus impairing the engines
hauling power.
But, as has been stated in a previous
reference to this question, a bill will
come up in the Ohio legislature cover
ing this question and it may receive
some debate at that time, though the
railroads will keep the legislators so
busy stealing canals for them that the
question of stealing coal may not
reach any place other than a pigeon
hole.
Outside of the business districts Of
Columbus, no mail is delivered save in
the morning. One delivery a day has
been all that could be accomplished by
the postmaster here, and from the fact
that letters and papers dated Frida,
do not reach the party addressed till
the following Monday or Tuesday
makes it justifiable suspicion that the
one delivery ought to have been made
two or three days sooner. The Christ
mas season makes an increase of work,
but in most cities that increase is met
by an increase of working force. Can
ton has been handled well in the past
few regards, in comparison with otter
cities, and really does not appreciate
what it is getting.
y 4 =
There is already complaint from the
state house that bad odors are getting
into the corridors, and some are in
clined to blame 1t on the sanitation
but others feel that it is simply the
harbinger of the coming session of tho
legislature.
to be brought to the attention of the
partisan legislature. 1t is for the pur-
pose of crippling Tom Johnson in
Cleveland and Mayor Hinkle and his
administration in Columbus. II these
administrations were Republicans moth
ing would be heard of it. Nothing
quite suits a non-partisan so well as
to have everything go Republican. It
farla arot otno tlyn nfxrn ln,,
fashioned to keep Republicans in Of
flee and Democrats out
- .
it real pleasant for Mayor Robertson
of Canton If he will come down here to
the inauguration. A special effort will
be made by the Democratic mayor of
this town to make every mayor enjoy
himself while here. The Canton coun-
Gil will not therefore, be obliged to ap-
propriate $40 or so, with a supplement-
al schedule OF prices, for this trip.
The money question will occupy con-
siderable quiet attention in coming ses-
sion, but not after the manner 1t has
in coventions and campaigns. It is ex-
pected to resolve itself purely into
a question of how much.
Your Uncle Mark gets twinge from
his gout occasionally, any every III.
tie politician in Ohio thinks he has hit
him, whereas the big boss didn't even
notice that the fellow was shootins
at him.
II anybody thinks the war in the
Philippines is over, he should have
been in Columbus union station the
other day, when nearly regiment of
recruits that had been gathered at
the barracks here, marched into wait
ing trains, their destination Manila.
Up to IL o'clock Monday night State
Treasurer Cameron had not given any