Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-20
APECUL|AR CAMPAIGN
Tom Johnson the Real Issue
in Ohio.
HIS NOVEL METHODS
BRYAN DECLINES TO SPEAK In
THE STATE.
Prospect That the Republicans May
Lose One OF Two Members
of Congress.

COLUMBUS. Ohio October 70. 1VS
The Ohio state campaign is peculiar. ana
Tom johnson seems TO be the only ISSUE
controlling the democratic state convention
at Sandusky. Mayor Johnson dictated al
1he nominations save that for food COM
missioner and organizing his own state
committee. placed himself at the head OF
il. Never before a party represented
80 completely In one man in any campaign
in this state. 1t is said that Mayor john
son is contributing practically all the money
that is being used in the democratic state
campaign. That is very probable 1t is
always true in Ohio that the bulk of the
democratic campaingn funds comes from
wealthy contributors. Political assessments
are out of the question. There are no demo-
cratic office holders to assess.
Though the democratic state platform in
Gorses the Kansas City platform as a whole.
and is all that William j. Bryan could wish.
little OF that is heard in the democratic
campaign speeches. So completely has the
Tree silver issue been dropped that such
gold democrats eX-Representative j. ii.
Cultivate. who was at the head of the gold
democratic organization in this state in
1875. and Gilbert II. Barger. who left the
party for the same reason at the same time,
bick in the harness and making demo-
cratic speeches
BRYAN was announced early in the cam
Ohio. but he has not come. and 1t is eyt-
deIt row that he is not to be here The
republicans have circulated the report that
Bryan was invited 10 come to Ohio and &C
Ctpted the invitation. but subsequently de-
Ciiucd when he found that the nominal
chairman of the democratic state commit
lee, Harvey c. CARRIER was officer In the
Central Union Telepho monopoly. This
is probably not true. but the fact remains
that Mr.. Bryan is not coming to Ohio. and
The chief democratic issues of 1896 put
III the background, if they are not, In fact.
Position of Mr. johnson.
Mayor Johnson is demanding in his
Speeches cheaper street railway transporta-
ton and increased taxation railway
property. He declares that all the county
auditors. who. under Ohio laws appraise
Ihc property of railroad companies for tax
alton. are corrupt. He is a street railway
owner himself, and, while he urges that
Street railway franchise be granted except
ur condition that the company carry pas
scugers for Scent fares his roads have al
ways charged more when permitted to do
so. When his attention is called to this he
frankly acknowledges 1t, and says he was
"!N taking advantage of an opportunity
THAI should not have been offered but be
ing offered. somebody else would have taken
advantage of it If he had not.
The fact that since the campaign has been
o. The question Of curing an invalid Gin
c.auLi franchise, permitting the company
/" charge J-cent fares, came up in the spe-
cjLi session of the legislature was made the
m"sj If hy Mayor Johnson. He denounced
tn curative proposition as an infamous
thi! :. and when eight democrats voted for
Il h did not hesitate to read them out of
thu party.
TWO weeks ago Mayor johnson spoke in
this city. He made in his speech an attack
upon the present methods of railroad APP
Irals@meHt, and gave figures to show that
trunk line passing through Ohio paid
more taxes in Indiana than it did in Ohio.
his point being that il was permitted to
beat the Ohio taxation laws. 1t hap
p'u"d that John H Clark of Cleveland.
who WAS to speak with him and was sit
ting on the platform at the time. was the
attorney for this railway company, and
inmedia tely contradicted Mr.. Johnson,
showing that while the appra isement was
lower in Ohio than 1t was in Indiana. the
tax rate was higher in Ohio. and so the
company paid more taxes In Ohio than it
old in the sister state.