The Tucson citizen., 1902-08-19

THE TUG SON CITIZEN,
lowed to stand. The Republican State
board Of assessors and appraisers, sit
ting as board of revision, remitted all
the additional assessments, and the
city of Cleveland was deprived of
about $450,000 of taxes upon which it
relied for public improvements this
year. Mayor Johnson contested the
action of the State board in the courts.
The decision has been against him. The
Republicans control the court. and the
corporation magnates seemingly prefer
anarchy to equal taxation. The su-
preme court in desperate effort to
save thes corporations from paying
taxes held that the charter of Cleve-
fand was unconstitutional. as it was
obtained by special legislation" AS
the charter of nearly every city in
Ohio was obtained in the same way,
| it appears from the courts decision
that there are few if any municipal
governments in Ohio which are not
illegal. 1t will thus be seen that the
Republican friends of the corporations
scored handsomely in the preliminary
fight against the reform mayor of
Cleveland
The Hon Tom L. Johnson may be
as eccentric" as the defenders of COR
porations represent him, but he is not
gutter, and he can do things. He
has recently won a notable victory for
his cheap-fare street railway project.
Flushed with this triumph against
combined capital, he will go to the
State capital when the legislature
convenes in extra session next Monday
and make a fight for the right of the
tions the measure of taxation which
their resources warrant. It is an
nounced that Sc nator Hanna will also
go to the State capital and establish
headquarters, and with the aid of the
Republican majorities in both branches
of the legislature he hopes to dig the
political grave of Tom Johnson. 1t
will be a contest that will gladden. the
hearts of all who love combatss to a
finish between the heavyweights of the
political prize ring. Mr.. Hanna IS
confident Of his ability to defeat Mayor
Johnson and to put an end to his
| heartless schemes to make the corpora
tions pay taxes in the same proportion
as individual owners of real estate and
! personal property. But it is whis-
pered that there are Republicans in
Ohio who mpathize-secretly, per-
hops-with the brave mayor of Cleve-
/ land, and that they will not rally
unanimously to Hanna's support in
the legislature.
1t is intimated that Senator Foraker,
who has never been very warm ad-
mirer of Senator Hanna, although of
the same political faith, is encouraging g
the growth among Republicans of rev.
olutionary notions about the taxation
of corporations. The situation is nov
/ Ell and interesting. 1t is a pity that
the chairman of the Republican ma
tional committee should have TO exert
himself in the dog days to overthrow
of 40
the resourceful and audacious John
son. But the Republican boss does
not spare himself in the cause of his
friends. He is in the saddle, all
booted and spurred, and the din of
the battle will soon be heard in the
! Buckeye State. The downtrodden
corporations who are seeking to evade
taxation have stout champion in the
leader of the Republican party.
In the meantime the people should
keep their eyes on Tom Johnson. He
is one of the biggest and boldest men
in the country, He can do things.
He is full of resource. He is a great
! Democrat. He is as eager in the SER
vice OF, the people as Hanna is in the
service of the corporations. Tom
Lotion Johnson's name may be quie
| familiar about the time the next Dem
ocratic national convention convenes,
if the Democratic masses want lead
er of capacity and courage.
--O----
1t isn't split which the Cuban reci-