The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1902-09-05

leaders OF the Republican party IN TINS
state have exposed their willingness
to guard and, defend the interests Of
privilege and monopoly at the expense
Of the unprivileged people. say Re-
publican leaders, because do not be-
lieve that this partnership with mon
opoly is approved by the Republican
masses. Acting for monopoly inter-
ests, the state officials and the mem
bers of the dominant party in the
Legislature have defeated all legisla-
tion looking to the correction OF in
equalities in taxation. Incontestable
proof was furnished them that the
steam railroads and the other public
service corporations together are evad-
ing payment Of their just share Of tax
alton, as compared with home own
ers and farmers, to the extent OF not
less than $6,000,000 or $7,000,000 u
year. The facts are conceded. Yet
every attempt to correct this manifest
inequality has been defeated. State
boards, composed OF Republicans,
stand in the way under the present
law, and the Republican majority in
the legislature stands in. the way, OF
making remedial laws. y" '.
"If further proof Of this corrupt
partnership be desired, turn to the ex-
perience of the city of Cleveland dur
ing the past year and half. The
city board of equalization raised the
valuation Of the local. public service
corporations nearly $20,000,000. This
brought 1t up from per cent to 60
per cent of It's market value, which Is
the customary basis Of valuation in
ordinary cases. But a state board,
composed of-the governor, the attor-
ney general and the state auditor,
wiped that assessment out, leaving
these corporations to make their own
assessments; and the Republicans in
the legislature legislated the faithful
city board of existence. In place
of that board a new city board has
been appointed by the same state Of
ficials. 1t is composed Of men who
can be trusted to guard monopoly In
terests. The old city board of equal
ization was, not alone in offending the
monopolists. The city council Offend
ed also. 1t provided for street Car
system with three-cent fares and ulti-
mate ownership by the city. Govern
ment by injunction was thereupon
brought into play. The Cleveland
council is now enjoined from grant
ing street car franchises with low
fares, while every other city in the
state is at liberty to grant street car
franchises with high fares.
when 1t was discovered that the
city government of Cleveland could be
neither bought nor browbeaten, the
Republican attorney-general was ap-
pealed to by the frightened monopo-
lists, and he brought an custer suit
We have heard of ripper legislation;
this was. ripper litigation. cleveland
had confessedly the best city charter
in Ohio. 1t had been granted by
Republican legislature of dozen years
ago, to whom the credit belongs, and
both the Republican and Democratic
masses Of Cleyeland approved 1t. No
attempt was made to break that char
ter until the people elected an admin
istration that dared question the priv
ileges of the public service corpora
tions. Then 1t was assailed by the
Republican politicians, spurred on by
monopolists, and the attorney-general
asked the supreme court of the state
to declare 1t unconstitutional That
court did so. But 1t did not stop
charter system of Ohio invalid. For
vened in special session to frame a
general municipal code. re
"In so far as the Republican lead
ers aim to makeaa proper system Of
municipal government they should
have the cordial support of every
Democratic member of the legislature.
But IL, as now seems certain, they try
to foist upon our municipalities a sys
tenn of board rule, their work ought
to be condemned by the good citizens
Of all parties. For board rule means
boss rule in its worst sense, as every-
body must know who knows how Gin
cinnati is governed. Board rule, d.
vided responsibility, control from the
state capitol, that Is the system that
creates and maintains hopeless civic
conditions In Cincinnati The little
finger Of the boss is stronger than
the loins of the people. But under
home rule, under the federal plan,
which Cleveland had until ripper liti-
cation had done it's work, no boss had
been able to hold out against public
sentiment. In Cincinnati, under the
boss and board ridden government,
fifty-year franchise was boldly
granted to the street railways, and
the same men are still in power; but
the mere attempt to make a twenty
fve-year grant in Cleveland swept
from Office every man who favored the
proposition from the chief executive
down. This illustrates the differences
between political leadership through
the manipulation of boards, and DO.
htical leadership directly subject to
the will of the people. h. "a
In framing our municipal code
there should be extraordinary vigilance
regarding franchises. especially those
Of street railways. The fact that the
street railway grants In Cleveland are
about to expire and that the latest ju-
dicial decision declares unconstitution-
al the fifty-year franchise in Cincin,
natl. makes the temptation great for
all the powerful public service cor