The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1902-09-12
TOM JOHNSON OF OHIO.
Son OF Confederate soldier.-Penni-
less at Close of War, Now .
Iti-Mllnonaire.

Multi Millionaire.
Editor Herald The Atlanta News
remarks. THE Ohio Democratic con-
vention is ali johnson. Whether, how
ever. il is or not Too Much johnson
differs according to standpoints-
To the McLeanites and to the dlsor-
ganizers. plutocrsts and privileged
Glasses generally throughout the coun-
try, it Is plainly case Of TOO Much
Johnson. But the unprivileged
masses, who are the victims OF innu-
merable private taxing powers. cannot
have ''too much" Of good thing.
Twelve years ago johnson was
elected to Congress as an absolute free
trader from the rockribbed protection
stronghold of Cleveland. Ohio, where
even the Democrats were of the Sam
Randall (protection) stripe. by
handsome majority. In 1872, In spite
of Republican gerrymandering, ne
was reelected by decisive majority.
He wrote the tariff plank OF the Ma
tional Democratic platform, In which
protection was denounced as rob
berry and fraud, and carried 1t In
open convention over the opposition
OF the formulators OF the cowardly
majority report, under the leadership
of Elk Secretary Villas. He had over a
million copies of the Congressional
Record Extra, containing "Protec-
ton or Free Trade, distributed
throughout the country. On hundred
Thousand were distributed in each of
the Central States of Ohio. Indiana,
Illinois. Michigan. Wisconsin and
Iowa. The unprecedented results In
those states justified the wisdom OF
his policy.
debate, on the Wilson tariff bill,
johnson proposed to break the power
of the steel rail pool, since developed
into the formidable Steel Trust, by
placing steel rails on the free list.
At this time johnson was himself
considerable manufacturer OF steel
rails, employing A, 800 men in his
.Johnstown mill, and later 1000 at
his new mill at Lorain. About half
of the Democratic representatives voted
with johnson, while the other half,
composing the conservative moss
backs of the party, under the leadership
of Wilson, voted against it. Johnson
declared that the Democratic party
had failed to carry out its platform
pledges and that it deserved defeat
and predicted that many years would
elapse before another Democratic al
ministration would be trusted with
mower. In 1894 johnson went down
in the Republican landslide. although
he ran from 1000 o Z, 900 ahead OF his
local ticket.
In Janaurv, 1899, Immediately after
selling his Brooklyn street railway Tor
1881. O00. 600, johnson declared In a
nublic address that he would dispose OF
all his business interests he had 3, 600
men on his payroll. and devote the
remainder of his life and his fortune
and what talents he possessed to teach-
ing the people how he and others ike
him were rObbing them, and how 10
prevent it, Two years later he an
nounced that ne was clear OF business
acknowledgements. A monster petition
was presented to him by the voters
o. Cleveland requesting him to stand
for the Mayoralty. His career since
then is fresh in the minds OF all
students of current political events.
Here was a son of a Confederate
officer, who had lost all in the war.
selling ..spapers on the streets OF
Charleston to support his mother ana
Younger brother. an inventor at IL,
and a street railway president at ~.
When he entered the street railway
field in Cleveland in opposition to
Mark Hanna. the latter was paying
his car men 81. 50 for 18 hours work.
johnson increased his mems wages to
30. 10 and cut their hours down to ten.
He paid his cheapest labor in the
Johnstown and Lovian mills S1.5O per
day, when his competitors. Carnegie,
the Cambria Iron Works, ETC., were
paying but IS cents. ~.
This is the type of man. true TIL
bune Of the people, a greater than
jefferson (who was probably the
greatest chief executive Of whom his
tory records) that the plutocracy
would misrepresent and discredit; he
is the only man who can lead the
Democratic party to victory, and
which is Of infinitely greater import
ance apply Democratic principles 70
our monopoly controlled government.
We can't have "Too much john
son" for the next ten years.