Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1902-09-05
THE ISSUE IN OHIO.

SIS T
THE ISSUE IN OHIO sf
The political issue in Ohio this yearis mt
nicipai ownership. The issue has been forced
by Mayor Tom L. johnson, of Cleveland who
is the champion of three.cent fares on street
railways and an advocate of municipal owner
ship. Mark Hanna, on the other hand, favors
a perpetual franchise, giving corporations a
continues power to occupy the public highway,
free, and to fleece the people "worlds without
end"
The Democrats held their state convention
at Cedar Point, Wednesday, and were addressed
by Tom L. Johnson, who, in his speech, fired the
convention with enthusiasm. Mr.. Johnson
prepared the platform, anG it was adopted.
Following are the main features of the plat
form:
Endorsement of the Kansas City plat
form.
Creation of assessing boards that will as
sess all property at not less than its salable
value.
A separation of the sources of state and
local revenue.
To require public corporations to make
sworn public reports.
Acceptance of free passes or other favors
from railroads to be adequate cause for re-
moval of officers receiving them.
To demand the right of peaceful persua-
sion in times of labot disturbances.
Home rule for cities.
Merit system in city governments, es-
pecially in fire and police departments.
All ordinances affecting grants and fran
chises to public service corporations to be
voted on by the people.
Election of United States senators by
popular vote. Until such All amendmen mt
can be had, the selection of senators by
state conventions.
Mr.. Johnson was made temporary chairman
of the convention, and, in assuming the chair,
he said
"The principles of Democracy, always old,
but never obsolete, confront us to-day, both in
local and national questions.
zone of these national questions relates to
trusts. For this evil our adv ersaries advise
publicity as the remedy. Publicity That
might protect investors against fraud but how
could it protect the public against monopoly,
which is the basis of trusts? Men whose in
comes have increased but little OF not at ALL but
whose living expenses have increased enor-
mously-why should they care for publicity?
What is needed is not examinations of the &C.
count books of the trusts; it is the sweeping OF
monopol1es from the statute books of the people,
"The money question is also aational And
let me tell YOU this is no dead issue, as some
would have us believe. Dead though it may
be in one form, it is alive in other and more
radical. So long as Wall street interests dc
tate our financial policies, the money question
cannot die. You know that l have never &C.
cepted the doctrine commonly known as 'I6 to
to- I have worked With those who do accept
it because 1 have believed, as 7 believe yet,
that the free.silver fight was the first great pro-
test of the American people against monopoly
the GTst great struggle here of tie masses
against the privileged classes. 1t is not free
silver that frightened the plutocratic leaders.
What they feared was free men.
awe have in national politics also the vital
question of self-government. Shall we COIL
tinue to govern distant colonies from Washing
ton, as distant provinces were governed by in-
perial Rome before her fall, and as crown colo.
MES are governed by the British empire to.day2
That question also is at bottom monopoly
question. There would be no subject colonies
if colonies COULD give no monopoly franchises. "
--aeHszs.r---
YOUNG TEDDY ROOSEVELT is following in
the footsteps of his strenuous father-~he is on
a., fo.N Ho