Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-09-04
TOM JOHNSON I'm 1904.
HIS BOOM THE GREAT FEATURE OF.
OHIO CONVENTION.
He WON OUT EVERYWHERE.

CURED authorizations Re-
affirming the Kansas City Decln-
rntIon-Johnson Will Make Tent
Campaign.
CEDAR POINT, Via sANDUsKY, O.,
September 3-The ticket:
Secretary OF state-Rev. Herbert s.
| Bigelow, of Cincinnati
Supreme Judge-Michael Donnelley, Of
Napoleon.
Food and Dairy Commissioner-Philip
II. Bruck, Of Columbus.
Member of State Board of Public Works
John J. Patten, of Hamilton.
The Democratic State convention was
practically the occasion Of booming It's
presiding officer Mayor Tom l.. johnson,
for the presidency, and of introducing
into Ohio politics Rev. Herbert Blgelo",
pastor of the Vine-Street Congregational
church, at Cincinnati. The former has
been conspicuousy before the public as
Congressman and delegate to national and
other conventions for years, but the lat
ter was not so we'll known. He was made
standard-bearer of his party and made
speech of acceptance that was received
with unusual enthusiasm. Bigelow is 80
years old, Congregationalist in his
creed, and is a popular lecturer and
preacher.
BigIow is an Orator.
The session lasted less than three hours
and had only one ballot, most of the
time being devoted to speeches, and that
of Rev. Mr. Bigelow was considered the
feature of the occasion.
In presenting the name of candidates
and in secondng the same and in accept
ing nominations, over a score Of orators
were heard. but none of them command
ed more attention, not excepting the key
note of Chairman Johnson, than the
young minister.
1t was a johnson convention through
out, although Mr.. Johnson himself was
more conciliatory to-day than at the pre-
liminary meetings of the past two days.
The Dla tform was adopted as it came
from him through the committee.
The Presidential Boom.
The State Central and Executive Com
mttees, were both organized as he sug-
gested, and the State ticket, with sin
gle exception, that Of Bruck for Food
Commissioner. was nominated by accla-
nation, as slated by the johnson men.
All the proceedings were conducted with
dispatch in accordance with what was
known as the johnson programme and
the chairman was made the hero Of the
day in every possible form of demonstra-
ton. Men passed through the audience
and the commodious grounds of the sum-
mer resorts with valises full Of buttons
bearing the picture OF the chairman of the
convention and the inscription '"Tom l..
Johnson, in 1904
Mayor Johnson, with his big tent, opens
the campaign at Lorraine next Saturday,
and the convention voted to have delega-
tons present from as many counties as
possible. Chairman Frey stated that the
State Committee already had arranged to
have Bigelow speak in every county and
that Johnson and Bigelow would now
fill engagements every day and night I'M
til after the November election.
THE PLATFORM.
The platform adopted reaffirms the
principles Of the Kansas City platform
faithfully and ably represented in the
presidential campaign of 1900 by Will
liam Jennings Bryan" and condemns
any effort to repudiate those principles.
It then makes a specific statement of
principles, substantially as follows:
alton all property should be appraised
at not less than it's saleable value
.. That the present laws for assessing
the property of steam railways and other
service corpora tons should be SO changed
as to compel the Assessment those
properties at not less than their sale
able value, as going concerns.
8. That to prevent evasion of State
taxes by discriminating valuations, IL
separation Of the sources of the State and
local revenues should be made.
4. That all public service corporations
should be required by law to make sworn
public reports and that the power of
visitation and examination over such
corporations should be given to the proper
auditing officers, 10 the end that the due
value of the privileges held by such cor
porations may be made plain to the PEG
pie.
NO FREE PASSES.
5. That the acceptance of free passes
or other favors by representative public
officers, or employees should be adequate
ground for their removal from Office
6. That the denial of the right OF peace
cble persuasion in times Of labor DIS
turbance is a denial of the right of free
speech and that government by injuno-
ton, If persisted in will wreck the libe.-
ties of the people.
Z. That we demand the enactment of
a code which provides absolute home
rule for municipalities which shall incluc,.
the right to establish the merit system.
S. That we condemn the vicious anu
corrupt bargain between the bosses or
Cincinnati and Ohios United States sena-
tors to force through the Legislature q
code that will foist upon the nlunicipall-
ties of Ohio Cincinnati's form of gov
eminent, in order that the power of this
boss may be preserved on the one hana,
and that on the other will perpetuate
existing street railway franchises.
NO PERPETUAL FRANCHISES.
9. The municipal code should protect
against all clauses which may be placed
therein, in the special interest of the pub
lie service, monopolies by requiring that
all ordinances granting, renewing. ex-
tending, or modifying franchises shall be
imperative until confirmed by a majority
vote Of thepeople of the municipality and
we are unalterably opposed to the gram
ing of any perpetual franchise
TO- That until United States senators
are required by an amendment of the
United States Constitution to be elected
by popular vote nominations for senator's
should be made by State. convention.