The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1902-02-07
THOMAS L. JOHNSON,
Starts Life a Charleston, South
Carolina, Newsboy.
Is Now a Multimillionaire, Serving
His Country, FIR Pure Love
and Patriotism.


American recently commented on I
Knoxville Sentinel editorial by saying
THE Knoxville Sentinel thus touche,
up one of the greatest demagogues il
the country:
. Tom L.. johnson is now advocat-
ing cent fare. 1t might be more
popular even to advocate 1 cent fare
and if it's the thing TO be demagogue,
be sure enough big one.
Any man who strives for the better
ment of social conditions and in
cidentally attacks the strongholds OF
privilege, is pretty apt to be stigma
tized by those of plutocratic instincts
as crank and demagogue. If there
is likelihood of him securing public
hearing, the organs of privilege, fail
ing to meet his argument, seek to dis
arm him by venomouos misrepresenta-
tion and cheap ridicule. They strive to
down in maelstrom of invective the
Altgelds and Pingrees, true friends
of the people, while they exalt the
Clevelands, Germans, Hills and
Hannas
| 1t is doubtful if johnson advocated 2
cent fares as the Sentinel asserts and
the American assumes. Only few
weeks since, at meeting of the City
Council of Cleveland, Ohio. he stated
his conviction that any fare below 3
cents would be unremunerative. The
2-cent fare proposition is probably
hgment of the Sentinels imagination
OF course johnson could make mil
lions out of a 2-cent fare in Greater
New York, where passengers are now
carried at a cost of cents, leaving 81
cents clear profit. Lower fares would
increase traffic out of proportion to
increased cost.
Mayor johnson disposed of street
railways in various American
cities for considerably in excess
of $50 900, 600 His brother, the
late Albert L. johnson, applied for
franchises on the unused streets of
Philadelphia, offering the people Scent
fares. The politicians headed him off |
by granting to themselves all unap-
franchises. He was con-
an electric line between New
York and Philadelphia He proposed to
carry passengers at go miles an hour
between these points for 80 cents one
fifth of the present fare. He remarked
that he would be ashamed to let people
know how much he thought he could
make ON this line at a 25-cent fare, and
FULLY intended ultimately to reduce the
ARE to cents, or one fiftieth that now
charged. His Allentown road con-
lected go towns and villages and he
to put the fare bteween Allen :
own and Philadelphia down to so
,ents to begin with. The present fare l
S 81. 80. The cost of transporting coal !
rom the anthracite regions to tide =,
water is now dollar or more per ton.
Albert Johnson saw millions of profit 1
t % cents ton. He believed an
lectric line could make money carry Y
ng passengers between New York and L
cleveland at 40 cents. That would be v
t twenty dollars. This daring genius a
vas cut down last year in the prime q
life, before his plans were fulfilled. h
lie secured franchise in England
} connect London and Brighton. He y
roposed to cut fares to less than !,
nird of those now charged. Il
Tom l.. Johnson starting in life as G.
newsboy in Charleston, S. c., mil y y
onaire at 30, multimillionaire at n
), with the prospect of becoming one ii
the very wealthiest men in America,
nose to forego further riches and :,
evote his life to the people. In g.
nblic address in New York three .
ears ago he said II shall not give pl
y money to churches or charitable =
After providing we'll for h,
y family, shall devote the remainder pr
my fortune and my life and what
Tents l possess to teaching the people r
wv l and others like me are robbing m
em and how to prevent it. I" A year st
70 he severed all business connexions az
ID began to make his word good. ne
ence the walls of the defenders of hs
ivilege. He will he discredited and
aligned. misrepresentation on and W
'use, ridicule and calumny will be b v
S portion. But that won phase Tom
hnson. Mud-slinging can't hut OF
m. He will grow in the estimation tu
the American people. CAIUS. -,
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