Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-20
APECUL|AR CAMP A|Gh
Tom Johnson the Real Issue
in Ohio.
HIS NOVEL METHODS
BRYAN DECLINES TO SPEAK IN
THE STATE.
Prospect That the Republicans May
Lose One or Two Members
of Congress
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.


COLUMBUS. Ohio, October 20. 1867
The Ohio state campaign is peculiar. and
Tom johnson seems to be the only ISSUE
Controlling the democratic state convention
at Sandusky Mayor Johnson dictated al
the nominations. save that for food COM
missioner. and organizing his own state
committee. placed himself at the head of
it. Never before was party represented
r. completely In one man in any campaign
in this state. 1t is said that Mayor john
son is contributing practically all the money
hat is being used in the democratic state
campaign. That is very probable. 1t Is
always true in Ohio that the bulk of the
democratic campaingn funds comes from
wealthy contributors. Political assessments
are out of the question. There are no demo-
cratic office holders to assess.
Though the democratic state platform in
Gnrses the kansas City platform as whole.
and is all that William j. Bryan could wish.
little OF that is heard in the democratic
campaign speeches. So completely has the
Tree silver issue been dropped that such
gold democrats eX-Representative j. Fl.
Cultivate. who was al the head OF the gold
democratic organization in this state in
1875. ard Gilbert II. Barger, who left the
party for the same reason at the same time,
arr back in the harness and making demo-
cratic speeches.
Bryan was announced early In the cam
Daign to make number of speeches In
Ohio. but he has not come, and 1t is eyi-
dent that he is not to be here. The
republicans have circulated the report that
Bryan was invited to come to Ohio and ac
Ctpted the invitation, but subsequently de-
c!!ueI when he found that the nominal
chairman of the democratic state commit
dee, Harvey G. CARRIER, was an officer In the
Central Union Tele phone monopoly. This
is probably not true. but the fact remains
that Mr.. Bryan is not coming to Ohio. and
the chief democratic issues of 1896 put
III the background, if they are not In fact,
buried.
Position of Mr.. johnson.
Mayor Johnson is demanding In his
Speeches cheaper street railway transporta-
tiOu and increased taxation on railway
prop, rjy. He declares that all the county
auditors. who under Ohio laws. appraise
Ale property of railroad companies for tax
alton corrupt. He is street railway
owner himself and. while he urges that no
STREET railway franchise be granted except
uu condition that the company carry pas
s.uS-Us for Scent fares, his roads have al
ways charged more when permitted to do
so When his attention is called to this he
irtnky acknowledges 1t. and says he was
"',N taking advantage of an opportunity
thar should not have been offered, but be
iIs uncrvd. some body else would have taken
advantage of it If he had not.
tH" tact that since the campaign has been
O. The question Of curing an invalid Gin
c.HuJt franchise, permitting the company
i" charge J-cent fares. came up in the spe-
ciJl session of the legislature was made the
mos - by Mayor Johnson. He denounced
tn curative proposition as an infamous
thu =. and when eight democrats voted for
l. did not hesitate TO read them out of
The party.
Tw" weeks ago Mayor Johnson spoke in
this city He made in his speech an attack
ur"H the present methods of railroad ap-
Punishment and gave figures to show that
a trunk line passing through Ohio paid
NOR" taxes in Indiana than il did in Ohio,
his point being that il permitted to
'beat" the Ohio taxation laws. 1t hap
peu"l that John II. Clark of Cleveland
who WAS to speak with him and was sit
ting on the platform at the time. was the
attorney for this railway company, and
inmedia tely contradicted Mr. Johnson
showing that while the appraisement was
lower in Ohio than it was in Indiana. the
tax rate was higher in Ohio. and SO the
company paid more taxes in Ohio than it
ola in the sister state