The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-08-28
TOM J0HNsON,--.THE MAN OF
THE H0UR.

The expected happened in Ohio and the
Democracy chose their ablest, fttest and
truest man as leader. tom" Johnson is
as breezy, brave, honest and devoted to
the welfare of the masses as was our
a newsboy. selling papers for living
in Louisville. Kentucky He is now sew
.eral times millionaire. Most of his
property has been made in street cars
and in the, iron business. But wealth has
not changed him. He stands for the same
policies that he supported when he was
without fame or fortune.
In a day when too many rich men
measure their politics by the dollar which
they wish increased by special privilege,
il is refreshing to see a man like Tom
Johnson, who demands, for himself and
everybody else, clear field and no favors.
AS an iron manufacturer his associates
told him that protection would put money
in his pocket. His reply was that he
could make money in an open market
and he didn't believe in taxing the whole
people to doubly enrich the iron manu-
faeturer He ran for Congress on a
free trade platform and won in a rock
ribbed Republican district. In Congress
NE stood with Roger @. Mills, VIM l..
Wilson, Benton Mcmillan and like genuine
tariff reformers. The city of Cleveland,
always Republican, was cursed with
ring" and graft rule. He was asked to
run for mayor. He was elected and gave
the city clean and progressive admins
tration, and though his townsman, Mark
Hanna, used every effort to compass his
big majority. He made fight to COM
pei street car companies, railroads, and
other corporations and wealthy individ-
uals pay taxes on a fair assessment,
and was defeated by the corporations
dominated State Board. If he is elected
Governor. the multi millionaire individ-
ual and corporation tax-dodgers must pay
fair taxation. They put up much Doodle
TO defeat him in Cleveland for mayor;
they viii pay tenfold more to defeat him
for Governor. The surest way for a
rich man to incur the wrath of rich tax
dodgers is to refuse to go in with them
to transfer the tax to those who are
least able to pay it. They hate johnson,
but honest men, whether rich or poor,
love him for the enemies he has made.
Tom Johnson is the most attractive
man in public life in the Central States.
lie has the readiness of Bryan on the
stump and the bubbling over humor and
devotion TO the peoples rights of Vance.
No man who knows him doubts his ability
or his integrity. His life is an open
book. He is the most unconventional
man in America. and speaks his mind
without reservation. He knows nothing
of gum shoe politics or evasion of plain
issues. He is straightforward, candid,
plains spoken. He totes his own skillet.
Nobody runs him. He is mayor. If chosen
chief executive, he would be Governor of
Ohio. Every citizen who had a right 20
a hearing would have his ear. He would
permit no wrong to any class. He Is a
demagoCue If jefferson, Jackson or Vance
was a demagogue. tor he is like them in
believing in the ability of the people to
govern themselves. He Is the type of
man hated by the trusts. as jefferson was
hated by those who wished to convert
the republic into a monarchy, and as
jackson was hated by those who wished
TO make the national bank greater than
the government The trusts, the mono
lists the tax-dodgers, the men who stand
for special privilege and graft in govern
ment-all these enemies OF good govern
ment are the opponents of Tom Johnson
And by the same token those who wish
TO see government returned to the sim
pie. equal and honest ways OF the fathers
hail him as a true leader in the crusade
against entrenched fayoritism.
There isn't a real Democrat IN Amer
lea who viii not wish Tom Johnson vic
tory in the contest in the rock-ribbed
Republican state, and who will rot glory
in his grit in throwing down the gage
OF battle to Mark Hanna, the prince o.
political corruptionists. in his own city
and State. lie has twice defeated hln
in the city of Cleveland. 1t would be &
victory for cleanness and good govern