The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-10-27
STANDARD MERCY
Tom Johnson Put His Town
Forever and For Nothing.
A Perpetual, Free Franchise For Nat
uraI or Artificial Gas Given In Spite
Of Public Protests and In Defiance
Of His Own Professions.

OF HIS Own Professions.
While grass grows and water runs.
as the old title deeds used TO say, or
at least as long as the Standard Oil
company, its heirs and assigns and
successors. shall hold its grip upon
things on this earth, Just SO long will
the city Of Cleveland and all her peo-
pie be at the mercy OF that corpora
ton in the matter of their supply OF
natural gas for any use. This fran
chise is not only perpetual. but 1t Is
practically free. No consideration of
any marked value was given the city
for granting il and there is nothing
particular to be paid for 1t from year
to year beyond the ordinary taxes, the
same as those of any other public SER
vice corporation. No. that is not quite
correct. Other public service corpora
tions are paying special prices for
their privileges. The highest pay
ment known in the state, at least, is
by the Cincinnati street railroads OF
6 per cent upon their gross receipts.
This amounts to about $3.50, 900 a year
already. in addition to their regular
taxes. and beside that they are obli-
gated to pave and keep in condition
about twenty feet wide OF every street
where they have tracks. itself an item
Of many thousands yearly. This is un.
der the curative act" that Mr.. John
son has made such a noise about.
And yet IL is this same Mr.. John
son who gave this perpetual and fres
franchise to the East Ohio Gas com.
pany, or the Standard Oil company in
lne city of Cleveland. He did 1t. too
knowing that II was a perpetual fran.
chise, for that had been stated at 9
public meeting in his presence by thai
eminent Democrat and lawyer, virgi
p. Kline. When the question wa.
squarely asked of Mr.. Kline, he wa:
too honorable a man to withhold {
correct answer.
johnson also insisted upon rushing
this franchise through. in spite of pub
lie protest; apparently, because o
public protest. He makes a great aS,
in his talks about permitting the peo
pie to pass upon all public service
franchises and that is a plank in tn,
johnson platform. In this case tn
| people of Cleveland were protesting
with all their power against action II
the matter that should be hasty o
| prejudicial to the public interests
The Chamber of Commerce, as the rep
resentative body both of business me-
and citizens at large. asked for tim
enough for thorough investigation an
proposed certain amendments to safe
guard the general interests. withou
giving any chance for considerin
these things Johnson drove the fran
chise through the city council unde
his kind of home rule" methods.
Thus he has fastened forever a fire
franchise upon the city of Cleveland
bestowing upon the Standard Oil com
pany vastly valuable special privilege:
Every point of this performance is
open and fragrant defiance of ever
profession that this man has mad
upon the stump or anywhere else 4
his campaign before the people G
Ohio. 1t is no answer in his behal
to say that Cleveland voted him in a
mayor again after all this. His secon
election was in spite of these thing
and is no reason at all why the pee
pie Of Ohio should condone such a
offense or combination of offense
against the public welfare.