The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-09-26
HOW TOM JOHNSON FLOORED
THEM,

The Republicans in Ohio talk very con-
fldently about burying Tom johnson I'M
der weight of one hundred thousand
adverse majority. About a year ago Mr..
Hanna and all of his partisans were talk
ing about beating Tom johnson for
mayor of Cleveland. 1t is a Republican
city on all elections except when Tom
johnson is a candidate and he never
fails to carry it. If he can make gains
III the other portions of the State their
predictions as to his gubernatorial pros
poets will niscarry just as their predc
lions did about his mayorality campaign
So mote it be.
But, whether he wins or not, the breezy
able and honest Tom johnson IS giving
the Republicans a scare and getting the
best of them at every point of issue dur
ing the campaign. The story of how Mr..
Johnson turned the latest Republican
charge into a boomerang has been caus-
ing Hanna & Co., many an unpleasant
hour. The story runneth thus:
The city council of Cleveland recently
voted unanimously to refer to a vote of
the people, at special election, the pro-
pcsal of building municipal electric
lighting plant. This election was prohibi-
ted by an Injunction issued by the State
Supreme court at the instance of the
private interests concerned, one of the
reasons advanced being that only one
election booth to each city ward was pro-
vided for the special election instead of
one to each precinct. This provision gave
a bad appearance to the johnson move
ment for a step in municipal ownership,
and at one of Johnson's meetings the
other day political opponent questioned
him sharply about it. This was the may
cr'S reply
'The reason why we provided only one
booth in each ward is that the Republican
Legislature, which passed the Lo1gworth
act, provided that in special elections
there should be but one booth to
ward. 1t was a foolish and ridiculous
provision land it was not until very re-
reason is this: The people of Cincinnati
own steam railroad, the Cincinnati
Southern. Some time ago the Republican
boss, Cox, cooked up a deal to sell this
railroad. The people voted upon the prop
osition. There was a booth in each pre-
cinct and the proposition was defeated.
Then Cox had Republican Legislature
pass the Longworth law providing that
for special elections there should be but
one booth in each ward. He hoped that
he might at some future time, put through
the deal by this method of keeping the
people from voting. This, my friends,
is the reason why we could have only one
booth to a ward in Cleveland
If Ohio prefers Hanna, the arch cor
ruptionist of the twentieth century, and
Cox, a meaner boss than ever cursed New
York city or Philadelphia, to men of the
Tom Johnson standard of public service
and public morals-if Ohio prefers cor
ruption and subserviency to trusts, then it
will vote the Republican ticket at the next
election. If it wishes equality in public
burdens and government i'll tho interest
of all the people, it will elect Johnson
Governor and send Clark 70 the Senate
to succeed Hanna. 1t is the people of Ohio
who are on trial-on trial to see whether
they have abdicated their right to rule
and turned it over to the Hannas, the
Coxes and other representatives of graft.