The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-10-16
NUMBER s3
SOLDIERS SPEAK NOW.
Can Return Johnson's Words,
81 Have no Use For Soldiers"
Cleveland Mayor on Three Memorial
Days Manages to Miss Reviewing
the Parade-No Help For G. A. n.
National Week In Cleveiand-No
Money For Flags.

When the soldiers of Ohio and their
innumerable company of friends re-
alize that Tom L. Johnson has been
more outspokenly hostile to them
than any public man in this soldier
state. they will also realize that in his
present candidacy for governor of
Ohio it is up to them to treat him as
he deserves They ought, in justice to
themselves and the great cause that
they represent, to stir themselves to
make the majority against him the
biggest that possibly can be piled up.
Other men may have said sighting
IDings about the soldiers in the excite
ment of war times. or under the pro-
vocation of some special feeling, John
son has been systematic and unchang-
ing in his ill-will against the brave
boys in the American uniform, net
only of the Union army, but also of
the Spanish-American war
What other mayor of any Ohio city
for three years in succession has sys-
| tematically failed to do his part as
chief magistrate of the city in the
"
sacred to all who have fallen, and with
its precious associations binding anew
in a more perfect union all sections
and elements of the country? And
yet, this is just what Johnson has
done every year since he was mayor OF
| Cleveland. On the last occasion he
hadn't even the grace to go out OF
| town And having refused to review
the parade as mayor. he sat around in
his automobile not far away. itself an
added insult.
/ When the Grand Army of all the
states held its national reunion in
| Cleveland in 1901, neither the fact that
1t was a patriotic celebration, nor that
1t was a great civic occasion. touched
the mayor of Cleveland at all. He
was about the only prominent man in
the entire city who refused TO con-
tribute anything for the expense OF
that great reunion And yet, he boasts
| of his wealth and it is frequently es-
timated to be a thousand times the
amount which he returns for taxation
under oath.
| On another occasion, Mr.. Johnson
said when asked for a small gift with
OF the Cleveland G. A R posts, Il
don't take any stock in that kind OF
business. / have more important
t..ngs on hand than the G. A. R.. and
have no money to give for flags.
Post Commander Allen, to whom he
made the speech, replied very properly
that the men who constituted the G.
A R. from 1861 until 1865. made ii
possible for him, Johnson. to occupy
the chair of mayor that he is filling
The same sort of spite was shown
| towards the Spanish-American sol
diers when johnson was asked, on
April %. 1902, to fill the engagement
to deliver the address of welcome as
mayor at the reception and banquet
in honor of the return to Cleveland ol
a great company of her citizen sol.
dlers who had fought for the United
States in the Philippine islands. On
that occasion, medals commemorative
tneir valor were given to 2S9 Cleve
land soldiers, just returned from theil
| arduous service in the Philippines II
was a lady who talked with Mr.. John
son. and he told her he would proba
bly, be out of town. while in fact h'
STAYED at home that evening. She re
. minded him that his name was pub
lished on the program, and it was to-
, late to change it Then the mayo
said: We'll. you can have any on
of my directors, but l won't be there
, because you know | have no use TO
the soldier anyway"
Now it is the turn for the soldier
to speak and act. They can sho'
, | Mayor johnson in the campaign, an
| at the polls that they have no use 70
4 | him anyway
. EDITORIAL ETCHINGS.