The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1903-09-25
JOHNSON TALKS 4
STRAIGHT FROM I
THE SHOULDER
q . m o G cratic Leader
Drives Home Some
Hard Facts. 4
A WORD TO HANNA and CLARKE
Special to News-Democrat.

attractions in the way Of church fes-
tival and regimental reunion of vet
Grams Of the civil war seemed to have
no effect on the attendance at the Tom
L. johnson tent meeting at this place
last night. Between $500 and 1000 peo-
pie we're assembled under the canvas
which was pitched on the public square
adjoining the court house. Before the
meeting ended nearly all the veterans
attending the reunion had come In
and there seemed to be many Demo-
Gratis among them.
Mr.. Johnson was alone at the meet
ing, except for Peter Witt, who gives
pitcure talks on taxation that have
been making an immense hit during
the past two weeks. John H. Clarke
Senator Hanna's opponent for the
United States senatorship, went to
Cleveland Tuesday, but will speak a.
the meeting at Chillicothe tonight. AS
on the evening previous, Mr.. johnson
devoted little Of his speech to the
speeches of Senator Hanna and others
made at the Republican opening at
Chillicothe last Saturday, and theE
went on with his usual exposition Of
the principles for which the Demo-
cratic party stands in this campaign.
Both Mr.. johnson and Mr.. Clarke ap-
pear to take the view that there was
nothing in the Chillicothe speeches
worth their serious consideration.
I'VE present facts" said Mr.. John.
son, which, II Mr. Hanna answered
at all, he would have to admit to be
true. He makes no answer to ouI
charges and he offers no arguments
all he does is throw mud and call
names. Does he believe that the voters
Of Ohio are to be SO easily deluded? +?
We stand ready at any time to debate
with Senator Hanna or his representa-
tive the issues of this campaign. The
people are to decide which party will
best represent their interests: Would
not the people be materially helped te
right conclusion by a series of joint
debates between the representatives
of the two parties. Senator Hanna
says that the Republican party stands
for all that is right, and the Demo-
cratic party for all that is wrong;
Senator Hanna Is an able man and an
eloquent speaker-if he honestly be-
lieves what he says, why is 1t that he
SO persistently refuses to meet us and
discuss these questions? The fact Of
the matter is that Senator Hanna
knows that II forced into a position
where he could not get away he would
have to admit as true the things we
say or he would have to deny them as
false. Either way he answered would
be fatal to his ambitions. So he goes
a long way of, buys special trains to
bring his audiences to him, hires bands
to make noise and calls names. He
says the Democratic platform is made
of anarchism, populism and socialism.
We demand that not part, but all, the
people Of Ohio shall ride on steam
railroads for two cents mile as they
do in New York state and as they do
on many of the railroads in little
Michigan. We say that the man with
80 cents shall have as cheap rate Of
fare as the man with $50. Senator
Hanna says that is anarchism. We de-
mand that the farmer and small home
owner shall pay his own taxes only;
not his own and some other fellows
too. Senator Hanna says that is pop
ulicu Va dou,opd tho tho foo sue
tenn in county Offices, whereby some
men in this state are drawing more
money from the taxpayers than is paid
to the president of the United States
shall be abolished. Senator Hanna
says that is socialism. Let Senator
Hanna say, II he dare, that he does not
believe that all the people OF Ohio
should ride for two cents a mile; let
him say that the farmers and small
home owners are not paying more
than their share Of the tax burden; let
him say that the fee system is a good
thing fer the people-he may call
those doctrines what he likes, but let
him say that they are bad for the
people to have-two cents a mile,
equalization of taxes and an economi-
cal salary system IN county Offices.
and the defeat of the whole Republi-
can ticket is as certain as that the
sun will rise tomorrow"
do you think you are going to win
this fall?" cried voice from the audi
ence.
Il don't know" replied the mayor,
raising his voice to powerful pitch.
but do know that II the masses OF
the people win think for themselves; /;
II they will weigh carefully the Ques-
lions at stake in this campGign-I
know that we'll win. We are carry