Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-24
TALK ON SINGLE TAX
Speakers in Ohio Make It
an Issue.
,iLli
JOHNSON Is ANNOYED
BUT HE CANNOT IGNORE THE
MATTER.
Farmers Of the State Impressed With
Statement That Burden Would
Fall on Them.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

CLEVELAND, Ohio. October 23-Never
before has the single-tax system. with
which the name of Henry George Is always
connected been so widely discussed as it
Is in the present campaign in this state.
The single tax is heard from one end Of the
state to the other. Col Herrick, the re-
publican candidate for governor, says 1t is
the dominant issue of the campaign. His
opponent, Tom l.. johnson, himself an ar
dent single-taxer and the cause Of the ar
gument, says it is not an issue, but he
wishes it were.
Ever since johnson became prominent in
politics candid observers have said that his
well-known advocacy of the George tax
theory would prove milestone about his
neck should he ever try to enter the ma
tiOnal arena. johnson probably recognized
the handicap. and during the first part of
the present campaign he avoided mention
of the single tax. 1t would not down, how
ever. Some hostile or merely curious listen
er in tent meeting would PROFOUND
guileless question touching the single tax
and the candidates attitude on 1t. john
son Is no coward and makes 1t point al
ways to answer questions to the best Of his
ability. This willingness to discuss topic
perhaps personally distasteful to him for
reasons of policy soon opened the way to
almost daily consideration of the Henry
George doctrine.
Appeal to the Farmers.
The republicans have taken it up as
potent weapon to use among the farmers.
The farmers are told that the single tax
will make them pay all the taxes to sup
port the state and that bonds, merchants
stocks and all other forms of property will
entirely escape taxa alton. These state
ments are doubtlessly having an effect.
Johnson meanwhile is stoutly maintaining
that the discussion has nothing to do with
the election at hand. admitting all the time
&c cta Zoe low f< thn ND
casionaly relieving the monotOny by say
ing he hoped 20 see the day when the single
tax will be a political issue and he will be
at liberty to go among the farmers Of the
state and make them see that the adoption
of the single tax would be for their benefit.
Henry Georges book Is being picked to
pieces, page by page, by the Woodworking
letter writer's of the republican bureau in
manner that must be pleasing to the pub
fishers. A victory for johnson would,
rightly or wrongly. be considered by the
Henry Georgeites as a victory for them
the country over. ~
Senator Foraker is out of the fight prob
ably for the rest Of the campaign. A hard
cold developed into bronchitis at Sandusky
and he was ordered to his bed All his po-
litical engagements have been Cancelled,
and he will probably not appear again on
the stump this fall. The democrats are
saying that the most pleased man in the
state at HannaS defeat would be this same
Senator Foraker, and that the latter will
the stump for his colleague in the Senate.
The report was even started, absurd as 1t
seems, that Foraker was not i'll at all, but
only took that means of escaping further
part in a fight so distasteful to him.
Mayor Jones Has Asthma.
The democrats too, natef lost a valuable
speaker for the cause The non-part1san,
golden rule, man without party, Mayor
Jones of Toledo, has an attack of asthma,
a worse foe than either the republicans or
democrats have been able to nominate
against him during all his years In public
life Jones was to go out in the state TOT
Johnson and Clarke. and his absence is
felt 1t is feared by the democrats that
his enforced silence may lose Lucas coun-
ty to Clarke.
johnson made his first political prophecy
Thursday night, when he gave 1t as ms
candid opinion that Clarke would win. he
did not say how Herrick would fare. DICK
says the republicans will carry the state
for the head of the ticket by at ieast ~
600 salem says We'll win" Betting mere
in Cleveland is about 10 to in favor OF
Herrick, with lots Of republican money OF
fered and not taken.
A Cleveland labor union man nalneu
Schaeffer has been touring the state, WORK
ing among the unions against Clarke. ne
charges that Clarke, as attorney LOT tne
Nickel Plate, openly advocated blackllst.
Clarke till this week has lgnorep .,ie n,i n..
and the occasional evidences or MS mis-
sion. This week he answered SEE lener,
and among the milder terms applied ~ MN mn,
was liar" He says Schaener WIS iAo
breaker on a recent occasion.
Chairman Dicks Open Letters.
Chairman Dicks avalanche of open let
tiers continues daily. with ever lncreasihs
volume. They make good plate in n,'rsa
for the country weeklies, and are ol ceu ~ se
entirely ignored by the larger papers oI 'ilS
state. The Now, Mr.. Johnson style ot
areument pals somewhat on the nina OF
the regular reader of It, T.. 49,,
W. ]. Bryan made his appearance IN me
state again this week, making slhsle
speech. From the same platform IN me
same town spoke Hanna within forty-elght
hours The occasion seemed 70 ue'ialu
some reference to the famous Neprt 49,
and Uncle Mark rose to the OCCASION
with one of the firiest speeches or the cam.
paign He said he guessed Bryan mus.
have returned to Ohio this fall to attend
another democratic funeral. He sa" ualy
evidences of an approaching event or that
nature. Hanna is standing up well under
the stress of the hard campaign, and does
not appear like man whom the DOCTORS
was i'll just as the campaign opened.
One of the surprises of the campaign to
those outside the ohnson managers was
the appearance : -incinnau this week OF
Judson Harmon. Attorney General IN Grover
Cleveand's cabinet. He is working hard
hard work is needed If anywhere. The first
cry Of illegal registration Is raised at en-
cinnati and by Harmon himself. he claims
the republicans are padding the regiStra-
ton lists with hundreds of false names.
johnson himself is It paying much atten-
ton to Hamilton county, but his friends
there are working hard against heavy odds.
Hard Fight for Cuyahoga County.
The fight is narrowing down to Cuyahoga
county for the last week of the campaign.
johnson will spend the greater part of his
time from now on here at home and in the
counties immed y adjoining Cuyahoga.
Here is still the storm center. 1t is hard to
tell how much effect in the result the
Hanna Nc Kisson peace compact is to have.
BY some 1t is taken as a joke. but should
Hanna and Herrfck carry the county popu-
lar consent would give the credit to the
treaty. Democrats say that for the last
five campaigns In this county the people
have defeated the representatives and
friends of Hanna, and this is the first time
they have had the chance to hit Hanna
himself personall. and directly in a way
that he will remember for at least the sena-
tOrial term of six vearc