The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1903-02-17
GATHERING
OF THE CLANS
Democrats Hold a Rousing Meeting a
Columbus Bryan Is Pre-
sent.
JOHNSON makes STIRRING ADDRESS

sat down to the banquet served by the
Jefferson-Jackson-Li Lincoln league last
might. About 400 of those present
were women. The meeting was to
celebrate Lincoln's birthday and it is
the second time Ohio Democrats have
observed the day, and as upon the
former occasions, the. Democratic
gathering outnumbered the Republi-
can celebration four to one.
The function was dominated by the
Lentz-Johnson Democrats and as q
rule the anti-Johnsonites were con-
spicuous by their absence, though
John L. Zimmerman, OF Springfield
was on the stage and Col. Kilbourne
sat in the auditorium. 1t was o'clock
before the speakers, w. J. Byran, ex-
Gov. James Budd, of California, May
or Tom l.. Johnson, John j. Lentz and
Rev. Bigelow, of Cincinnati, entered
the hall. Mr.. Bryan was given
great ovation as he entered the hall.
The feature of the evening, aside
from the speech of Mr.. Bryan, was the
declaration made by Mayor Tom l..
Johnson that he was candidate for
mayor and for mayor only, and had no
any other Office.
Responding to the toast Local Self
government for Ohio Cities" Mayor
johnson said in part:
"I cannot help in looking around
over this audience and at the drapery,
to be reminded of the old tent which
cut such a figure in politics last year.
daughter and applause.)
"The question of self-government of
cities is appropriate to us in view of
the recent changes in our form OF
government by which form twenty
eight statutes or codes by which
our cities were governed they were
suddenly reduced to once Whether it
is for the better or worse we are yet
to find out. But / think it is the duty
of every city man to give the govern
ment or that form of government, as
bad and wicked as l believe it is, a
fair chance by doing the best we can
with the bad tools the legislature has
given us to work with.
"rhey have tied our hands, the peo-
pie of the municipalities. They have
given more control to the state gov
ernment. They have added to the
power at Columbus and have taken
away from the municipalities some
of the home rule they had They
have given. in the scheme of govern
ment that we had in the municipali-
ties, less power in the hands of the
mayor, and fact, my friends, that was
the object of the whole agitation.
| daughter and great applause.)
"It was necessary that the leader Of
the Republican party in this state, the
distributor of national and state pat
ronage to use that power to crush any
plan that had been formed to give
competition or regulation or Just tax
alton to his private interests. 1t was
an exhibition of partisanship.
"Under the form Of government they
tied our hands, denying people home
rule, where they had it. Under the old
form there was too little of that. In
fact. our plan of government for a
long time has been outgrown by the
needs of our municipalities. When
we were farmers, like our forefathers,
our constitution and our laws for the
regulation of villages was well
enough. but the populations have
changed and great interests have
grown up and the old rules will not
work.
"A plan of freedom that means the
freedom to do wrong, that by the do
ing of that wrong we learn to do
things right. (Applause) Restric-
tion has been tried long enough. Give
to our communities home rule, local
self government, and we will have
communities competing with each 9th
er in seeing how they can best solve
these problems that present them
selves to us, like street railroad fran
chises and gas franchises and a few
dozen of them in cities that are SO
valuable, now that we have grown Sc
great, that to renew and extend them
adds millions to the pockets of the
men who have owned the streets SO
long that they think they should own
them for eternity.
my friends it is corruption and the
interest In corrupting your community
that is the greatest evil of govern
ments of cities. 1t Is a denial of this
right of home that brings on this
question. 1t is the building of these
great prizes that corrupt our institu-
tions when the cities have freedom
to manage their own affairs you will
find some of them, like Chicago will
vote in favor of owning and operating
companies, as they do their water
companies now and their sewer sys-
TENS and park system.
'You cannot afford to trust in the
hands of private interests for profit
such things as street railroad fran
chises and gas interests-you will
never have a city government that Is
really In the interest of the plain peo-
pie until you do away with that in
centive wrong"
COUGHS, COLDS. AND CONSTIPA-
| TION