The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-29
THE OHIO CAMPAIGN.

AS the election in Ohio draws near the |
campaign becomes more strenuous and in |
tense. Ohio has been a political storm CEN
ter for many years, and its campaigns and |
elections always excite more than ordinary |
interest This Is increased In the present |
by the fact that the contest involves |
the reelection or defeat OF Senator Hanna |
and the possible success of one of the most |
dangerous demagogues in the country. The
former is easily one of the foremost men |
in public life, and from having been the
most abused has come to be one of the
most admired and respected. His defeat |
would be distinct loss to the public serv-
ice. IT is well understood that Tom L.
Johnson, Democratic candidate for Cover
nor, is far more anxious to secure the de-
feat Of Senator Hanna than he is to be
elected Governor. The latter alone would
carry with it very little political prestige
and contribute nothing to the advancement
Of Johnsons presidential boom, while the
defeat OF Hanna through his efforts would
give him national prominence and pres
tige. In reality he does not for a moment
seriously expect to be elected Governor, as
no Democrat could be in Ohio. His real
purpose is to get control of the Legisla-
ture so that he may dictate the choice of
Senator Hanna's successor. Johnson is one
of the most dangerous demagogues in the
country because, to large stock of vicious
views and political heresies, he adds un-
questioned ability, inordinate ambition,
great FEASIBILITY and large wealth. He
would be a dangerous demagogue even if
he were poor, as William j. Bryan was
when he first came before the public, but
his wealth makes him doubly dangerous.
Senator Hanna recently characterized him
as millionaire demagogue." Johnson has
all tf Bryan's vagaries, ambition. egotism,
political unscrupulousness. personal mag
netism and FEASIBILITY, plus large wealth.
An article in the current issue of Guntons
Magazine, evidently written by one who
knows him, says:
Johnson Is not thinker, or a states
man; but he is really a "hustline'' organ
izer, with ali inordinate ambition, plenty
1 OF money, and an utter inability TO blush.
| He is veritable Barnum in public life. To
| the extent that he represents any definite
| idea, he is a single-taxer. but in his cam
| paign he Is the ambitious rallying- post for
| all the disintegrate and disintegrating
sumed the mantle Of Bryan, with social
| ism, single tax, free trade, antitrust, and
other disrupting isms added.
Johnson first began to achieve wealth in
| this city as a street railroad manager and
manipulation twenty years ago. He did not
| enter politics until he had made fortune,
the extent of his political ambition here
4 hai,, III oh he
| did by substituting individual members.
| While here he was not known in social or
| club life nor anywhere as a reader or
| thinker or a man who knew anything of
/ public affairs. He was simply money
| maker. At present he is Socialist without
| knowing exactly what 1t means and an
advocate of the single tax theory without
| knowing what ii would lead to. Such
man is dangerous force In politics. To
quote again from the article referred to:
| AS propagandists, the single-taxers, the
| monopolists and free-traders, are helpful
/ to the creation of a wholesome public opin-
| ion, because they furnish constant criticism
| of public policy but when these groups or
| economic and social innovators are aggre-
| gated into a movement behind the leader
| ship of cunning. ambitious, and wealthy
1
/ the whole assumes a different and alto
/ gether more serious aspect Then the very
| forces that are intensely honest, critical.
| and usually wholesome. become the prey
| of market-place class prejudice, and are
banded against prosperity and the forces
| of social progress. And so, instead or varl-
| Gus groups of conscientious reformers in
1 specific lines, we have a mob movement
against everything successful in society.
In the letter which William ]. Bryan
wrote to Mrs. Bennett for Mr.. Bennett to
sign, explaining why he left $4,000 to
| Bryan, he said:
| am earnestly devoted to the political
| principles which Mr.. Bryan advocates and
| believe the welfare of the Nation depends
upon the triumph OF those principles. AS
| L am not so able he to defend those prin-
| ciples with tongue and pen and as his
political work prevents the application OF
Consider it a duty as I find it a pleasure,
| to make this provision for his hnancial
aid. SO that he may be more free to devote
| himself to his chosen field OF labor.
This was Mr.. Bryan's idea of what a
man ought to write to his wife in explain
alton of the folly and wrong Of diverting
$4,000 of his estate from his family to a
comparative stranger who had hypnotized
him into blind support Of his political
vagaries. Tom Johnson is something of a
4
on others for money to live on while he
breaches socialism and the single-tax
theory. He is a millionaire demagogue
Johnsonism in Ohio as he is now developing
it is much the same Henry Georgeism
in 1856 and Organism in 1896. with some
vagaries of Johnson's added and pile of
money behind it, 1t is a campaign against
capital by a capitalist, against corpora
lions by a man who has made fortune
out of them. against land values by one
who would confscate land, and against es-
tablished industry and all the conditions
| of public welfare by a man who Is trying
to boost himself into national prominence
regardless of consequences. 1t is to be
hoped it may end in Johnsons overwhelm-
ing defeat.