Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-09-20
TOM JOHNSON
NAMED AGAIN

CLEVELAND, o., Sept, 19.-Tom L.
johnson receives his fourth nomination
for mayor of Cleveland at the demo-
cratic city convention today, and from
now until the November election there
will be waged the most exciting cam
paign in the political history of this
city, not excepting the contests of sew
eral years ago, in which the late Sem
ator Hanna was the central figure.
Congressman Theodore E. Burton to
make the race against Mayor Johnson
and their selection is admittedly the
strongest one that could have been
made.
The Endorsement of Mr.. Burton's
candidacy by President Roosevelt and
Secretary Taft, it Is said, may be fol-
lowed by speeches here by both later
on in the campaign. If this rumor
proves correct it is probable that Will
liam ]. Bryan and other prominent
democratic leaders will be heard here
in behalf of Mayor Johnson. In any
event the campaign is bound to attract
the attention of the entire country. A
victory for Mr.. Burton would naturally
add to his reputation and would proba-
United States senate
Cleveland Is regarded as a normally
republican city by from 1000 to 10000
majority in national elections, and up
to the advent of Mayor Johnson six
years ago the republicans had ruled
the city and county for years with the
exception of isolated cases. In select
ing Mr.. Burton to oppose Mayor John
son the democratic leaders admit that
the republicans have put forward their
Johnson will win, they concede that
the race will be close. 1t was Burton
who defeated Johnson after the latter
had served two terms In congress,
having been previously elected as a
democrat in a district which was
largely republican. Since that cam
paign Mr.. Burton has continued to
represent the district in congress and
has been returned biennially without
opposition in his own party and either
unopposed by the democrats or with
only perfunctory opposition.
But Tom l.. Johnson, as has often
been said is as lucky in politics as in
money making, and he has risen from
poverty to the millionaire class. He
possesses in superlative degree that
picturesque quality which brings him
out o winner in a political fight when
apparently a large section OF the peo-
pie is opposed to him and the public
press dead set against him. 1t is the
same undefinable quality that won re-
peated successes for the late Carter
Harrison, many times mayor of Chi
cago, and Hazen F. Pingree, mayor of
Detroit.
Mr.. Johnson was first elected mayor
of Cleveland in 1901 His platform in
that contest was brief. Equitable tax
alton, Scent fares on the street rail-
ways and personal attention to the Of
flee he made features. While declaring
that the single tax and municipal own
ership would remedy existing evils, Mr..
thomson did not make them as promi-
nent issues in his campaign as was
expected. At the outset he asserted
he would spend no money and make
no pledges to secure his election. AS
even his political enemies admit. these
pledges were religiously kept.
During his campaign he was charg-
ed with failure to pay his taxes, even
on his home; with rerudiating condi-
tions upon which he obtained fran
chise rights for his Cleveland street
railways; with all sorts of trickery in
promoting similar enterprises in other
cities; with lavish use OF money in his
congressional campaigns. and an at
tempt was made to show that he pur-
posed adopting similar tactics at the
eleventh hour in his mayoralty fight.
Despite all the accusations of this
character, however, Mr.. Johnson was
elected by plurality of more than
5000, the largest, with one exception.
that any mayor had received in Cleve-
land in rs years. In the last two cam
paigns Mayor Johnson succeedd in
increasing the plurality which he gain
ed in his first election, and in his
last race, which was two years ago, he
piled up a plurality of nearly 10000. In
six years time the county as well as
the city administration has, as result
of the Johnson leadership, become
nearly solidly Democratic.
T3,,f fa go
Mayor Johnson now has the fight of
his life on his hands. Mr. Burton is
a native Buckeye. and his record both
personally and politically is clean. He
is an expert on finance. and in the last
congress was at the head OF the house
committees on rivers and. harbors. He
is strong supporter Of Secretary Taft
for the presidential nomination, and
before it became known that he would