The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-10-31
GAMBLERS PICK TOM JOHNSON
ODDS roo yO 40 AGAINST BUTTON
ron MtlOR or CLEVELAND.


dore II. Burton for Mayor on Tuesday.
In private CircIes a number OF sven bets
have been made.
johnson has been Mayor three terms, or
six years. He IL "A single taxer and n MUM
ciUal ownership man. lie il a devotee Of
William !. Bryan.
Representative Burton was put into the
race by President Roosevelt, Secretary Taft
and Secretary Garfield.
The reelection Of Johnson on Tuesday will
make him a formidable figure in the Demo-
cratic national convention next year.
The nefcat Of Representative Burton
wouldsdamage his chances for reelection TO
Congress a year from this fall and would
be mighty unpleasant reading for the
President and the Secretary of War. Mr..
Burton's defeat would also bli ght his am
bition 10 become the successor Of either
Joseph Benson Foraker or Charles Dick in
the United States Senate.
The battle bet wecn johnson and Burton
aud their adherents is the bitterest tina
The city has had in years. PlatoOns Of
the more ardent admirers Of Johnson have
hurled cobblestones and bricks into Burton
meetings and have shattered Window
where Autographs of Burton were dis
played. More temperate minded followers
Of the Mayor have passed the lie with Bur
ton speakers.
On the other hand Johnson has been re-
ferred TO publicly as "A pirate in politics. "
n "boodler. a "bedruggied clown" a poll
teal crank, n political privateer," a two
faced faker." a manipulation Of city coun-
cils," "A political quack. a cheap dema-
gogue' and various other things u little
too course to mention here.
The ostensible issues Of the campaign
are the street car system OF the city and
the increased cost Of running the munich
paiity. Underneath there are State and
national issues. An of President Roose-
velt's friends and Secretary Taft's friends
are up in arms for Burton. and all of Col.
Rryan's friends are standing hard and fast
by johnson.
johnson for a number OF years has been
the avowed advocate Of the Municipal
Traction Company. which is the holding
company for the Forest City and several
srna Her electric car lines. The MES
IN the Municipal Traction Company control
eight miles of track entirely within the city
limits, and the fare on these lines is three
cents.
johnson is the open enemy Of the CIeve-
land Electric Railway Company. which con
trolls $40 miles of track in the city and ex-
tends To the suburbs and pleasure resorts
in the country districts. The fare on the
Cleveland EiectTic', cars IL five cents or
seven tickets for Il quarter 70 any part Of the
company's territory, with universal trans
fers.
The Cleveland Electric people assert that
Johnson's Municipal Traction Company
wants TO swallow up the bigger company
and that the Municipal Ira ction Company
has had al its back Mayor johnson and the
entire Johnson administration, especially
Johnson's City COuncil.
: The Cleveland Electric folks declare that
neither their hines nor the Municipal Trac-
tons lines can DE operated on a three cent
basis with universal transfers, and expert
accountants have just handed out a report
showing that the Municipal Traction Com
pany had q deficit in operation Of $3i. 1884
between. November /, 1906. and June. 1907,
despite Mayor Johnson's denial.
II has been charged in open court that
Mayor Johnson had IA financial interest in
the Municipal Traction Company's lines.
johnson, retorting, said that he had merely
guaranteed purchases of material for the
company, but hat the real financial hacker
of the enterprise was eN-Representative
Ben jamin I. Cable Of Chicago and New
York.
Johnson, speaking of how Burton got
into the Mayoralty fight, said: Pay the
blind. 1 am sure MIR. Burton was blind
when he went into the fight. His friends
Secretary Garfield and Secretary Taft told
him to run, President Roosevelt told him
to run. although he doesn't seem TO nave
old him 'shich way. These friends Of his
here and elsewhere told him the Cleveland
Electric had all the right of the argument.
that there was graft in the City Hall and
Wild extra va ga noes in the city administra-
ton. and Mr.. Burton believed it ell. He
was blind and went blindly into this fight.
charging us with what his friends told him
was rue"
Burton, replying to Johnson, says: There
isa condition in this city which demands
immediate reform; that is the street rail-
way question. IL demands an immediate
settlement. There has been constant war;
fare in this matter OF public policy for six
years. IL has hampered the development
Of the city. u has caused great incon-
venience; il has caused turmoil and bitter
ness. IL has hindered our development p.
prevented the growth of different portions
of the city, and year by year and month 10y
mont the demand for its settlement ia
more pressing
that the rate of seven tickets for a quarter
shall continue after election day until there
il a chance for an adjustment of this aues-
ton. | shall insist upon an adjustment al
The earliest possible time after Jauary !
rext. All parties agree that the franchises
20 be granted shall be for the term of twenty
years. Before any franchise in granted
1 shall make every effort TO see that the
contending companies come together upon
an agreement. 40 that there may be. in the
b1ilk 40 w NfhS fs'tOf ~ VIZ NV y VINO
nominated, one system and one fare.
Il shall also insist that the permanent
rate Of fare be fixed for only ten years
and that il shall not be definitely fixed
until there has been one year. or approxi-
mately that. Of trial at seven tickets for a
quarter. In the meantime l purpose 10
have experts appointed who shall take a
valuation Of all property included in the
franchise OF the company. or companies
which shall ascertain their exact value.
It il n matter of indifference to the great
majority of the people Of Cleveland which
company hould have the franchise. Other
things being equal. we should take hat
'rhich gives the lowest fare, the best SER
vice -nd makes the necessary improve
ments. Necessary improvements and bet
termentS must be made"
The Republican city committee has been
rehabilitated. For the last dozen years il
has been rather a ~dilapidated affair. IL lie
now working day and night in the effort TO
elect Burton. The business men OF the city
have also put their shoulders to the wheel.
They nave an organization Of 10000 bent
upon The election of Burton. This business