The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-10-05
ROOSEVELT FIGHTING pECENcY.

ROOSEVELT FIGHTING DECENcY.
Many of President Roosevelt's
warmest friends will wonder at his
seeming deep personal interest In the
municipal campaign in Cleveland, o.
Under the administration of Mayor
Tom Johnson, that has continued
through period Of six years. the city
government Of Cleveland has arisen
from the depths Of corruption to the
honor place among American cities,
:. Recognized authorities on municipal
government, one Of them Lincoln Stef-
fens, declare Cleveland the hest gov
erned city In the United Stotes Stef-
: fens made the declaration, end In the
same breath called Cincinnati the
worst and most corruptly administered
| Of all cities.
: Now the men who rule Cincinnati
and Southern Ohio are hackers of Con-
! gresham Burton in the campaign to
i make Burton mayor in place Of john
! son, and thus gain for themselves POLL
! teal control Of Cleveland and northern
! Ohio.
J. 1t is strange and a matter Of won
derment that the president should be
mixed In this business
If Burton can be elected mayor of
Cleveland, it may aid the candidacy of
: William H. Taft for the presidency,
D.! succession on which Roosevelt's heart
Is set; but it will mean also the en-
thronement of Boss Cox Of Cincinnati
. and Columbus in the northwest re-
serve, a political territory from which
f; the boss heretofore has been effectu-
ally excluded.
The city election is Of national i'm
! portance. Sociological, political and
economic principles are involved that
concern the whole people. We need
not care who is mayor of Cleveland.
but why.
1t looks very much as IL Roosevelt,
had stepped down from the pedestal of
: high ideals and was digging in the
mire Of practical politics.
The administration has stopped to
conquer
Taft is OF southern Ohio. It is no
secret that Boss Cox started the pre-
sent war secretary on the road to poll
tica&,(ame. Taft never hat denied it,
but has tried to live it down and when
on the top crest Of success denounced
the boss, his creator.
United States Senator Foraker is Of
northern Ohio. He is opposed to the
Roosevelt administration. and Is en-
=: tered as rival to Taft for the Re-
! publican nomination for president.
. The prize for which the politicians
Of southern Ohio are contendtng Is not
{ the. mayoralty of Cleveland, but the
defeat of Foraker, which it appears to
be their belief can be brought about
by making Burton. one of the Taft
crowd. mayor. and presumably leader
Of the Republican party in the north.
TO gain this end, they will DESTROY
a city.
Tom Johnson is Democrat. He Is
not interested on either side in the
night between the Republican factions.
He Is mayor because he likes the lob.
and the people Of Cleveland like him
A, so we'll that they re-elect him by In
creasing majorities each time he is a
candidate.
z johnson is millionaire. He made
]. his money in the street car business,
But he is the very champion in Amer
Y lea for low car fares, and even for
municipal ownership Of car lines,
H. He is a reformer who shows results
81 It is said that Mayor TOM spends
more of his own money than twice the
Is sum Of his salary as mayor In the hire
Il OF special clerks and accountants, to
D Keep the business of the city straight
He reformed the police department
and made Kohler chief. Not long age
83E% President Roosevelt wrote that Chief
@% Kohler was the best chief Of police In
g America.
d. TO defeat political enemy-Forake1
S would Roosevelt undo all that John
8S son has done?
4f5 1t is more important that cities
n should be we'll governed than that Taft