The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1907-02-26
STATE CAPITAL
News, Gossip and Com
ment From Co.
Iumbus
OF GENERAL INTEREST

pctl 10 vi OllO. OhutI llO Oiu lult,
where state conventions were held
each spring or in the early summer,
the last part of February or the first
part of March stood as guide posts
to point the way to the capitol for
ante-convention conferences. BY the
opening days of April states were
made and the work of the convention
practically marked out. There have
been, of course, times when self asser-
tive and free thinking delegates upset
the plans of the managers but such oc
currences stood as the exception and
not the rule. Those who have been
attendants at state conventions for the
past score OF years would find it
the fingers on hand. But new
order OF things has come. State con-
ventions re no longer thing of year.
ly program and therefore the pilgrim
age Of politicians and seekers after
public place has been lessened and re-
duced until Columbus in that regard
bears close resemblance to the de
serted village" The hotel corridors
are not congested and over-crowded
nor does the babble of voices, which
one hears, bear testimony to the fact
that many men are seeking many
places. But this mustVnot be con-
strued into a statement that politics
are no longer a theme of common
1nt rHhprl
are several matters occupying at
tention and coming into their full
share of public notice. Columbus is
to elect mayor and other officials
this fall. Former United States Repre-
sentative Dewitt c. Badge is the pres
ent head of the city government. Per-
haps altogether of his own choice.
and at least partially so he, has en-
forced the laws relative tosaSunday
closing, and, as result, Columbus in
stead of being a city -openywith
little or no restrictions, has developed
into town of moral propriety and
decorum. In addition to this move,
surprising when past conditions are
julO dllOl, IuS lhdyOl
has ordered an investigation into the
different departments of city admin
istration and declared his intention of
finding out if rascality exists and if
so, who the rascals are. The natural
sequence has been to create an opposi
tion to his denomination among those
who look upon public place as means
of private gain and those others who
conduct drinking places and find their
revenue decreased through, acompul-
sorry closing one day in each week.
The mayor has somewhat upset plans
of a fight against him by vigorously
declaring he will not be a candidate
for a second term, but his declaration
carries with it no promise not to in
sist upon a man of his choosing be-
ing given the nomination. Therefore,
in a great measure the fight becomes
one against him personally since the
Democrats will, in all probability, and
judged by all present signs present
the one whom he selected as its nom
inee. On the other hand the sRepubli
cans are at sea. The wish is to adopt
a platform of such persuasive Ian
guage that all who read will agree and
upon which a candidate can stand
without giving offense to anyone The
campaign has already opened though
the election is some eight months
away and the vigorousness with which
it is being pushed attests to the deep
and general interest.
OF INTEREST TO CANTON.
Mingled with the attention given
this is the attention devoted to the
recent exposure of alleged irregulari+
ties in the city board of public SER
vice. Here, it is claimed, that the
three members of the board, Immel,
Lied and Burr were given money by
the Trinidad Paving company of Cleve-
land, as a reward for turning to the
latter the contract for paving East
Broad street, the most aristocratic
roadway in the city. There is a pc
caliar interest attached to this for
the people of Canton. For several
years Mr.. Lied was a resident of that
city. He served as ticket agent for
the old Valley railroad in the station
at the foot of the West Tuscarawas
street hill and later became a repre-
sentative Of the Sun Vapor Light COM
pany. His acquaintance there was
large and he aspired, on several oc-
casions, to public preferment Natur-
ally these officials all deny the ac-
ceptance of bribe and denounce the
entire matter as the optgrowth Of i'll
directed spleen upon the part OF a
disgruntled employe of the paving
concern. But in any event, the mat
ter has stirred the people of the city
to an almost unprecedented degree
and forms topic of conversation upon
/ the streets, in the homes, at the clubs
and through the corridors of the ho-
tells, II adds fuel TO the now general
cry of reform In governmental meth
ode cffxy ofata ana national