New-York tribune., 1907-12-21
TOM JOHNSON'S BOOMER.
Brings Message from Cle0eland to
Poor Old Nezo York.

Tom Johnson's boom has spilled over out OF
Cleveland. and few drops splashed against .he
yaulted walls of Cooper Union last night fe'ei
Witt city clerk of Cleveland, told Of his boss
| many exceiIencies. Lee Fairchiid and Coione'
Archie Baxter are said TO be pretty good spell
binders, but they should go sit at the ieet OIL
C1evelands city clark for instruction When S:S'
O'Clock and the early going part OF the
audience hastened away lest their favorite nencnes
be pre-empted. the chairman walked out 10 inc
reading desk AMI dangled his watch susgestiVeiy
but Mr.. Witt codd not see the hint. ror ne was
declaring at that point that his audience shonin
remember that your children are as dear TO you
children Of the millionaires If you Work
for them IS the milonaires work for theirs there
will be no more paupers. for without millionaires
you cannot have paupers" Then the director OF
the Peoples Institute retired to his seat and
started the applause at appropriate intervals for
another twenty minutes.
Mr. Witt scheduled TO talk particularly about
traction fight but he had only just reached that
point when closing time came, and when he fin
ished his peroration the exigencies of a departing
audience made it also the finish Of his speech He
capitulated gracefully as he could. and all went
home with full Idea of how Tom Johnson by
wrenching Cleveland from the grasp Of the wicked
capitalsts-present foes and former friends-had
saved the universe. AS the speaker said Tom
Johnson got his and there is frmer friend
of the common pee-pul'
Mr.. Witt first told how, when Tom johnson was
made Mayor seven years go. some of the people
paid per cent Of their taxes and some paid 6s
per cent Thanks to the Mayor, now all pay alike.
he said. OF the benefits of municipal ownership
he talked at length. He said that Cleveland got
seven barrels Of water for cent a barrel, while
under private ownership IT would have to pay
cent for seven barrels" The advantage of this
was appreciated by the audience, which applauded
loudly. Then he told how the city making
money out of its disposal of garbage which gives
the city profit OF So SO. according to Mr. Witt.
every ton of garbage
IN rt< do hy -(.G
ernor Black little while ago, 'either in Vermont
or New Hampshire, or some other place in New
England that it was not wise TO listen all the
time TO the man the barrel head. Governor
Black was away off, he said. for William Lloyd
Garrison was a great barrel head orator Governor
Altgeld once declared that men in rags never de-
stroyed a cover ment, but I say that the men in
billed shirts never saved one
When Tom Johnson took charge of the city, he
continued g. little later, parks the parade
grounds OF the rich and all you could see in them
were some monkeys box in tight breeches and
yellow coats Now a hundred thousand people are
in the parks, listening the sweet strains of our
band concerts. Voice. Are they union men?"l
Yes, and the strains they discourse are of the
sweetest for that reason. We have still some pur
tanical ideas in Cleveland though. for not the-ay
ter there is open but have ball games-not pro-
fessional games but games on the sixty-ilve dla-
monds provided by the city. Then We have play
grounds for everybody IN the congested districts.
and in winter these are all turned into skating
rinks.'
Mr. Witt has little regard for the Constitution.
"I hope the time Will come'' he said. as he came
to this topic when Will have direct legisla-
ton and won't have government by the DEAD
The dead are dead ones. any way. / think with
Insersoll that the best thing we can say OF OUR
ancestors is that they deceased.
Then the City Clerk of Cleveland took up the
social evil I'VE had to go UP against the social
evil in Cleveland" admitted. but we went up
against it just the way would against a street.
car proposition. There's some people that won't
admit that it's here but you just go UP and see
II Haunting In Peacock Alley and you'll see your
mistake 1t was invariable custom to RAID
disorderlv places IN Cleveland, but Tom Joiin-
son would not let the earnings of these poor un-
fortunates pay the salaries OF the judges and no
made the police stop raiding them. This cut on
nolice bIackmaiI, and years no police
bIackmail mas been paid. We don't depend on the
slow processes of law, go to the heart OF the
evil"
Tho sneaker then described the work OF DR.. Harry
Cooley and Tom Johnson in cleaning out the work
house and making it a place for help 10 the un-
fortunate rather than postgraduate course in
crime He also told of the transformation Of the
citv's poorhouse TO farm and cottage colony. and
the similar transformation OF the refornatory and
the formation of the Brotherhood Homes to help
the discharged prisoner
"The greatness Of city is to be measured
hv its buildings but by the character of the pee
pul who re- Qhde there" were his parting words