Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-09-25
Tom johnson.

mayor Tom l.. Johnson of Cleveland
ONO, has been renUminated for the
fourth term by the democratic CITY
convention. Now begins one of the
greatest and best municipal fights in
the nations history. 1t is great BE-
cause Tom l.. Johnson is great and
his policies greater. 1t is great be
cause it is essentially a fight of pop
ular interests against private snap. II
IS the fight of men and measures
against corporations and cliques. Il
is the peoples fight that Tom L. John
son is making.
1t is TO be one of the best fights
because it bias taken on national SCOPE.
Cleveland is now the hot-bed of good
government. 1t has been made so by
Tom l.. Johnson. He, as mayor OF
that city, has rolled up his sleeves and
Waded into the political rings, mOnOp-
olistic, franchise-grabbing. contract
snatching gangs, and started a battle
in behalf of the people that has made
cities all over the United States sit
up and take notice. Toledo is right up
III the procession. Many other mu-
inequalities are stirring up the vital
questions involved in the Cleveland
situation.
Now there has formed a powerful
clique to try to stop Tom l.. Johnson
and to endeavor to prevent his re-
| election. So powerful are the influ-
ences at work to effect Cleveland's I'M
hninO Ton, | TnhnGnn'S I
undoing, that no less a parsonage tina I
Congressman Burton has been return
led to Cleveland. and a tremendous eff
| fort put forth to elect him mayor over
Tom l. Johnson.
Whatever may be the result of this
fight. American cities-all of them
should watch this struggle. 1t will be
an educator in municipal issues
Following his nomination Mayer
Johnson declared:
cleveland has attracted the atten
ton of other cities because it has gone
further towards the solution of its
problems. In Cleveland the question
is this:
g Shall we have a monopoly ownet
by the city or shall we have a city
owned by monopoly
For that is the question which un
derlies all others. Cleveland is no
fighting for Scent fare alone. Cleve
land is fighting to be free; Clevelan
is fighting for self-government.
1--WE are not making war upon men
We are not making war upon wealth
We are making war upon privatel'
owned monopoly which is a menacj
TO free institutions.
at is the question of government b,
the people or government by privat
great wealth"
Mr.. Burton has already begun t
hedge He is trying to play bot
ends against the middle" and to CON
promise with both sides, but Johnso
is taking up the fight as radically a
ever. as determined in antagonism t
monopoly as ever.
Brand WhitlOck. mayor of Toledo
in, speaking of the magnificent in
lprovement in Clevelands government
tells of the kind of men there en-
ployed. of the character of the wor
done of the system of gOvernmer
: adopted. and concludes:
But behind and above all thes
personalities looms another persOnalit
"a tremendous, dynamic magnet
personality, the friend, the leader {
them all, the organizer of this in
E Imense American victory. That pc
sonality is Tom L. Johnson, who ha
f been designated as the best mayor !
G the best-goyerned city in the Unite
t States First of all, though by Dirt
an aristocrat and now possessed of
. fortune, Mayor Johnson is fundame
v tally a democrat, lover of people,
= believer in people, with cultured syr
' pathies for the aspirations of Il
mass, not for class of mankind
/ Now watch this mayOralty conte
9 in Cleveland. Whether Tom L. job
= son wins or not. he wins or loses ;
> principle wins or loses, and such T
:. suit is victory.
al Lost and Found.