The Glenwood post., 1907-09-21
Tom Johnson Of Cleveland Is
Wanted By the Democrats
As Mayor Again
FIGHT TO Be FIERCE

Cleveland, o., Sept. l9.-Tom l..
Johnson received his fourth nomination
for mayor of Cleveland at the Demo
cratic city convention today, and from
now on until the November election
there will be waged the most exciting
campaign in the political history OF
this city, not excepting the contests Of
several years ago, in which the late
Senator Hanna was the contral figure
The Republicans have picked upon Con
grcssman Theodore +. Burton to make
the race against Mayor Johnson and
their selection is admittedly the stron-
gest one that could have been made.
The Endorsement of Mr. Burton $
cand'dacy by President Roosevelt and
lowed by speeches here by both later
on in the campnign. If this rumor
proves correct it is probable that Will
liam j. Bryan and other prominent
Democratic leaders will be heard here
in behalf of Mayor Johnson. In any
event the campaign is bound to attract
the attention of the entire country. A
victory for Mr.. Burton would naturally
add to his reputation and would prob
ably prove stepping stcne to the Unit
ed States senate.
Cleveland is regarded as Il nominally
Repubicau city by fro, 1000 TO TO-
600 majority in national elections and
up to the advent of Mayor Johnso:,
six years ago the Republicans had ruled
the city and county for y--rs with the
exception of isolated cases. In select
ing Mr.. Burton to oppose Mayor John
son the Democratic leaders admit thai
the Republicans have put forward theil
strongest man, and while they ciaim
johnson will win, they conccde thai
the race will be close. Ii was Burton
had served two terms in congress, hav
ing been previously elected as Demo
crat in dstri/ that was largely Re
publican. Since that campaign Mr.. Bur
ton has continued to represent the dis
trict in congress, and has been returned
biennially without opposition in his
own party and either unopposed by the
Democrats or with only perfunctory op
position.
But Tom l.. Johnson, as has often
been said, is as lucky in politics as in
money making, ana he has risen from
poverty to the millionaire class. He
possesses in a superlative degree that
picturesque quality which brings him
ont winner in a political fight when
apparently large section of the people
is opposed TO him and the press dead
set against him. 1t is the same indefn.
able quality that won repeated success
cs for the late Carter Harrison, many
times mayor of Chicago, and Hazen +.
Pingrcc, mayor of Detroit.
Mr.. johnson was first elected mayor
OF Cleveland in 1901. His platform in
that contest was brief Equitable tax
alton, 3-ccnt fares on the street rail
ways. and personal attention to the of
fee he made features. While declaring
that the single tax aud municipal own
ership would remedy alleged existing
evils, Mr.. Johnson did not make them
us prominent issues in mis- campaign as
was expected. AT the outset he assert
ed he would spend no money, and make
no pledges to secure his election. AS
even his political enemies admit, these
pledges were religiously kept.
During his campaign he was charged
with failure to pay his taxes, even on
his home; with regulating conditions
upon which he obtained franchise
rights for his Cleveland street rail
ways; with all sorts of trickery in pro
noting similar enterprises in other cit
les; with lavish use of money in his
congressional campaigns; and an at
tempt was made even to show that he
purposed adopting similar tactics at the
eleventh hour in his mayorality cam
paign.
Despite all the accusations of this
character, however, Mr.. johnson was
elected by plurality of more than g.,
900, the largest, with one exception,
that any mayor had received in Clevc-
land for 25 years. In the last two cam
paigns Mayor johnson succeeded in In
creasing the plurality which he gained