The Glenwood post., 1908-11-14
DEFEAT OF A BOSS
Cleveland Ncws.)

of Ohio resulted in the defeat of Mayor
foremost advocates.
A few years ago Mayor johnson con-
ceived the idea of making himself po-
litically invulnerable by attacking
corporate privilege. The object Of
his first attack was the Cleveland
Electric Railway company, which op
Grated 242 miles of street railway III
and around the city.
While possibly open to some criti-
cism on its financial side this company
was giving excellent service, and its
treatment of the public in regard to
fares and transfers was generous. 1t
was thoroughly progressive along
American lines. With its relatively
cheap suburban fare it reached outinto
the surrounding country, and brought
customers to the merchants of Clevc-
and, while at the same time it en-
abled the toilers in stores and fac
tories to reside outside the crowded
limits of the city and to find homes in
the more open suburbs.
Taught by johnson, however, the
1eople came to belive that they were
oaying too much fare for the service.
The company offered to meet the peo-
ole half way to try any reasonable ex-
D,,A
Johnson wanted. AS franchises for
certain streets expired his henchmen
IN the council refused to renew them.
franchises were granted to compel
ing company, which johnson aided by
I'll the means in his power.
Finally the original company threw
'p its hands and made the best terms
t could with its relentless prosecutor.
Tho claimed to be acting solely for
he people of Cleveland, and who had
ing promised them 3-cent fare as
soon as he could get control of the
system.
AS under the laws of Ohio the city
could not own the system a holding
was formed. which took
over all the lines of both companies.
The capital was nominal, as the com
'any was merely the city in disguise.
.he directors being Mayor johnson
and half dozen of his political lieu
tenants.
The new regime went into operation
ak months ago. In order to make a
nominal 3-cent fare possible drastic
economies were introduced. Some lines
-ere abandoned. on others the service
7as seriously curtailed. People wait
d interminably for cars, into which
hey had to jam themselves, where
'reviously short headway and COM
'ort had been the rule, for Cleveland
= city where the traction problems
re relatively simple.
Transfer privileges were revoked or
harged for; the contracts with sub
rban towns were ignored, and while
'nally Scent fare was practically
established within the city limits, the
uburbs still suffered, the fare in some
ases being considerably higher than
had been under private ownership.
The merchants began to feel the re-
,lts; the protests of working girls
ere jeered at; laws regarding safety
'nvices were dcfed; old employees were
''scharged without mercy; the man.
cement became involved in strike.
nd the striking employees invoked the
eferendum.
Then Mayor johnson partly threw
off his disguise as the peoples friend
and stood revealed to many of his
former worshippers as the boss, who
would brook no interference with his
rlans The man who had urged the
referendum when he thought it might
prove handy weapon against cor
porations, had no desire to refer his
own pet scheme to popular vote. He
spent the city's money like water in
vain attempt to prove that the sig
natures to the petition either were
'ot genuine or were those of non
7oters. Failing in this he calmly
ignored the petition until the financial
condition of his company made it i'm
oerative to have it's permancy es-
.ablished ir the whole arrangement
set aside.
Then johnson directed all the power
If his great political machine, includ-
ing now the employees of the street
railway, to secure a victory at the
,olls. Mass meetings were held in
enormous tents. A daily paper was
established and freely circulated. 1t
contained, besides the usual johnson
promises Of great results in the future
q maze of figures designed to prove
that the road was making good fnan-
cially on a 3-cent basis. But, unfor-