The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-09-06
Some Pointed as Well
as Eloquent Comment
on Current Events ::

! utilities. He Is child-like enough to
believe that the people have rights of
their own, first, tne right to govern
themselves, and second and equal to
this, the right to serve themselves. In
other words, public utilities should be-
long to the people.
So, when he was elected mayor of
Cleveland and found the city railway
serving the peole hit and miss, grind
ing employees, with long hours and
small pay, declaring handsome divi-
dends on dOuble-watered stock and de-
handing new franchises with little or
no compensation. he made war on
that company. The story is too long
to tel here but it is sufficient to
say he organized another company and
put il on the lines where the fran
chises had expired and for three years
the fight has been hand to hand. First
the struggle was to organige, which
was made by the mayor standing be-
hind and guaranteeing no los. Then
to get possession of the lines, to OBJ
tain public confidence, and to prevent
purchaSable aldermen from granting
new franchieS In this the highest
expert talent on electric transportation
in the country was summoned. the
most renowned lawyers employed, the
highest courts invoked, and largely
Tom johnson stood single-handed in
this struggle. Even mis- best friends
doubted the outcome, and most were
sure he could not win.
The new company was simply a pre-
paratio1 for the city to assume OWL
ership when the proper time should
come. II pledged universal transfers
and tnree-ceBt fare. At last by de-
cision of the courts the old company
was compelled to sell and the Tom
johnson company took possession May
1. Owing to complications with the old
company there was a strike on, and
hard times were at their worst, and
the deficit for May ran ID to many
thousands June the deficit was less,
but still large. What a chuckling
there was among the interests" and
papers representing them from the At.
lantic to the Pacific, gurgled, 81 told
you so" July single fare were raised
to Sc This was the last straw John
son had resumed the old rate" That
was all that was reported. Dispatches
did not trouble TO state that five tick
cts could be bought anywhere for Is
cents, and the cash fare was put at
five cents simply to save the time of
the conductor and put a premium on
ucket-buying and was to be discarded
when the "pay-as-yOU-enteT" cars were
ready for use. July came What
should il be, live or die2 July gave
a handsome surplus and August ire
ports not yet I'M. will give a larger
return.
Tom Johnson is indicated. though
he needed no vindication. With most
of the city council and all the vested
interests against him, in and cut or
the city. with the state working tooth
and nail to defeat Inn. even with
Roosevelt in the last campaign plunE-
ing friend Burton into the fray 10 dis
lodge the champion of the peoples
rights even that failed. the three
times mayor of Cleveland sits more
securely than ever on his elective
throne, pTe-emi1entIy the first mayor
OF the country May his type multi
ply.
The time has now come when this
section should be writing the asrfcul-
tUral department concerning the de
mOnstratiOn work in the south |
They are ready to help us. What do
we most need2 One farmer says,
help or instruction in growing our
seed corn; another says, Help in
fruit raising-how to fight the enc
mics, and another says How TO |
keep the ground covered with grow
ing stuff winter and summer and
many would say. Point the way TO
getting a start in dairy work.
All of which are good. The one
thing needfui is TO write at once and i