The Washington times., 1909-03-14
TOM JOHNSON OPENS
HIS CAMPAIGN EARLY
Cleveland'S Mayor Seeks Re-
nomination on Three
Cent Fare Issue.
WILL BE HARDEST
FOUGHT CONTEST
Senator Burton as Republican
State Leader to Take
Hand

CLEVELAND. Ohio. March IA
Mayor Tom L. Johnson is expected to-
morrow TO open his fifth, and what
many predict will be his hardest
fought campaign for the msyoralty Of
cleveland with A renewal of his trac-
tlon fight in the city council and the
sounding once again OF his three-c
car fare slogan.
The mayor has been forced to enter
the struggle so many months in adj
vance of the election by the dis
closures concerning his management Of
the traction lines during the seven
months he was In control, and by the
activity of the Republicans headed by
Senator Theodore Burton, his opponent
at the last election.
Unfortunate, Not Fatal.
The disclosures have been unfOrtu-
nate for the mayor rather than fatal,
because they have shown up a cham
payne celebration at the time of the
mayors traction victory a year ago,
when. witnesses have testified at the
hearing of creditors OF his municipal
traction company, 200 quarts Of cham
payne were put away by the mayor
and his fellow workers.
Details of the free lunches served
10 his directors during their control
and until the referendum election
last October knocked out the lease
on which he was operating the lines
also has hurt his cause graveIy. Some
of the claims for bills unpaid are for
twelve orders of sucking pigs on
one occasion. head lettuce, broiIers,
cream puffs. and delicacies OF the
season in Great O1lan1itv
Expense Justified.
Mayor Johnson, on the stand, in
sisted this expense-the total cost
was about S3.0OO-was justified; was
. good business move by the munich
paiity. But the memory of the suck
ling pig item clone, already hurled
back at the mayor in cartoon and
editorial BY tie newspapers opposing
him. Will probably cost him more
votes than the claims Of the Repub-
lisans that his Scent fare propa-
Eanda has been proved a failure
Mayor Johnson still insists that Scent
fare IS a possibility, in spite OF figures
issued by the receivers showing the
total deficit during the nine months it
was in universal existence in Cleveland
10 be &29,6lS. To cOntTaveTt these fig
nres, he says the receivers who were
in control the last three of the nine
1AADhAAAC were 100 GAlIdNdEdfI.
The entrance of Theodore Burton into
the night provides a more serious men
ace TO Johnson, coming as ne does as
Senator and avowed Republican leader
Of the State, than It did two years ago,
when Burton. then Congressman. was
induced to enter the campaign as the
mayors opponent for the office.
Platform Victory.
Johnson's plurality over Burton then
was about 500. and was a victory not
SO much OF personality as Of platform.
johnson still stood on his 3-cent-fare
propaganda with municipal ownership
provision: Burton for 31z-cent fare,
franchises TO the old company.
Mayor Johnson's fight will be Helped
by the fact that seven of the sixteen
larger car lines Of the city are now
operating on Scent fare OF the nine
Scent lines. four franchises expire next
January. 1t Is for these that the mayor
* expected TO ask new ordinances Mon
day. The result Of his previous fights
therefore, are always before about two
hfth's Of Cleveland's population. lie
can count on their votes, because John
sons defeat will undoubtedly mean a
settlement with the old company on a
Fix tickets for quarter basis for the
entire CITY.