The Detroit times., 1911-12-13

ftlOu. ana Wulie the tNHo VI hio
speech still peryaded the city, Mayor
Thompson entered into secret negotia-
tlons with the ID. u. r.. from which
I the public was carefully excluded and
at the end OF three months came out
OF that secret conference and advised
the people TO give the d. U. r. a new
franchise worth S25,000.0O0
I Was the mayor sincere when he
told as during that campaign that his
platform was No more franchises on
any teTms?' A
Were his opponents right when
they said that II elected he would try
10 secure a new franchise for the ID.
iU. r.?
What would have been the result
OF that election had the voters known
the facts?
Asks Votes For Franchise.
Mayor Thompson is now before the
people asking for votes for the
Thompson franchise. In
view of that fact We deem il our duty
10 ask the mayor some questions
During your campaign YOU told us
that we had for 20 years been chat
fng under the heavy letters OF fran
chlse slavery. with our hands and
feet tied and our progress impeded
You cannot have slave without a
master. and who is the master OF De-
troits franchise slaves but the own
er OF the franchise. the ID. U. r.?
Now YOU ask us TO continue that
slavery and TO increase our letters
by adopting the Thompson-Hutchins
franchise
You. instead of trying to free us
from every thrall OF franchise slav-
cry have prepared new letters and
now ask us TO renew our bondage 10
our slave driver the D. L r.
You told us then that franchise
grants were like The Old Man OF the
but we'll night impossible TO shake
on But now you are trying TO put a
new franchise on our backs.
You told us then that The granting
of franchises was corrupting but now
you are advocating a franchise.
You said TO us then. They who
hang up these tempting prizes OF
monopoly creating public service fran.
chises before the cupidity of men
must be very simple to expect that
the men whom they tempt will be
able 10 resist You are now hanging
up a tempting $25,000.000 prize of
monopoly franchise.
4--,.-~s. Sat The curse
OF this age and this land is the com.
bination OF rotten business and rot
ten politics
Now YOU advocate the very thing
that you yourself said was the chief
cause of corruption. Did you change
your mind during the eight months
secret conference with the ID. L. r.?
You told us then that the AL
mighty dollar had no friends. no
conscience and no morals and that il
was the principal cause OF municipal
corruption. Now you are asking us
70 give the d. T. r a new franchise
worth s25 100000
You told us then that municipal
afsirs We're polluted by franchise
,s2 re corruptions.'
Would Further Corrupt City.
~ ~ are now asking us 10 still
further corrupt our city by pouring
into il S25,000000 more of polluted
franchise corruption.
You told us then that through
franchises comes the bribing of pub
lie officials
is that why you are now advocat-
ing a new franchise TO the ID. L. r.?
You said then that we Would not
have honest men in public lie when
you hold out these tempting prizes OF
franchise privilege.
You are now holding out the
Observation-Disclosures tempting prize OF
franchise privilege worth SIS 900, 600.
In speaking of the power to tax
the people through franchises you
said, How can you have honest men
in public life when you teach them
how easy IL is TO make money, TO roll
in affluence and luxury, by cajoling
the government into giving them the
right 10 tax the people,?
You are now trying 10 cajole the
people into granting the Thompson
Hutchins franchise which will enable
the ID. U. r. for one TO make money
and roll in affuence and luxury
You said that the people were re-
sponsible for the low moral tone
which pervades public life because
they granted franchises.
Are you now trying to make the
moral tone OF public life still lower
by new franchise?
You said YOU had for years seen
public officials associated, cheek by
jowl, with corporation lobbyists.
Is that why your eight months
negotiation with the ID. u. Il. was
kept a profound secret?
Before the election you said that
we could not have honesty in NUM-
cipal affairs so long as we allowed
our city government to be corrupted
through the Golfers OF franchise and
privilege-seeking corporations
And yet you are now trying to get
into the Golfers Of that franchise and
privilege seeking corporation, the ID.
U. r., 25,000.000 franchise.
You told us that you desired
free city, free from every corruption.
free from every thrall of franchise
slavery in which the most corrupt in
fiuences were born
Different After Election.
That was before election. Since
the election YOU have bent all your