Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1911-04-11

NOTED DEMOCRAT AND
SINGLE TAXER NO MORE
Twice a Member of Congress
and -Four Times Served As
Head of City Government
Made and Lost Fortunes.
inv Morning souual Special Leased wirsI

Cleveland. o., April lC.-Tom j..
Johnson. twice congressman from the
tyenty-Rrst Ohio district. four times
mayor of Cleveland, champion of g.
cent street railway fare and leading
advocate of the single tax theory Of
the late Henry George, died here at
S:45 o'clock tonight, after long ILL
ness. He was fifty-seven years old.
Mr.. johnson had been i'll for more
than a year, but his condition was not
thought serious until he suffered a re-
lapse on Wednesday. March Is. He
had been gaining strength ever since
he came home after spending the
summer on Nantucket island,
On Saturday night, March II, he
left his apartments and attended a
banquet of the Nisi Prius club an or
ganization of Cleveland lawyers. Ne
remained there until a. m. Sunday
and when he returned to his home he
complained of not feeling WELL
The following Wednesday his con-
diton was such that he was obliged
to go to bed. From that day to the
time of his death his condition was
grave, though several times he rail-
lied Despite the fact that he realized
that he did not have long to live, he
was cheerful and optimistic almost to
the last
Tom l.. johnson once referred to
himself in public address as "a
stormy Petrel," and this metaphore
aptly described him and indicated the
course OF his career From the time
heFentered the offices of a Louisville
street railway comnany as a boy of
fifteen until his defeat for fifth term
as mayor of Cleveland on November
2, 1909 he was ever In the center of
some storm. political or financial. He
often said il was thus that he en-
ioyed himself best.
Johnson wos born in Georgetown.
Ky, July IS, 1854. He was christened
Thomas Loftin. but he always pre-
ferred to call himself Tom L., and so
he was known from boyhood. He
started work In Louisville traction
office and when still q youth secured
sufficient backing and bought con-
trolling interest In the Indianapolis
Street Railways. In the SOS with his
brother Albert he came to Cleveland
and became interested in the street
car system here. and assisted in q
martial consolidation of them. He
became a director in the Cleveland
Electric Railway company and in 1891
was elected member of congress
from the twenty-first Ohio district
serving two terms as n "single taxer.' y
When he was defeated as candidate
for third term, he went to New York
disposing of his street car interests In
Cleveland e~d acquiring control oil
the Nassau street railway line OF
Brooklyn.
While engaged in business In Cleve-
land he sold his Indianapolis traction
holdings and acquired control of the
Detroit car lines. and 1t was then he
first proposed three-cent fares, The
citizens OF Detroit, however, rejected
his proposition that they buy his roat
and establish that rate of fare.
He also entered into the steel man.
ufacturing business at Johnstown, Pa
Moxham. Pa. and Lorain, O. Thes,
interests he successively disposed o.
and when in 1900 he sold his Brook.
lyn traction line. he was left free o.
business cares He returned rc
Cleveland and i'm April 1901, was
promised universal three-eent fares.
After a fight with the street chi
company which lasted until 1908, ant
through four elections, in each Of
which he was triumphant, the Cleve-
land traction lines passed into the
hands of the Municipal Traction com.
pany. After six months trial of op
Grafton at three cents. the people al
referendum election voted out thl
franchise and the municipal compan,
passed into the hands of a receiver
where il remained until February
1910.
One more attempt was made by
Mayor johnson to secure the passag'
OF the three-cent grants, but his pro
posals were rejected at an election
held August 8, 1909 His own defea
followed three months later and OF
January /, 1910, he surrendered tn,
reins of office to the present mayor
Herman c. Boehr. Two months late
three-cent fares were established. th'
result Of Mr.. Johnson's efforts.
In 1908, while Mr.. Johnson wa
mayor. he was nominated for Cover
nor by the democrats of Ohio. but h
was unsuccessful at the election.
Crushed both In health and spirits
aiter MS defeat by Mayor Boehr, tn
lormer mayor went abroad. He ha,
hoped TO regain his health, but h
came nome no better. Last summe
island
when he returned to Cleveland il
me autumn, he appeared to be re
covering and said he never felt bet
Yer However, he was soon confine'
20 his home again and left Ii but
lew times
Besides his wife Mr.. johnson
is survived by one son and daugh
ter. Mrs. Bessie Mariani
ar. johnson passed away so quiet
mat MS death almost escaped no
we from the watchers. DR.. Oscar 7
lhomas at S45 p. m. felt the uncon
solous mans pulse, and two moment
aler announced that he was dead.
from early morning Mr.. johnson
mad Deen unconscious with the excep
uon OF a brief interval about 6;3
a. m, when, es his wife, daughter an
son We're bending over his bedside, h
reused from his stupor sufficiently I
ofen his eyes, smile family and whis
per "Hello.' That was the last wor
utered, for he at once relapsed int
Inconsistencies.
Funeral arrangements had not bee
completed late tonight. but the bur
lal probably will be In Greenwood
cemetery. Brooklyn, ~ Y, where MI
aohnson had long owned lot besid
me one in which Henry George
buried. II Is said that Mr.. Johnso
,VeNmpanied Mr.. George when tn
lsiier purchased his burial lot 4
nreenwood. and purchased an adjoin
an /vemcnt was on foot tonight t