The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-04-11
TOM |. JOHNSON
CAREER IS ENDED
DEATH CLAIMS FATHER OF THREE
CENT FARE, AFTER A PLuckY
FIGHT FOR LIFE.
ILL FOR OVER A YEAR
TWICE IN CONGRESS AND FOUR
TIMES MAYOR OF CLEVELAND.
ONO WAS FoRCEFUL FOE
OF SPECIAL PRIVILEGE.
ILL FOR OVER A YEAR

CLEVELAND, O., April 1I.--~After
months OF illness. during which he
Sravely retained his cheerful de-
meanor, Tom l. Johnson. twice elect
ed to congress from the Twenty first
Ohio district, and four times mayor
Of Cleveland, passed away at s:46
o'clock Monday night. Mr.. Johnson
suffered a relapse on March Ii and.
although making remarkable rallies
at times and always regarding his
condition with optimism. he grad
ually grew weaker. Ctrrhosis of tho
liver was the cause of death.
Sketch of Ills Career.
Tom L. johnson, who had been In
iii health since he retired as mayor
OF Cleveland on January l. 1910. will
probably be known In all future
American history AS the maJor Of
the best governed city in the United
States, and as the father of The
three-cent street railway fare in
America He was born in Blue
Spring. KY. July Is. 1854. His father.
General William Johnson, a famous
Kentucky legislator, lost his fortune
In the Civil war and at fifteen, young
Johnson was thrown on his own re-
sources. He promptly secured job
rs a horse car driver on the streets
Oh 1GulsEIt6, anu oekiAIl icaEDlnH lD6
business in which he later made
fame and fortune. johnson served
later an chief Of police of Louisville,
but soon became Interested financially
in the street car systems OF In
dianspolis, Cleveland, Detroit and
Brooklyn. Patents on various street
car appliances helped him along Il
nancialiy and made him AN auth ority
on street railway matters He was
practically at the height OF most
successful career an street railway
magnate, when In 1889 he retired
from business to carry out cherished
ideas of social reforms. among which
was that of becoming the father OF
three-cent street railway fare In
America. This idea had been trnpart-
ed to him by Henry George. whose
influence over Johnson's entire life
dated from the time when on a rail-
way train johnson bought copy of
Georges Social Problems" Later the
two became fast friends and worked
together at carrying out of various
reforms.
Enters on Political Career
On Georges advice johnson enter
ed politics running first for congress.
but being defeated in his first race
when he campaigned on tho free
trade issue. Later no was elected.
serving two terms from 1890 to 1924.
Hare one OF his most noteworthy
achievements was the russ by which
he forced the printing of the entire
text OF Henry Georges protection
OF Free Trade" into 10 Congressional
Record and It's free distribution to the
entire country.
Johnson was defeated in the Re-
publican landslide OF 1894, but in
and began his real LIES work of es-
tablishfng the throe~cent street car
fare. For years he kept up the fight
and as n result Cleveland to-day sun
has three cent street car fare, al
though not under exactly the condi-
lions he had hoped for. His various
/ terms as mayor were marked by a
continual fight against special priv
! ilege with the result that he quickly
won the title OF mayor of the best
/ governed city in the United States -
! In 1903 he ran for governor and
| was defeated, but WAS promptly re-
elected mayor again In 1905, meeting
! final defeat for mayor in 1910,
! During the last few months of his
life. most of his time was employed in
writing his autobiography.
! johnson Was spsarrie,:,. early in eYro
TO Margaret ]. Johnson. daughter Of
the Confederate Colonel Robert John
son at Louisville. Mrs. Johnson and
two children, Mrs Bessie johnson
Mariani and Loftin Edwards John
son, survive him.