The Washington herald., 1914-09-13

by making trousers for the cavalry At
20 cents a pair.
The man and his family moved to
Cleveland at the close Of the civil war.
Here son was born. His name is Peter
Witt The father used to say, Peter re-
membered from his childhood up, that
the only fair scheme OF land taxation
was for the owner himself to set the
value, the State having power under the
statute to purchase the land at the value
so fixed.
Taxes were always discussed among
the Wits, old and young. Peter quit
going to school when he was thirteen
years of age. By and by he learned the
molder's trade. II had q gift for CAB,
he will tell you, ''and the men in the
shops where I worked put me to the
front whenever there was a controversy.
No Foundry Would Hire Him.
1T so happened. therefore" he will ex-
plain, that 1 was invariably the first
man discharged and the last one taken
back. By the year 1896, managers Of all
the foundries in Cleveland turned me
down when I applied for a job. could
have gone elsewhere but I preferred TO
fight ii out in the town where I was
born and brought up.
My living was earned outside my
trade. and. having studied taxation, I
wrote a work on that question and had
1t published. Then, having Joined my
fortunes with those OF Tom l. johnson,
I was given employment in the tax
Office of Cleveland. l soon found that
the little man was paying all he ought
to pay, but that the owners of business
buildings and fine houses were escaping
their share of the taxation burdens Of
the community.
II went into the streets with my figures
and facts and wrote them on a black
board while l talked. I couldn't be a
molder Of iron but could do something
else. 1 wasn't after revenge, such
thought never occurred to me-my puT-
pose was impersonal and much higher
but that is the way, some will say, II
worked out Taxation needed reforma-
ton and as I wasn't permitted TO follow
my own calling, I became an agitator.
Next. was elected city clerk. In Janu-
airy, 1872. Mayor Baker appointed me city
street railroad commissioner. My salary
pany pays IL, also the street railroad
company pays the rent Of my Offices and
the salaries Of my assistants, stenograph-
ers. and clerks"
Persons, who supposed they could see
the unconfessed motives behind certain
public acts, said that Tom L Johnson
some day hoped to be President of the
United States He returned to Cleve-
land from Brooklyn, n. Y. and ran for
mayor. Always q scent man when he
was in the street railroad business him
self, he declared that 3 cents was enough
anywhere, provided the capitalization was
kept down to the actual value Of the
property. exclusive Of franchises.
The Death of Tom Johnson.
The prophets, none of whom ever sup
ported him at the polls, said that john
son would run for Governor OF Ohio,
after serving as mayor, and then would
seek the highest ONCE Of the republic.
He did become a candidate FOR governor,
but was defeated and so ended his pro-
gram upward, If he had a program. John
son is in his grave, whittier he was borne
after losing his millions, but his friends
and his enemies are riding for three cents
apiece and that is his monument
There had been long. bitter years OF
contention and rough-and-tumble fight
ing" Peter Witt said, in the intense