The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-02-19
POLITICIANS ASK
UNLIMITED BONDS
Tactics on Mills Bill StlTS Up
Hornets Nest.
JOBS AND GRAFT INVOLVED
Some Inside History of Machine In
terest In UnliUited Bond Bill-The
Legislators Double Payroll.

legislators Double Payroll.
Columbus, O.-(Special.l- THE fight
of political spoilsmen to get the Mills
bond issue measure through the leg
islature is turning up a scandal which
is not even hinted at in the dis
patches that go to Democratic papers
from the capital.
The Mills bill proposes to give to
taxspenders the right to issue bonds
in unlimited millions for the purpose
of purchasing public utility pla.. IS.
On the face of it, it is plain to see
that this would be a big thing for
the political organizations that want
to get more power through jobs-for
with all the utilities of a village or
city in the hands of politicians they
would have at their command jobs
enough to perpetuate themselves in
power; and, if an organization were
corrupt, the bill would give the dis
honest politician opportunity to reap
| rich rewards.
From Cleveland has come the prin-
cipal demand for the enactment Of
this measure and the tactics used are
coming in for severe criticism. The
Democratic state organization has
been giving some help to the Mayor
Baker contingent. The state machine
has not torn buttons off its clothes
in an effort to help the Clevelanders
because it is anxious to save to itself
as many votes as possible any
one who reads the Mills bill knows
that it will lose votes to an admin
| istration that openly backs it. On the
other hand it is necessary that the
Bakerites up Cleveland way be mol
lifted, and to keep that radical ele-
ment in line promises of help on the
Mills bill have been given.
The house made the Mills bill ac'
ceptable to the people of the state
but the Cleveland politicians got III
their work in the senate and it was
amended so that it now authorizes
bond issues in unlimited millions
without reference to debts already
saddled upon the taxpayers. The
house refused to accept the amend
ments and the bill was sent to confer
ence committee. The Cleveland poll
ticians hope to get the conference
committee to recommend a measure
that will please them-and then they
will attempt to force the state admin
istration to help jam it through the
legislature. The house is disposed t.
stand by the taxpayers in this mat
ter and the members will resist tht
onslaught of the socialistic politicians
il the taxpayers continue to maxi
known in an emphatic manner thei
attitude against the bill.
|
The club is working this week o.
many members. Mayor Baker ha
threatened to tell stories about mem
bers of the legislature who oppoS
his wishes. Mayor Tom Johnson di
that in one campaign. He wen
through the state denouncing peopl
who disagreed with him, and the re
suit was that he was defeated by tn
largest majority ever piled up on
hapless candidate.
: In addition to the club, the Bake
ties are using salve. One man
7 whom the Socialists are afraid is Rel
resentative Kramer of Richland coul
ty. Mr.. Kramer has sharp min
and a clever tongue. He has shot th
Mills bill full of holes and, with I'll
n aid of independent Democrats and r
publicans, he succeeded in killing tt
e measure for the time being.
Now the Bakerites are trying
get Kramers vote for the Mills b
by touting him as a candidate for Il
'' Democratic nomination for secreta
of state. They figure that If Repr
t. sentative Kramer falls for that sal
he will seek support Of the Clevelal
:. people by promising to help thel
- But those who have seen the Ric
~ land county man in action know tn
n the Cleveland Socialists have ma
the wrong kind of bid for his 81
r. port.
In the senate when the Mills
was up for passage Senator Bernste
a. Of Cleveland mentioned a trio of Il
byists, including as one alleged Ii
eS byist against the bill Secretary c
! of the Cincinnati Business Mems eli
Mr.. Cox properly resents the char
10 and threatens demand for q legis
tive inquiry.
It The Cincinnati Enquirer has Il
illuminating story on the tactics
ne the politicians who are trying to ];
through this Mills unlimited bond
~ sue measure:
Il "It may be said that every ell
- was made to discourage Secret;
ns Cox from demanding an open inve
cation, in the interview with Lieut.
lSt ant Governor w. A. Greenlund
Cincinnati man was made to unc
W. stand that Bernstein's words W
not to be taken too seriously I
III. phase lent support to the theory t
the Cox incident was merely
phase of gensral scheme to use
} usual means to SECURE the passage
the Mills bill in the senate.
Another link in this chain OF
dence was supplied by Senator
liam e. Haas OF Delaware, an
ponent of the measure, to whom
noyorx,nr Tom M EsnY